Meet Your Assistant Director of First-Year Success
Daniela García Estrella
(she/her)
Daniela García Estrella works primarily with first-year students in the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of General Studies (CGS).
Daniela previously worked as an Admissions Counselor at the University of Miami. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. She earned her Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and serves as a board member for the Breakthrough Miami Alumni Network. As a former low-income, first-generation student, she understands how difficult it may be to navigate college and hopes to demystify the process for first-year students.
Daniela enjoys dancing, cooking, playing board games, and spending quality time with her family in her free time.
Courtney Ianiro
(she/her)
Courtney Ianiro works primarily with first-year students in Sargent College, first-year students in the biological sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the College of General Studies (CGS).
As an undergraduate, Courtney was a student-athlete and team captain on the Bridgewater State University softball team. Courtney has spent time in various roles within higher education and is passionate about collaboration, connection, and growth with students, faculty/staff, and campus officials. Prior to joining the undergraduate affairs team, Courtney was the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Support Services at Boston University. Before coming to BU, Courtney was the Graduate Assistant to the Director of Athletics at Averett University.
Courtney holds a BS in Physical Education and Leadership with a minor in Psychology from Bridgewater State University, and later completed her Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Leadership from Averett University. Courtney resides in Framingham, MA with her wife Meg and their dog Poppy.
Lucie Levine
(she/her)
Lucie Levine works primarily with first-year students in the Questrom School of Business and the College of General Studies (CGS).
Lucie comes to the First Year Success Initiative from Combined Enrollment Services at Boston University, where she worked as an Enrollment Service Advisor, focusing on enrollment, admissions, and financial aid. Lucie graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec in 2015 with her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Development. She is currently working on her Master’s in Business Administration through the Questrom School of Business here at BU.
In her free time, Lucie loves cooking, baking, reading, true crime podcasts, and puzzles. She enjoys spending time outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Lucie resides in the Greater Boston area with her partner Josh and their mini Bernedoodle Arugula.
Debra Marcus
(they/them)
Debra Marcus works primarily with first-year students in the College of Communication, the College of Fine Arts, and Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
Debra has been with Boston University’s Office of the Provost since 2018. They first served as the Administrative Coordinator for Undergraduate Advising, where they developed advisor resources and advising trainings for faculty and staff across campus. Debra then served as the BU Hub Curriculum Administrator, facilitating communications between faculty, administrators, and operations staff to ensure the successful implementation and operation of the BU Hub curriculum and to support the work of the faculty members of the General Education Committee (GEC) in reviewing and approving courses and cocurriculars for inclusion in the Hub.
Before coming to BU, Debra worked with the Theater Offensive’s True Colors Troupe, a theater troupe for LGBTQ youth and their allies. They also held positions as an audio engineer for several productions with Company One Theater and as a transcriber and transcription production coordinator in downtown Boston. Originally from Florida, they hold an EdM in Higher Education Administration and a BA with a double major in Music and Psychology from Boston University. They currently live in Boston with their wife, Liv; their cats, Bo and Pawl Simon; and their chihuahua-husky mix, Diana Wynne Bones (“Wynnie”). Outside the office, they enjoy biking, reading, analyzing music, and crocheting.
John Medina
(he/him)
John Manuel Medina works primarily with first-year students in the social sciences and humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of General Studies (CGS).
John previously worked as a Student Conduct Educator at MIT and as a high school math teacher in San Antonio, Texas. He has a B.A. in Chemistry and Romance Languages & Literatures from Bowdoin College and an Ed.M. in Educational Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a first-generation college student, John seeks to ensure all students can find a sense of belonging and thrive in their first year and beyond.
Home for John is The Bronx and San Antonio, Texas. Aside from supporting first-year students, John enjoys cooking, eating, going to the movies, walking along the Charles, thrifting and attending concerts.
Amanda Zinck
(she/her)
Amanda Zinck works primarily with first-year students in the College of Engineering and the College of General Studies (CGS).
As an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire, Amanda studied Communication and worked in the Office of First Year Programs. This experience had a profound impact on her and inspired her professional path. She aims to use her role as an Assistant Director of First-Year Success to help students have that same profound experience while also helping them navigate the challenges that come with being a first-year student. Amanda comes to BU from Lasell University where she worked as Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services & Advising. She earned her Masters of Education in Administration of Higher Education from Suffolk University in 2020. Prior to working in higher education, Amanda had several jobs working in digital marketing and communications.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and watching reality TV.