Meet the Team

A smiling young man in a navy blue suit, white shirt, and patterned tie standing outside near a brick building and trees.

Our Officers

Garrett I. Barnes, President & Founder

From Fair Bluff, NC, a town of less than 500 in the southeastern region of North Carolina, Garrett is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Garrett nurtured a passion for education advocacy beginning in his sophomore year at UNC when he realized a common theme about many of his friends who struggled to adapt to life at Carolina: they were all rural students. As a result, he began working in organizations at UNC, primarily in student government, that he believed were dedicated to supporting students in their academic journey. Realizing that assistance needed to be tailored to student needs more closely, Garrett founded the Education Symmetry Project with Neil Sharma, the now Vice-President of the Project with whom he grew close through their shared dedication to elevating students from backgrounds similar to their own.

Neil Sharma, Vice-President & Founder

From Jamestown, NC, Neil is a Public Policy graduate student studying mechanisms for improving higher-education access for North Carolinians. A former dropout, he spent eight years in the food industry before enrolling at Carolina in ‘21, thanks to the affordability of the community college pathway that offered him a second chance. Neil has worked since then to support others in achieving that same academic and career mobility, regardless of background. To this end, he has promoted first-generation and transfer student success through researching and creating innovative support networks at Carolina, and beyond. Due to realizing the challenges rural students face and his desire to expand his mission to promote education accessibility for students, Neil joined ESP President, Garrett Barnes, to found the Education Symmetry Project, to ensure others receive the same life changing opportunities as he did.

William Epley, Secretary

William Epley is a graduate from UNC Chapel Hill who studied Political Science and English. Originally from Wilkes County, and a graduate of Wilkes Community College, he is interested in providing more rural, first generation, and non-traditional students with access to essential information to help them succeed academically. Through working with ESP, he hopes to increase educational equity across North Carolina.

Andrew Forbes, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Andrew Forbes is a Public Policy and Economics student at UNC Chapel Hill from Fayetteville, NC. Having experienced the first hand effects of disparate education funding in public schools, he recognizes the need for attention and care put into fixing these inequities. Through active service as the Treasurer of UNC’s Undergraduate Student Government he has worked firsthand with students who have grown through the public education system and hopes working with ESP will bridge the issues of education equality.

Our Division Directors

Annabel Dougherty, Director of Programming and Outreach

Annabel Dougherty is a recent graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, where she majored in Management and Society and minored in Entrepreneurship. Originally from Chicago, she is passionate about building community and expanding access to opportunity. While at UNC, Annabel co-founded the UNC Transfer Lounge—the university’s first dedicated space for transfer students—creating programming focused on mentorship, connection, and resource sharing. She also served as a Peer Financial Coach, teaching students essential financial literacy topics. Annabel now works in Sales at Dell Technologies in Austin, Texas, where she continues to apply her passion for people, problem-solving, and impact. She is excited to be a part of the ESP family to continue her work combatting information asymmetry and hopes to allow every student equal access to make the most out of their undergraduate experience.

Katie L. Hopkins, Director of Research

Katie L. Hopkins is a researcher focused on educational equity and access, particularly in rural and underserved communities. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement. Katie’s work bridges research and practice to inform policy solutions that expand postsecondary opportunities for students who have historically been overlooked. Her experience includes projects in rural school districts, mixed-methods research, and program evaluation. Katie is passionate about advancing policies that reflect the strengths and needs of rural learners and the systems that support them.

Virginia Llewellyn, Director of Operations

Virginia Llewellyn is originally from Winterville, a small town in the heart of Eastern North Carolina. She attended a K–12 public charter school and completed part of her education through dual enrollment at Beaufort County Community College—experiences that deepened her understanding of the barriers rural and transfer students often encounter while navigating higher education. Having previously worked as an SECU Public Service Fellow, Virginia’s work is grounded in a strong foundation of public service, nonprofit involvement, and organizational management. In her role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Education Symmetry Project and helps drive its mission forward with care, strategy, and a commitment to educational equity. She is currently a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, double majoring in Business Administration and Communication Studies with a minor in PPE.

