AmeriCorps Alumni
Mia Romano: Service Years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024
After graduating from college I decided to take a bit of a break from school. I was already familiar with AmeriCorps, as many students from my department pursued AmeriCorps post-graduation, so I decided to look into it for myself. I came across Literacy AmeriCorps of Palm Beach County. I was hesitant to apply at first because my background was in sustainability science – not literacy or education; however, I was passionate about helping others and I was eager to experience living somewhere outside of South Carolina, so I chose to apply anyway.
During my first year with Literacy AmeriCorps, I served as a Graduation Coach at Boynton Beach Community High School, where I provided academic guidance to juniors and seniors to keep them on track for graduation. In my second year, I served as a Children’s Literacy Tutor at Northmore Elementary School, where I supported elementary students reading below grade level through daily tutoring sessions. I also served as a College and Career Readiness Coach with Scholar Career Coaching, where I assisted high school students in achieving their college and career goals. Currently, I work as a Student Navigator with the International College of Healthcare Professionals, where I continue to support students’ academic journeys through outreach and interaction.
Literacy AmeriCorps had a profound impact on my life, and I will forever cherish my time with this program. Through my various roles I was able to empower and guide students toward academic success and personal growth and motivate them to reach their goals. I am so grateful to have been able to dedicate two years of my life to serving others. I would recommend this program to everyone – even if it does not exactly align with your background!
Magda Martial: Graduation Coach
Literacy AmeriCorps member Magda Martial chose to do a year of service as a Literacy AmeriCorps member because it was not that long ago she was in the same position as the students she serves.
“I am a former English as a Second Language Learner (ESL) who got left back, struggled in all my classes, and was constantly told I wasn’t going to be anything in life.”
Proudly now she shares, “That same student who wasn’t going to be anything in life received her AICE Diploma, got full a Bright Futures scholarship and graduated college early. That was all because of the support system I had when I moved to Florida and allowed me to build confidence. Every child deserves to have someone cheering them on. I feel it is my duty to give back to students who are in the same boat as I was. I wanted them to look at me and hear my story and know that they can be great and do better than they imagine. No child deserves to go to school and feel invalid. Everyone is capable of greatness, sometimes you just need someone on the sidelines rooting for you.”
Magda served as a graduation coach at Palm Beach Lakes Community High School. She says, “Serving as an AmeriCorps member means being able to make a difference while also learning about yourself. I am receiving just as much as I am giving. I have learned strengths and weaknesses that I did not know I had. I have learned from not only my AmeriCorps family but also my students. I also found that an AmeriCorps year includes having a big support system that pushes you to grow personally and professionally.”
George Gutierrez: Service Year 2016-2017
Who knew how much one year can change the trajectory of your life? When I graduated in 2016 with my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, I had no idea where I wanted to go with my career. Being a first-generation college student, I had several mentors who looked out for me and they would talk about getting their job through AmeriCorps. Seeing how impactful my mentors were in my life, I started researching AmeriCorps to see what it was all about. Instantly, I fell in love with the service aspect of the program and the motto – “Get Things Done.”
Growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida had such an impact on my life that I could never forget where I came from. I was raised in a community that was impacted by poverty, a lack of resources and few opportunities for people to live better lives. My mother eventually moved my family away, but I always knew I wanted to return to Palm Beach County and mentor students as I was mentored. The signs in the universe would eventually align, and I accepted a position as an AmeriCorps member with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. I was assigned to serve as a College Readiness Coach at Take Stock in Children. This service opportunity allowed me to mentor high school students about college and how to get there. There is no feeling that can match the excitement of seeing a student realize they have the potential to be the first person in their family to go to college.
Serving at Take Stock in Children Palm Beach County fueled the passion of the work I still do today. I currently serve as a Post-Secondary Success Coach at a nonprofit in Nashville, TN. While serving a caseload of more than 200 students annually, I was able to achieve my master’s degree in under two years. I have cried with students, laughed with students, but most importantly, I have seen my students walk across that stage and break the cycle as they were handed their degrees.
