Light of Dawnn Awards

Sandra Andrade is Co-Director of Boston Human Exploitation Advocacy Team, or Boston HEAT, as well as Senior Peer Advocate at the Dee Kennedy Project at Dorchester and Roxbury District Courts. Sandra has supported sexually exploited women in a range of community settings for over 5 years, including courts, a safe house, the Suffolk County House of Correction and Boston HEAT’s nationally recognized street outreach program. As someone with lived experience, Sandra is compassionate and uniquely equipped to meet women where they are and help address their needs around victimization, substance use and mental health related issues. The enormous impact she has had is difficult to quantify, as she has helped hundreds of women at the most challenging times of their life. In addition to working directly with women, she routinely trains officers of the courts on the signs of trafficking and has co wrote curriculum for a support group for sex-trafficked women who are incarcerated to provide better support during their incarceration and diminish the loneliness and isolation so many woman experience. Sandra is an invited member of the Governor’s Human Trafficking Subcommittee, and her peer advocacy at BostonHEAT was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Michael Gonzalez is the Senior Program Coach at Boston Higher Education Resource Center, which is committed to helping first-generation youth obtain higher education to break the cycle of poverty and become agents of change in their communities. He himself is a first-generation college graduate whose ambition is rooted in service. While navigating college with the support of a few key mentors, he developed a strong belief in the power of guidance and access—one that inspired a lifelong commitment to mentoring young people. Today, he supports BPS students inside and beyond the classroom through college and career readiness, empowering them to take ownership of their education, navigate postsecondary pathways, and pursue their goals with confidence and purpose. Michael is naturally gifted and uniquely equipped to connect with young people to make them feel seen, heard and valued. His success is best summarized in the words of one of the youth that he worked with who said – “Michael’s one of my biggest cheerleaders, even now in college. I’ll text him something like, ‘Hey, I got a B on my chem quiz!’ and he responds like I just cured cancer. Everyone needs a Michael in their life.”

Tiffany Sheets is a dedicated leader in early childhood education, currently serving as the assistant vice president of programs at Ellis Early Learning, a Boston-based organization committed to providing high-quality, inclusive early education and care for children and families. She has spent the past 26 years growing up with Ellis, and her career has been shaped by a deep commitment to children, educators, and the communities the organization serves.

Her journey in early childhood education began at a young age and has evolved alongside her professional growth within the organization. Over the years, she has developed extensive experience in program management, instructional leadership, and family engagement. At the heart of her work is a focus on creating nurturing, developmentally appropriate environments where children feel safe, valued, and supported, while also empowering educators and building strong, trusting partnerships with families.

As a mother of four daughters, her passion for early education is both professional and deeply personal. Her experiences as a parent have strengthened her understanding of the challenges families face and guide her family-centered, compassionate approach to leadership. She strongly believes in equitable access to high-quality early learning opportunities and in supporting families during the most critical years of a child’s development.

Through her work, she strives to lead with empathy, integrity, and purpose. She is honored to support children, families, and educators every day and to serve as a guiding light within her community.