Our Programming Team Leaders

Aakash Palathra, Pre-Law Programming Leader

Aakash Palathra is from Rockville, MD, and is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As the son of a brave immigrant father and an even braver mother who became the first person in her family to attend college in the United States, he intimately understands the academic and emotional challenges facing first-generation and immigrant students. This personal experience drives his work with Education Symmetry, where he mentors underrepresented students navigating higher education pathways. Majoring in public policy with plans to pursue law, Aakash believes that encouraging first-generation, rural, and underprivileged students to enter the legal field will bring greater fairness, impartiality, and equal access to justice to our legal system.

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Lyla Bullard, Pre-Healthcare Programming Leader

Lyla Bullard is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from Chadbourn, NC, a small town in southeastern North Carolina. She is pursuing a double major studying Exercise and Sport Science and Medical Anthropology. As a freshman student coming from a background where college and continuing education were not common, learning, the ins and outs of UNC were difficult. After much networking and getting out of her comfort zone, meeting new people and creating relationships that helped her adapt to UNC, she learned to thrive. With the goal of pursuing a career in medicine, Lyla is excited to be a part of the ESP family to help students gain equal access to information needed to thrive throughout their undergraduate careers and further their careers in medicine.

Matthew Thornton, First-Generation Programming Leader

Matthew Thornton is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying political science and Chinese. A native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, Matthew was inspired to join the Education Symmetry Project by his experience navigating the transition from a low-income high school to UNC. Matthew often felt frustrated by the lack of college-related guidance at his high school, where most students did not pursue higher education. Though Matthew initially struggled to find a support network and overcome academic challenges, he is now committed to using his involvement as a Resident Advisor, a Senator in Undergraduate Student Government, along with lived experiences to provide guidance to first-generation college students in navigating the often-daunting world of higher education and develop an enduring sense of community.

Our Operations Division

Doug Daniel, Recruiter

Doug Daniel is a Political Science and Public Policy student at UNC-Chapel Hill from Charlotte, NC. Shaped by his volunteer work with vulnerable communities, Doug brings a passion for equitable access and practical support to the Education Symmetry Project. As someone who has witnessed the impact of information asymmetry on students navigating higher education, he believes access to the right information at the right time can be transformative. Doug joined ESP to help bridge those gaps by creating resources rooted in real experiences. Whether mentoring peers, contributing to outreach strategies, or leading student-led initiatives, he is committed to making higher education more navigable and inclusive for all. Through his work, Doug aims to ensure that no student is held back simply because they didn’t know where to begin.

Our Board of Directors

Neil Sharma, Chair of the Board

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Garrett I. Barnes, Vice-Chair of the Board

From Fair Bluff, NC, a town of less than 500 in the southeastern region of North Carolina, Garrett is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Garrett nurtured a passion for education advocacy beginning in his sophomore year at UNC when he realized a common theme about many of his friends who struggled to adapt to life at Carolina: they were all rural students. As a result, he began working in organizations at UNC, primarily in student government, that he believed were dedicated to supporting students in their academic journey. Realizing that assistance needed to be tailored to student needs more closely, Garrett founded the Education Symmetry Project with Neil Sharma, the now Chair of ESP’s Board with whom he grew close through their shared dedication to elevating students from backgrounds similar to their own.

Katie Noble

Katie is from Wake Forest, North Carolina, and graduated in 2024 with Highest Distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she received a B.A. in Public Policy and History with a concentration in Politics, Law, and Economics. She is passionate about higher education, which led her to work as a Chancellor’s Fellow at UNC after graduating. There, she conducted policy analysis and research to support university initiatives. In 2024, she also launched Girls Go Government, a nonprofit dedicated to narrowing the gender gap in government involvement and leadership by empowering women in high school to explore government careers, develop leadership skills, and engage in civic activities. She currently serves as Girls Go Government’s CEO and is honored to support ESP’s mission by serving on their board and advancing their commitment to expanding access to higher education.

Crystal Matthis

Crystal Matthis, a proud first generation student originally from eastern Kentucky who moved to North Carolina during elementary school received two associates degrees alongside her high school diploma from Brunswick County Early College High School. She then sought her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University, initially majoring in social work driven by her desire to help young people, then finding her passion in History and Social Studies Education. After graduating from Appalachian State in 2015, she began work as a teacher and has dedicated her career to supporting students in rural communities, thereby allowing her to work closely with first-generation and underserved students whose challenges she understands firsthand. Crystal believes early access to information and opportunities is essential to achievement and believes that joining ESP is a natural extension of her commitment to equity in education.

Samuel Hiner

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