Ali Armin

CES for Goodwill Adult Literacy

Email: 

Alexandra.Armin21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hey! My name is Ali Armin and I am the CES of the Goodwill Adult Literacy Program. I am a sophomore and currently majoring in Political Science and Spanish. I became involved with this program after learning about it at a volunteer fair and have worked within it for the past year. At Goodwill we tutor with the goal of helping adult learners earn their GED, which is a huge accomplishment that opens up numerous opportunities for them. I’m extremely grateful for the experiences this program has given me and the ways it has pushed me to grow as a person. I look forward to helping with this programs continued success, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any interest or questions!

Ana Ramirez

CES for El Sol Elementary Partnership

Email: 

Ana.Ramirez20@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi everyone! My name is Ana Ramirez and I am one of the CES’s for the El Sol program. My pronouns are she/her and I am a junior majoring in psychology and minoring in AnSo. I’m originally from Texas, almost right next to our border, my hometown has more of a predominately Hispanic culture. Moving from Texas to Michigan was a huge adjustment for me, but once I started volunteering at El Sol my sophomore year, it made being away from home a little easier. The kids and community at El Sol have the most welcoming and friendly environment. Coming from an Hispanic background and volunteering at a school with a majority of POC children it is great to be able to be an example to these kids to strive in their future. I’m hoping to continue to grow this program and gain new and returning volunteers. Reach out anytime with any questions y’all may have!

Clarke Austin

CES for Woodward Elementary (Winter and Spring)

Email: 

Clarke.Austin21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi! My name is Clarke (she/her) I’m a sophomore AnSo major from Los Angeles, California and I am one of the Civic Engagement Scholars for the Woodward Elementary program. I started working at Woodward last year after looking for ways to be more involved in the Kalamazoo community and fell in love with working with Woodward students to promote educational equity and making sure Black and Brown kids felt seen in the education system. Furthermore, I hope to be a representation of their options in pursuing higher education. I’m super excited to get to know and work with you all and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Eleanor Carr

CES for Just Food Collective (JFC)

Email: 

Eleanor.Carr19@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! My name is Eleanor (she/her/hers). I am a senior biology and computer science double major. I am a Civic Engagement Scholar for the Just Food Collective (JFC). I work primarily with organizing and maintaining the Hoop House (located behind Fitness and Wellness). I got involved in JFC after I was on the sustainability tour during orientation and met a lot of really cool people after showing up one week to open gardening hours. I didn’t know a lot about our food system or farming before starting JFC, so getting to put my hands in the dirt and a learn a little something along the way is amazing. If I could go from zero knowledge to CES, you can too! We would love to have you at JFC!

Elijah Shiel

CES for Club Grub

Email: 

Elijah.Shiel21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hello! My name is Elijah, and I am the rising Civic Engagement Scholar for the Club Grub after-school program at Woodward Elementary. I am a sophomore at K, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. This will be my second year at Club Grub and I am thrilled to continue working with the kids there! Our program is focused on teaching necessary cooking skills with 2nd and 3rd graders at Woodward Elementary while building a loving community. This year I am excited to work with the kids at Woodward’s school garden and enhance our focus on sustainability. I’m looking forward to seeing what this new year will bring with a potential expansion of our program!

Katia Duoibes

CES for Homework Champions Tutoring (HCT)

Email: 

Katia.Duoibes19@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hello! My name is Katia Duoibes (she/hers), and I am the CES for the Homework Champions Tutoring program (HCT). I am a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology and a concentration in Community and Global Health. I founded HCT in Fall 2020 with the goal of providing virtual homework-help tailored to locally resettled refugee students in response to the pandemic. Over the past 2 years, I have been privileged to work alongside community leaders to grow the program in powerful ways. I am passionate about resettlement work because I’m able to give back to and improve upon the services my family received when they immigrated to the US. In HCT, we reflect on the social, educational, and political systems that students and their families navigate after experiencing forced displacement. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can be a part of this work, please reach out!

Lauren Bretzius

CES for Swim for Success (SFS)

Email: 

Lauren.Bretzius19@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hello! My name is Lauren (she/her) and I’m one of the Civic Engagement Scholars for Swim for Success. I am currently a senior majoring in ANSO with a concentration in Environmental Studies and a minor in Classics. I became involved with this program last year and am very excited to continue this work and to have the opportunity to facilitate important discussions in this space. Engagement with the community of Kalamazoo benefits both the school and the city, and Swim for Success is one of the ways this is possible. SFS offers children in Kalamazoo accessible swim lessons, which is so important as there are often obstacles to obtaining this skill. The program also provides after-school tutoring. I look forward to helping build relationships with the community and creating positive experiences for children to gain confidence in their skills. Feel free to contact me with any questions about the program!

