Executive Board
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Co-Founder
Alaska Experience Director
Monty Barker is a 2L at Harvard Law School. Monty received a B.A. in Government and Legal Studies and German from Bowdoin College in 2016.
Prior to beginning law school, Monty served for seven years as an Aviation Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy. During his time in the armed forces, Monty successfully completed two deployments to the Middle East in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve.
Monty began volunteering for VITA in 2023, participating in Harvard's first trip to Alaska in conjunction with the Alaska Business Development Center (ABDC) to file taxes for low-income, native communities. Monty has an enduring love of Alaska and its people that began when he worked as a summer laborer during college in Seward, Alaska.
Last summer, Monty clerked for the Hon. Judge Bill Simpson in Cody, Wyoming. Next summer, Monty will be working at SquirePattonBoggs as a summer associate in Denver, Colorado.
In his spare time, Monty loves road-tripping across the United States in his truck with his fiancée, Carrington.
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Co-Founder
Managing Director
Jon-Yin (he/him) is a Research Fellow at the Center for Taxpayer Rights and a student at Harvard Law School. Before enrolling at HLS, he was a low-income tax specialist at HLS’s Federal Tax Clinic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon-Yin secured millions in tax benefits for underserved populations. Since 2016, he has partnered with VITA sites in Alaska, California, Upstate New York, New York City, & Massachusetts. This will be his fifth tax season providing free tax preparation in Massachusetts and his seventh season as a VITA preparer.
Jon-Yin received a B.S. in Applied Economics and Management and an M.P.S. in Management from Cornell University. Next summer, he will join Milbank as a summer associate in NYC.
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Co-Founder
Client Consultation Director
Brandon Campbell is a student at Harvard College studying Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Brandon is currently conducting cutting-edge hematopoietic stem cell research within the esteemed Wagers Lab at the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Brandon's work is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of aging. His quest is to identify key factors within the bloodstream that contribute to the aging process, with the ultimate goal of extending the human lifespan.
Before his involvement with VITA, Brandon dedicated his time to serving low-income communities through non-profit organizations. In roles ranging from accounting to legal assistance, he gained invaluable experience and insight into the challenges faced by individuals in financial need. Now, as the Client Consultation Director at VITA, Brandon channels his expertise and compassion to provide vital support to those seeking assistance. His tireless dedication to helping others underscores his commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those he serves. Driven by a desire to merge scientific innovation with social responsibility, Brandon Campbell is a visionary leader poised to leave an indelible mark on both the scientific and humanitarian landscapes.
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Co-Founder
VITA Certification Training Director
Jackson Faulkner is a 1L from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jackson is interested in administrative law, American legal history, and the intersection of law, politics, and discretionary authority.
Before attending Harvard Law School, he worked in New Mexico state government and politics, holding positions with both the Governor and the Speaker of the House. Jackson's work included facilitating government-to-government relationships with tribal leadership, executing statewide political programs, and most recently, staffing a legislative session where New Mexico adopted its first tax plan proposed and led by an Indigenous legislator.
Jackson plans to return to New Mexico upon graduation and work in the public interest. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and exploring New England with his partner.
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Co-Founder
Intake & Quality Review Director
Ali is a 2L from Tucson, Arizona. She previously received a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University.
During her 1L summer, Ali worked at the Kirkland Ellis Boston office doing transactional work. For her 2L summer, she will be returning to Kirkland Ellis and focusing on transactional tax law. At HLS, Ali is part of the Consumer Protection Clinic, as well as Harvard First Class (the first generation and low-income student's association).
Ali began volunteering with Harvard VITA 1L year and has deeply enjoyed working with community members to file their returns. She looks forward to helping lead the site and connect community members with Harvard VITA this year.
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Co-Founder
Cambridge Public Library Site Coordinator
Zoha Ibrahim (she/her) is a sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Social Studies and Middle Eastern Studies with a secondary on Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights.
Born in Hyderabad, India, Zoha immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. On campus, she helped revive the Harvard Ethnic Studies Coalition to advocate for a fully funded ethnic studies department and concentration at the University. Additionally, she organized with the Affirmative Action Coalition and the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund to rally students in support of affirmative action leading up to and following the SFFA v. Harvard Supreme Court case. This past summer, Zoha was selected as a Roosevelt Scholar and worked as a research assistant for Professor Taeku Lee on a meta-analysis of public opinion on immigration in the US.
In her role as a VITA site coordinator, Zoha looks forward to serving members of the Cambridge and Greater Boston community. Outside of her academic and extracurricular pursuits, she enjoys baking, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
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Co-Founder
Engagement Director & Harvard College Liaison
Olivia Lin (she/her) is a current sophomore at Harvard College concentrating in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology with a secondary in History of Art and Architecture.
Originally from Clovis, California and now a proud resident of Kirkland House at Harvard, she intends to pursue a career as a physician or physician-scientist. Olivia has been an IRS-certified Advanced-level tax preparer for VITA since her junior year of high school, where she founded a collaboration between her high school and the nonprofit United Way Fresno & Madera Counties to recruit her classmates to become volunteer tax preparers for low-income community members in California’s Central Valley.
Outside of VITA, she is involved in research at Boston Children’s Hospital and plays cello in Harvard’s Bach Society Orchestra. In her free time, she enjoys exploring restaurants in Boston, wandering around Newbury Street with her friends, and doing group fitness classes. She is excited to continue providing free tax assistance to those in the Greater Boston community.
