A Spider at Barnard

The spider is the mascot of my alma mater, the University of Richmond (Richmond, Virginia). So how did I come to the United Way from the Spiders?

As an undergraduate, I discovered my passion for creating social justice in this world. I explored this passion both academically, as a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major, and as an activist, a leader in many different organizations that worked towards establishing equality for all people. After graduating in 2009, I returned to my home state of Connecticut. For two years, I bounced around from job to job: an office assistant at a plumbing company, a temp through an agency, a Crew Leader for the 2010 Census, and an intern in the New Haven Mayor's Office at the Prison Reentry Initative.

Finally, I discovered the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Each VISTA member is placed in a non-profit to help create a sustainable project. I am one of the VISTAs, along with other service corps members, working for the United Way's Boost! Initative. As a Boost! Service Corps member, I will be helping the Boost! Coordinator at Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School to organize the wraparound services. We will work with local non-profits to offer after-school programs to the students at Barnard. After-school programs have been proven to help kids succeed in the classroom.

I look forward to the year ahead with Barnard and the community at large. I'd be more than happy to hear from you about your ideas for after-school programs or wraparounds services!