Commonwealth Corp Volunteers 2008-09

Mylorde Cherenfant ’10 is a Biochemistry major at UMass Amherst.  She joined the Commonwealth Corps to provide tools to middle school students to enable them to successfully plan for secondary education. “This program will also remind me what it’s like to have dedicated people willing to help others attain greater goals in life.”

Maria Diaz ’10 is a Sociology major at Mount Holyoke College.  Originally from Queens, New York, Maria joined the Commonwealth Corps believing that it is necessary and beneficial to build bridges between struggling communities and institutions of higher learning.  She hopes to work in educational policy after graduation.

Jayme Dillon ’09 joins the Commonwealth Corps from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Originally from Woburn, MA, Jayme has worked for the past two years for the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program for the city of Cambridge.  She credits her experiences there as the catalyst for joining the Commonwealth Corps.

New to the Commonwealth Corps in 2009:Danielle Forsythe, ‘09 will join the group beginning in January 2009.  Danielle is an English and Spanish major who studied abroad in Argentina last year.  A Fall 2008 CBL project at the Martin Luther King charter school in Springfield led her to service with the Commonwealth Corps and we look forward to working with her!

Abby Harper ’09 is a senior at UMass Amherst and is a  Public Health major.  Abby’s passion is social justice learning and community involvement.   Having volunteered  primarily in Amherst, she is keen to work toward change in the Holyoke public school system via the Commonwealth Corps.

Christy Martinez ’09 joins the Commonwealth Corps from Holyoke Community College.  Currently a Liberal Arts & Science major, Christy balances the raising of her two children with her strong desire to see every young adult have the resources necessary to succeed available to them.

Jenifer Martinez ’11 joins the Commonwealth Corps from UMass Amherst.  Jenifer credits her strong public school education in Boston, MA for instilling in her the necessity of attending college after graduation.   Her strong desire to help inner city youth gain access to higher education led her to pursue service with the Commonwealth Corps.

Emma Mesa-Melendez FP ‘09 is a Mount Holyoke College student majoring in Critical Social Thought.  She currently lives in Holyoke, MA with her husband Julio and their 4 year-old daughter Olivia.  Emma joined the Commonwealth Corps  out of her belief  that everyone is capable of profoundly impacting their communities by inspiring others to reach for educational excellence.

Michelle Rodriguez is  a Liberal Arts major at Holyoke Community College.  Michelle grew up in Holyoke, MA and attended the public schools there.  “I am extremely excited to give back to my community and inspire students to attend college.”

Tiara Rodriguez ’09 is a Psychology and Human Services major at Holyoke Community College.  Tiara believes that if one is capable to reach out to others, it is their duty to do so.  Tiara seeks to make this a reality via the Commonwealth Corps.

Miriam Stevens ’10 is a Psychology and Education major at Mount Holyoke College. Originally from York, Maine, Miriam joined the Commonwealth Corps after she worked as a tutor at Holyoke High School’s Connections afterschool program.

Sarah Vazquez FP ‘11 began Mount Holyoke College this year following her graduation from Holyoke Community College.  Sarah seeks to reach out to under-represented students and make clear the possibilities of higher education.  “I hope I can be as inspiring to them as they are to me."