LUCRESSE DJUIDJE GOUAROU George B Thomas Learning Academy
Lucresse Djuidje Gouayou is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland with a Bachelors in Criminology and Criminal Justice. As someone who grew up in Montgomery County, she is excited to give back to her community and learn what goes into making Montgomery County Public School what it is. She looks forward to connecting students and their families to resources and bringing a youthful eye to the table. In her free time, she enjoys the arts, reading, and learning random facts or skills on youtube. Overall, Lucresse believes that education plays a pivotal role in determining a youth’s likelihood of interacting with the U.S Justice system hence her desire to assist students and their families.
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MARINOBI MEDRANO MCPS
Marinobi Medrano at Sligo Middle School, Montgomery County Public Schools. Marinobi Medrano was born in the Dominican Republic. She has been in the United States for 7 years. As a Latina of African ancestry advocating for the rights of people is very important to her. Her native language is Spanish. Marinobi is studying at Montgomery College with a major in nursing and her goal is to become a pediatric nurse. She is married and a mother of two children a 6-year-old daughter, her younger child is one, and her husband works in higher education. In the summer of 2022, she was accepted into AmeriCorps Project Change, and she is serving at Oakland Terrace Elementary School.
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Liam Jaehnigen -MCPS
Liam started working with children in the early years of high school at a violin summer camp, teaching them to play music. Music has remained a massive part of Liam’s life since he was young. Over the years he has developed an interest in music therapy and how it can be applied in schools and elsewhere. He is currently working in an elementary school, thinking of ways to apply said methods of music therapy. He values the quality of education in the school systems, and hopes to make a difference in the 2022-2023 school year.
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Jennifer Mbiama
As an education major at the University of The District of Columbia, I’ve always had a passion for childhood development. Having experience working as a teacher and a mentor has given me the opportunity to see what children need and desire in an educational setting. I’m passionate about serving kids from Montgomery county because I was once in their shoes. Being a member of Project Change has not only restored my faith in humanity but has also given me hope in the society we live in.
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Etsube Yitbarek-Community Bridges
Hailing from Ethiopia and raised in Montgomery County, Etsube attributes her achievements to the support she received during her school years. Eager to reciprocate the community’s kindness, she aspires to contribute back to the very place that helped shape her academic success. In the 2023-2024 school year, she will be working closely with high school students at Community Bridges as an AmeriCorps State Member with Project CHANGE. Outside her commitments, Etsube finds joy in traveling and crafting engaging content on Instagram and TikTok. With a notable 186k followers on TikTok and 35k on Instagram, she creates entertaining and educational videos in Amharic, addressing pertinent social matters. With dreams of pursuing a master’s degree, exploring the world and empowering the younger generation through education, Etsube’s future holds promising horizons.
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Jordan Melbourne Sligo Middle School
My name is Jordan Melbourne. I am serving as an AmeriCorp member for the 2023-2024 school year. I currently am a college student studying Elementary and Special Education. I hope to serve my community and build relationships within the school system and students to create a nurturing safe learning environment. I have worked with children my whole career from being a certified swim instructor, volunteering with youth sports and assisting in the classroom. I am passionate about education, mentorship and closing the achievement gap. I am so excited for this school year and can’t wait to continue the work.
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Wilhelm Torres Montgomery Housing Partnership
Hi, My name is Wilhelm Torres, growing up in Maryland all my life has been so amazing, I’ve lived in different places within Montgomery county like Rockville, Silver Spring, and Olney. My family is a pretty standard one with My parents, Brother, and three Sisters with 2 dogs but don’t get me started with extended family that’d be almost a couple hours to get through them, I mean there are probably more that I just don’t know about. I’ve just started working for AmeriCorps and I’m so excited to try and give kids fun and enjoyable experience with whatever task I’m given and I’m more than ready to handle what comes next.
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Jack Melton William Tyler Page Elementary School
Jack Melton is a recent high school graduate from MCPS who is excited to be volunteering at WIlliam Tyler Page Elementary. He hopes to use his year of service to gain some experience in the field of education before becoming a teacher. Jack is passionate about music and hopes to share that passion with students both in his year of service and in his career as a teacher.
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Jaden Robinson Sligo Middle School
Hello, my name is Jaden Robinson and I am a recent graduate of Georgetown University where I double majored in government and sociology. While attending the university, I also played college basketball for three years and achieved my lifelong dream of playing sports on the big stage. I come from a family of athletes and educators, with the majority of my relatives playing collegiate or professional sports and eventually working in the school system as teachers, administrators, or social workers. After college, I found my true passion and purpose in life is serving my community by embarking on a service trip to Nepal to build classrooms and live in the villages for three months. Here at home, I hope to use my degree to serve my community and give back to the next generation as much as I possibly can because I believe that is what life is all about!
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Brooke Carthon YMCA
My name is Brooke Carthon, by way of Atlanta, Georgia. Born to Rick Carthon of Little Rock, Arkansas and Maria Carthon of Siquires, Costa Rica. As an advocate for bridging the gap between the inequalities of our social justice system and my community and communities that look like mine, I strive to be the representation I needed growing up. I enjoy providing services and volunteering my time to serve at-risk youth in underprivileged communities. While I finish grad school and transition into Law school, I want to gain experience in learning more about our government and how I want to further align myself with how I want to change the world. I take pride in reaching for the stars and I hope I can help motivate the children of tomorrow to strive for the same.