Lillian Kehoe

CES for Swim for Success (SFS)

Email: 

Lillian.Kehoe21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi! My name is Lillian Kehoe and I am one of the CESs for the Swim for Success program. I use she/her pronouns. I’m a freshman planning on majoring in Biochemistry and Spanish, hopefully with a concentration in Community and Global Health. I’ve been involved with the Swim for Success program since I got to K college. I love to see the effect on the community and the benefit to kids that SFS provides. I started working with the Swim for Success program because I enjoyed teaching swimming at a pool near my hometown. The Swim for Success program helps teach children how to swim and also provides homework help. I think that swimming is an incredibly important skill and I love being part of a way to help more kids learn how to swim.

Lucy Cripe

CES for Young Adult Program (YAP)

Email: 

Lucy.Cripe21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

My name is Lucy Cripe and I am the current CES for the Young Adult Program (YAP). I am a sophomore at K and my intended major is Chemistry. Outside of YAP, I am also a member of the women’s soccer team at K. I have been involved with YAP since the winter of my freshman year. YAP allows for K students to build mutually beneficial relationships with students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. I love YAP because it is a really fun, relaxing program where you can build relationships outside of K’s campus. I look forward to continuing YAP and also helping it grow! If you have any questions about the program, how to get involved, or more about what we do, feel free to reach out!

Michel Romero

CES for El Sol Elementary Partnership

Email: 

Michel.Romero21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi I’m Michel (she/her)! I’m one of the rising Civic Engagement Scholars for the El Sol program. I’m really passionate about helping the community wherever I can. I’m hoping to become a political science major, and further my education in the future! I enjoy working with this program since it gives me an opportunity to grow as an individual, and remain close to my roots as I get to know each student and their learning journey! I’ve been involved in this program since my freshman year, and am so fortunate to be able to be in this position as a sophomore! If you have any questions don’t be afraid to reach out!

Milagros Robelo

CES for Kalamazoo County ID (KCID)

Email: 

Milagros.Robelo19@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hello! My name is Milagros Robelo (she/her/Ella), and I am a Religion and Anthropology-Sociology double major. I am one of the CES’s for the Kalamazoo County I.D. Program, also known as KCID. In addition to this role, I am also the DSA for the Religion Department and the Upperclassman Co-President of the Latinx Student Organization on campus. Identification is a privilege that many of us take for granted. The KCID program is helping identification become more accessible to everyone and anyone in the county. The I.D. helps people get access to food, housing, and employment. Students who work with this program get to see change first hand when handing people their new I.D..

Ryley White

CES for the Woodward Elementary Partnership (Fall and Winter)

Email: 

Ryley.White19@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi, I’m Ryley White (she/her/hers). I am a senior majoring in psychology. I am one of the Civic Engagement Scholars (CES) for the Woodward Elementary Program. I previously worked with the CCE in the CAPS program which sparked my passion for youth empowerment and educational equity. Since then, I worked with children in various settings, such as a daycare, summer camp, and a pediatric behavioral therapy clinic. My experience working with children has shown me that I can make meaningful differences in shaping our future leaders while giving them the tools to be the leaders they envision themselves to be. I look forward to inspiring and sharing my passion with my peers and Woodward Elementary for another year!

Stephanie Martinez

CES for Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS)

Email: 

Stephanie.Martinez21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

My name is Stephanie Martinez (she/they), I am from Los Angeles, California. I love to go on different adventures and be around nature. I am the Civic Engagement Scholar (CES) for Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS). I am a rising sophomore in the fall of 2022. I have not declared a major but I am leaning towards WGS and Art History. I have been involved with CAPS since the winter of my Freshman year. I am thankful to be part of a wonderful program. I enjoy going to CAPS every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and enjoy my time with the scholars. I am so excited to be the CES for the upcoming year and seeing the scholars and tutors at CAPS.

Sydney Lenzini

CES for Homework Champions Tutoring (HCT) Spring Only

Email: 

Sydney.Lenzini20@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hello! My name is Sydney and I am one of the Civic Engagement Scholars (CES) for the Homework Champions Tutoring program! I am a junior here at K and have been with this program since my freshman year. Growing up in Chicago developed my passion for equity in public education, and I am excited to continue that journey here in the Kalamazoo community by supporting our students in academics and beyond!

Tali Deaner

CES for Club Grub

Email: 

Tali.Deaner21@kzoo.edu

Bio:

Hi! I’m Tali (she/her) and I’m so excited to be a CES for the Club Grub program this year. I’m a sophomore majoring in ANSO and minoring in Environmental Studies and Spanish. This is my first year as a part of Club Grub, but last year I was a part of the Woodward Elementary school CCE program working in classrooms and was a part of Just Food Collective. I am so excited to bring together two of the things most important to me in this program: talking about food justice and working with kids. I’m looking forward to growing Club Grub this year so more Woodward and K students can participate.