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Co-Founder
LSC Student Director
Jeslyn Liu (she/her) is a sophomore at Harvard College studying Government with a secondary in Statistics.
As an intern for the Safety Net Project of the Veterans Legal Clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center (LSC), Jeslyn has experience assisting community members with criminal record sealing, welfare benefit applications, and providing resources for individuals in the process of social reintegration. Over the summer, Jeslyn interned for the One Plus One Group in Shanghai, China, in collaboration with the Harvard Law School Project On Disability, where she helped research policies advancing disability rights globally and address the issue of accessibility in education and employment for those without vision.
Outside of Harvard VITA, Jeslyn serves as the Co-President of Harvard GRC, the College's premier nonprofit consulting group. She also writes for the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review and volunteers with the Small Claims Advisory Service. Jeslyn looks forward to serving more members of her community through Harvard VITA.
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Co-Founder
Virtual Tax Preparation Director
Cameron Snowden (he/him) is a junior at Harvard College studying government on the public policy track with a secondary in educational studies.
A first-generation, low-income college student from Breathitt County, Kentucky, Cameron is devoted to public service and assisting underprivileged populations. On campus, Cameron Co-Founded the Harvard College Appalachian Student Association, providing a community and safety net for Appalachian students at Harvard and launching numerous initiatives to benefit the region’s residents.
Outside of Harvard, Cameron worked as a Research Associate for ReImagine Appalachia: a coalition of think tanks and public interest groups devoted to uplifting Appalachia through public policy initiatives. Cameron co-authored a brief for ReImagine Appalachia outlining principles that Appalachian state governments should adhere to when increasing broadband accessibility throughout the region. Cameron also worked as a Carpentry Intern for the Housing Development Alliance in Hazard, Kentucky, helping build houses for low-income Appalachian people across Eastern Kentucky.
Advisory Board
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Clinical Training Advisor
ABDC Professor of Record
Julie directs the Safety Net Project of the Veterans Legal Clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center (LSC). In 2019 she founded the LSC CORI Sealing Initiative to provide legal representation to individuals eligible to seal their criminal records. She supervises clinical students representing clients in administrative settings, including in Social Security, employment, estate planning, consumer and other benefits issues.
After law school, Julie worked at Community Legal Aid (then LACCM) in Worcester representing clients in public benefits, housing, consumer and employment law. At LACCM, she organized membership of all non-management attorneys and staff with the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), District 65, UAW and served as the new local’s first president. She co-teaches on disability and administrative law as part of the Veteran’s Law and Disability Benefits Clinic. She coordinates LSC’s Peoples Law School “Know Your Rights” community legal education workshops and has given numerous presentations to national and state wide groups on Access to Justice, Social Security, Safety Net and disability related issues.
Julie received her B.A. and L.L.B. from Ollscoil na hEireann, Gaillimh (National University of Ireland Galway, Republic of Ireland).
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Certified Public Accountant
Virtual VITA Site Coordinator
Rob is originally from Memphis, TN. In 2016, he moved to NYC to work for EY's Tax Technology team, where he worked his way up to Manager before leaving for a start-up accounting technology company in 2023. He moved back to Memphis in 2023 as well, where he continues to work on and learn tax technology.
Rob has a passion for giving back to the community, and he is privileged and grateful to work with the Virtual VITA team at Boston Tax Help Coalition. He is an actively licensed CPA in NY and TN, and an avid TTRPG fan, especially D&D 5th edition.
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Faculty Advisor
Daniel Nagin is Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the WilmerHale Legal Services Center, a community-based public interest law firm home to six Harvard Law School civil practice clinics. He is also Faculty Director of the Legal Service Center’s Veterans Legal Clinic, which he founded in 2012. From 2015-2021, he served as the Law School’s inaugural Vice Dean for Experiential and Clinical Education. His teaching and research interests focus on clinical education, social welfare law and policy, veterans law and policy, and delivery of legal services.
Previously, Nagin was on the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he founded and directed a public benefits clinic and taught anti-poverty law courses. Nagin has also taught in the clinical program at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, directed a social service and legal advocacy program for homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS, worked as a legal services attorney in Jamaica, Queens, and co-led a homeless legal project in Indianapolis.
Among his recognitions, Nagin is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, has received the John G. Brooks Legal Services Award from the Boston Bar Association, and been the recipient of the Access to Equal Justice Award from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Nagin’s current activities include serving on the Delivery of Legal Services Section Steering Committee of the Boston Bar Association, the Executive Committee of the Section on Poverty Law of the American Association of Law Schools, and the Judicial Advisory Committee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
He holds a B.A., Phi Beta Kappa and with distinction in all subjects, from Cornell University, an M.A. from Stanford University, and a J.D. with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was the recipient of the Edwin F. Mandel Award.
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Clinical Training Advisor
ABDC Professor of Record
At the WilmerHale Legal Services Center, Family and Domestic Violence Law Clinic, Marianna supervises and trains law students in representing domestic violence victims in all areas of family law including divorce, paternity and child custody matters before the Probate and Family Courts and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Prior to joining the clinic, Marianna represented both plaintiffs and defendants in various fields including MassTorts (MDL) Litigation, litigation involving Class A railroad companies, and most recently, in Child Welfare and Domestic Relations litigation. She also served as a panel member in the CPCS Child and Family Law Division Trial Panel and the Appellate Panel. She is also a trained mediator and a member of the MA Collaborative Law Council.