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Timia Traylor Community Bridges
Timia Traylor known as Tia is a Middle School Program Specialist from Americorps. She is studying Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at Bowie State University. Post graduation she plans to attend graduate school and continue on the path of psychology with the aspirations of becoming a child psychologist. Tia has developed a passion for working with young students she always says ”Be the person you need when you were a child” meaning to her be the reason the child wants to continue with that passion she went on at work at various camps and afterschool programs to help children with their development .Tia has a strong passion for serving the community and loves to find helpful ways to be involved she is apart of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) Bowie State Chapter where she joins fellow peers in serving the community and bring awareness to social topics..During her spare time she enjoys arts and crafts, crocheting, reading and rollerskating.
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Taylor Anaba Community Bridges
Taylor was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Maryland, where she has spent most of her academic career. Taylor first joined Community Bridges in high school and is excited to return to the program as an AmeriCorps member. She previously worked as a caregiver to individuals with developmental disabilities. Her past work experiences serve as a source of inspiration for her unwavering commitment to inclusivity, actively integrating this principle into her daily life. In her free time, she enjoys going camping, watching cartoons, traveling to new countries, and caring for her two dogs, Kingsley and Baela.
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_______________Ayman Mohammed MCPS HQ
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Julia Rodriguez Montgomery Housing Partnership
Julia was born in Washington DC and went to college at Montgomery College. She has been working with MHP for a number of years before signing on to Project CHANGE, to teach pre-K to 11th grade. Her dream is to run her own business.
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Cassidy Little Civic Circle
Cassidy Little is a rising professional in the fields of community outreach and education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Delaware State University; where she not only strengthened her passion for helping those in need but developed skills in culturally responsive service provision, counseling, case management and even financial planning. Hailing from Southern New Jersey, Cassidy has recently relocated to Washington, D.C. where she hopes to further her skill set while utilizing the one she already has to revolutionize education for underserved children. She aspires to establish a non profit tutoring program and eventually, her
own school.
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Bailey Wood YMCA
I made plenty of mistakes starting in middle school, failed the majority of my classes freshman year of high school, and I was lucky to avoid getting caught in situations which may have put me in a hole too deep to get out of throughout high school. I ended up correcting with help and some luck and was able to make the dean’s list both semesters this past year at SMCC. I have a lot to be thankful for and I’d like to pay it forward. For this service year I want to provide help, encouragement, and most importantly I want to be someone that shows a genuine interest in every kid I work with and I want them to feel it. I’ve never worked with kids before but the group I have in the YMCA’s after school program love soccer. Luckily I can connect with that having played varsity in my 4 years in MD & ME and receiving an offer to play Futsal in Brazil. I’m looking to make an impact on the kids I get the privilege to work with this year both academically and athletically. I also will be keeping a close eye out for the ones that may be starting to develop issues that I can identify with and try to help them course correct before they dig themselves in enough to where they start to develop an identity that leads to larger problems.
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Pearl Andrieu Saturday School
Pearl has a background in education program management and data analytics. With prior experience as an AmeriCorps member supporting equitable education, she now serves as the MyScore Data Manager. Concurrently pursuing graduate studies in Education Technologies, Pearl is committed to integrating Machine Learning solutions into educational practices. As a Learning and Development Manager in the aviation engineering sector, she brings a unique perspective to enhancing learning outcomes. Dedicated to driving positive change through data-driven approaches, Pearl is passionate about leveraging technology to advance education.
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Gabby Whitehurst Sligo Middle School 
Gabrielle Whitehurst is a project CHANGE member currently serving AmeriCorps at Sligo Middle School. Born and raised in Silver Spring, MD, they have been inspired by the museum scene in the area to contribute to the creation of accessible and novel education. They have also been heavily influenced by their experience at Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota, and their experience organizing in response to the murders of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and Winston Smith by Minnesota law enforcement. They are interested in pursuing an education in curation and oral history.
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Courtney Fookes Community Bridges
Courtney was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. She loves getting to know others around her and helping people as much as she can. Courtney played competitive softball where she learned she loved to connect with people and to work with others. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Towson University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Family Studies. Her previous work experiences include volunteering and babysitting in her community. Through these experiences she learned that she loved to help provide any support she can for people that need it. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, hanging out with her family and friends, and cuddling with her cat Monty.
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Daniel Zare YMCA
“Hello, I’m Daniel Zare. I am 26 years old, and from a young age I’ve had a natural inclination towards lending a helping hand to those in need, irrespective of their background. Growing up and navigating the journey to adulthood is challenging for everyone, but it’s particularly daunting without a support system. I consider myself fortunate to have been raised in the culturally diverse and opportunity-rich environment of Montgomery County, Maryland. However, through conversations with friends and family, I’ve come to realize that many struggles originate from within. Providing a listening ear and offering my perspective has been immensely fulfilling, filling a void within me. My experience working at the Library of Congress provided me with a profound understanding of the significance of knowledge and its impact on social programs. As a social worker, I recognize the power of information in shaping communities and empowering individuals. Additionally, serving as a community leader at my local mosque, the IMAAM Center, has further underscored the importance of guidance and support within diverse communities. These experiences have deepened my commitment to service and equipped me with the skills necessary to contribute effectively to Americorp’s mission of community development and well-being.”
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