AmeriCorps taught me to be strong, give back when you have little, and always put others before yourself. I would not be the man I am today without this program, my students or those who mentored me during my AmeriCorps service year. This opportunity is such a blessing for those who have served but more importantly for the people they serve daily. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach me at George_wpb@yahoo.com. #GETTHINGSDONE
Kiara Slaton: Service Years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013
Literacy AmeriCorps changed my life! Being from a humble beginning in Mississippi (by way of Texas), I was unaware of the world around me. As a recent college graduate, Literacy AmeriCorps of the Palm Beaches welcomed me with open arms. I was placed at Ed Venture Charter School, which fell in line with my passion for working with misguided inner-city youth — seeing the drive and love that the staff had for the students regardless of their background and lack of direction. It was indeed the first place in my life where I understood the term “It takes a village”.
I loved the environment so much that I decided to stay a second year and continue to serve the Ed Venture community. Close to a decade later, I remain in Palm Beach County serving the education community. Having earned a position with Believers Academy immediately after my AmeriCorps graduation to where I sit now as 2019 teacher of the year for Palm Beach Gardens High School and Assistant Athletic Director; AmeriCorps truly did set the foundation for my future!
Post AmeriCorps life, I still advocate and refer new members today. I feel that every person should have the opportunity to experience the feeling of giving back to their community and witnessing the life-changing events that can occur when a person feels genuine compassion and care for another. The experience also paved the way that allowed me to soar to new heights: Earning a 2nd Bachelor, MBA, and Doctorate Degree, Starting She Hoops Elite Women’s Basketball Club, purchasing my first home, and finding my soulmate.
South Florida is a beautiful place to witness diversity, overcome obstacles, and achieve greatness all while the sun is shining! No wonder why it was so easy to fall in love with “Getting things done”.
Dominque Marseille Drummer: Service Year 2014-2015
During my time at Literacy AmeriCorps, I served at The Lord’s Place where I taught job readiness classes, participated in assisting clients with mock interviewing and conducted reading tutoring. The one thing that happened that changed my career goals was working with a 40-year-old male client who scored a zero grade level for reading. That client and I made a pact to meet with each other two to three times a week for six months. After the six months, through his dedication to the process, he went from a zero to second-grade reading level. The idea that someone could change his entire life through just having the right support made me want to discover what I could do to help support people in other aspects of their lives, such as health.
Currently, I work at Healthy Mother’s Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County with the Centering Pregnancy Program as a Facilitator. The best part of my job is that I am able to continue affecting those in need by connecting them to resources that facilitate learning how to live a healthy life.
Alicia Zuniga: Service Years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013
My AmeriCorps experience was life-changing. I served for two years with Literacy AmeriCorps from 2011-2013. During my first year, I served at Gulfstream Goodwill’s Transition to Life Academy where I tutored young adults with disabilities in reading and writing, as well as tutored pre-K through second-grade English language learners at the after-school homework help program for Farmworker Children’s Council. In my second year I served at the Palm Beach County Library System where I taught English Exchange classes at six different library branches across the county, led beginner computer classes for learners in the Adult Literacy Project and instructed a pre-literacy group. I had a special opportunity to work with a wide age and ability range, and to this day this experience remains the most emotionally rewarding job I’ve had.
Following AmeriCorps, I completed my master’s degree in library and information science with the aid of my education awards. LAPBC instilled leadership and service skills that I have been able to apply in a variety of roles across the private and public sectors, including roles at the Public Library of Science (PLOS), California Department of Public Health, and Sacramento Public Library. I am currently the Media Library Specialist at UC Davis Health where I support the statewide media campaigns for the California Tobacco Control Program. I have a passion for promoting information literacy that was sparked by my AmeriCorps service years. Not only did I have the chance to develop professionally and make an impact in the Palm Beach County community, but I also made lifelong connections that have continued to play active roles in my life.
Sara Gershon: Service Year 2013-2014
Hi! I am Sara Gershon and I served with Literacy AmeriCorps from 2013-2014 as an Elementary School Reading Tutor. In addition to my role as a reading tutor, I was on the Member Development team, where I was able to cultivate my leadership skills by helping to plan and execute our weekly Friday Training. Since successfully completing the program, I have been attending the University of Georgia School of Law, where I am pursuing a joint J.D./M.S. in Sport Management and Policy. In addition to school, I work as a reading comprehension mentor and writing center tutor for the UGA Athletic Association. In this position, I use the skills I learned as an AmeriCorps member every day. I have the pleasure of working with student-athletes, helping them to overcome some of the same hurdles faced by the students I tutored as an AmeriCorps member.
My time in this program was life-affirming. I learned both that I did not want to be a teacher and that I would always find a way to serve the underserved populations in my community in a mentorship/educational capacity. People often think the draw to the sports industry is the money. For me, it is far from that. During my AmeriYear, I realized that what made me feel the most fulfilled day in and day out was working with those who lacked guidance or confidence and knowing I could help them realize their full potential. My proudest moments in AmeriCorps were seeing my students take ownership of their progress and walk the school halls with pride. I get that same feeling working with student-athletes and hope to one day get that feeling working with professional athletes.
My advice to you is: Be open to every adventure. Take every opportunity you get, even if it doesn’t pay (a lot). You might earn something better in the experience itself. I know I did!
Brandon Carroll: Service Year 2014-2015
My name is Brandon Carroll and I am originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. I graduated in the spring of 2014 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where I studied Education and Sociology. I have always had a passion for helping people and helping students achieve.
I had the honor and privilege to serve as a Graduation Coach, and I loved every minute of it! Being that I have an education background and I have worked with students from Kindergarten all the way up to middle school, I figured I challenge myself and see if dealing with High Schoolers was really what I wanted to do in life. I can say it is safe to say that I learned a lot during my service year and it has helped shape me into how I want to spend the rest of my life.
My students taught me a lot more than I could ever teach them by opening up to me and allowing me to understand how hard it is sometimes for a high school student to graduate, and they would always thank me for just being there to support them through their own journey onto graduation.
When the service year was over, it was saddening to see a lot of the friends I made through AmeriCorps move away to different parts of the country to pursue other jobs, or education, or just life goals. However, staying down here in Palm Beach County was one of the best decisions I could have made for after my service year! I am currently the College Retention Coach for Take Stock in Children Palm Beach County, and as of the summer of 2016, I will become the Director of College Retention. Take Stock in Children gives out scholarships and mentors to low-income, at-risk youth, in order to instill hope in them that they too can go to college. My job is to help, advise and support the recipients of our scholarship from being high school seniors, all the way through college graduation!
I still am connected to AmeriCorps in spirit in many ways, from seeing new AmeriCorps members daily at my job to visiting and bonding with old AmeriCorps friends who are still around. AmeriCorps will always have a special place in my heart, and as for my future plans, I am pursuing my Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration and I know that one day I hope to work for a College or University in Admissions, Student Life, or even the Retention Department. I just know that no matter where life takes me, I will forever be grateful for the experience, the joy, and the laughter that my service year in AmeriCorps has given me. Thanks again for allowing me the opportunity to better myself as a person, and I will always continue to #GetThingsDone.
Michael Owen: Service Years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014
I had the honor of serving with Literacy AmeriCorps for two years. During my first year, I served as a Job Readiness Instructor with The Lord’s Place, a non-profit organization that works to end the cycle of homelessness in Palm Beach County. My second year afforded me the opportunity to work side-by-side with a Language Arts/Life Skills teacher at EdVenture Charter School, a vocational institution that empowers 15-22-year-olds with job skills and a renewed sense of self-worth.
Currently, I am serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia, South America. I am living in a small, rural community on the Caribbean coast called Repelón. Here, I am serving as a teacher trainer and work closely with about three English teachers, helping them develop and refine their abilities to teach English to their students. Outside of working with these teachers, I also currently have three community English classes, in which members of the community have the ability to learn some basic English skills. In addition to these classes, I also work one-on-one with the local police chief, helping him improve his English abilities so he may receive a promotion in the future.
My time with Literacy AmeriCorps further solidified the fact that teaching is my life and my passion. AmeriCorps helped lead me to finally realizing my lifelong dream of serving with the Peace Corps. The values and sense of civic responsibility that I learned during my time in AmeriCorps have carried over to my service overseas. The confidence and leadership skills that I attained have made integration into my new community much easier and have helped me to be a successful contributor to those around me here in Colombia.
Janet Newton: Service Year 2011-2012
I served as a Literacy AmeriCorps member from 2011 to 2012, tutoring adult ESOL students. This program gave me experience serving others in a way I don’t think I could have on my own, particularly considering my newness to the professional world. Being at my primary site solidified my knowing I wanted to work with English language learners, but visiting others’ sites and arranging and participating in service projects exposed me to a wide variety of organizations I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to learn about. The professional development and dear friendships enriched my time in South Florida even further.
Following this year of service, I did a second with another literacy organization in Boston called Generations Incorporated. I then put my education award to use toward a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina. I am currently working as an ESOL Tutor for a school district in Columbia, SC, serving students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
Andy Chiamopoulos: Service Year 2010-2011
Hi! My name is Andy Chiamopoulos and I was a Literacy AmeriCorps member from 2010-2011. During my service year, I taught a GED program at Bridges Riviera Beach in the morning and provided reading tutoring to children at the Boys and Girls Club of Riviera Beach in the afternoon. Since completing my year in AmeriCorps, I graduated with a Master’s in Public Policy from Duke University and have served in a variety of analytical roles for several organizations. Currently, I am a Senior Analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, where I help manage a project for the U.S. Treasury. I am also happy to say that I recently married my wife, whom I met while we were both Literacy AmeriCorps members!
My experience in AmeriCorps enlightened me about the issues currently faced by children and adults seeking a quality education, particularly those from low-income families and weighed heavily on my decision to study public policy in graduate school. My service year also reinforced the importance of patience, compassion, and showing respect to others, which are principles that will guide me over the course of my career.
Rondre Ashford: Service Year 2011-2012
After the completion of my AmeriCorps program, I accepted a position as an Assistant Residence Life Coordinator at Florida International University (FIU). After two years at FIU, I graduated with a Master of Science degree in Higher Education Administration. Currently, I live in Southern California, and I work at San Diego State University (SDSU) as a Residence Hall Coordinator & Judicial Officer. I honestly think that my AmeriCorps experience has helped shape my work ethic and caring attitude toward individuals I interact with. Additionally, AmeriCorps taught me the importance of being selfless and the importance of working with others to reach a common goal. As an AmeriCorps member, I served as a Graduation Coach at Village Academy. I interacted with students as a mentor and helped motivate students to achieve academic success. The skills I obtained by working as a Graduation Coach, have been transparent in my current position as a Residence Hall Coordinator & Judicial Officer. For example, I always make my students a priority, and I always make myself available when others are in need. I’ve gained an appreciation for the little things in life that we take for granted and embrace new challenges and opportunities. Overall, being a member of Literacy AmeriCorps helped me professionally, and I will never forget the importance of giving back and serving our community.
Megan Conners: Service Year 2009-2010
Literacy AmeriCorps led me onto a life path I never could have imagined prior to joining. During my service year at Glades Family Education in Belle Glade, I discovered my true passion: teaching ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) to adult learners.
Today I am a full-time ESOL teacher at the Adult Education Center in West Palm Beach; I have my ideal job with an incredible community of co-workers. I accredit much of my good fortune to the abundance of opportunities and support I was given by the AmeriCorps coordinators and members, as well as the amazing connections I was able to make as a result of my volunteer experience.
Every day instead of saying that I “have to go to work,” I now say that I “get to go!” This sentiment is invaluable to me, and I am so grateful to Literacy AmeriCorps for helping me realize my passion so that I can continue to share it with others now and in the future.
David Zell: Service Year 2006-2007
Hello, there! My name is David Zell and I completed my Literacy AmeriCorps year in 2006 where I served at EdVenture Charter School. AmeriCorps not only expanded my worldview and provided me the opportunity to affect change in a small portion of Palm Beach County’s diverse community, but it also primed me for a lifelong career geared towards altruistic and humanitarian causes. Employers, friends and co-workers alike, continue to laud my experience as a Literacy AmeriCorps volunteer, as it has greatly enhanced my employability, increased my professional skill set and provided me with a network of lifetime friends.
I currently live in downtown Raleigh, NC where I work full time on a federal grant for the Governor’s Institute – a wonderful, small, private nonprofit on NC State’s Centennial Campus. As Program Coordinator for the Homeless Veterans Providers Technical Assistance Center, I assist with the planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of the project’s effort. The VETTAC provides grant writing workshops to community providers throughout the United States interested in establishing transitional housing programs for homeless veterans.
I have recently been admitted to the University of Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work Management and Community Practice program, which will prepare me for a leadership career in organization and community development and for social interventions in larger systems. My AmeriCorps experience was an integral factor in my both my decision to become a Social Worker and my acceptance into the program.
Please feel free to contact me at david.zell@gmail.com or 919-302-1738 should you have any questions about my experience with the Literacy AmeriCorps program!
