Current Fellows

Needle is a recent graduate of the University of Rochester, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and completed a Take 5 in Multimodal Storytelling. He grew up just outside of Boston and has family in California and Brazil, but he has enjoyed calling Rochester his home for the past several years and looks forward to continuing to learn more about the Rochester community. In his free time, Needle can be found spending time with his friends, going on walks, and cycling through a wide variety of interests, including cooking, various arts and crafts, and any new thing that catches his eye.

Adrian graduated from the University of Rochester in 2023 with a degree in English: Language, Media, and Communications. He spent his first year post-grad serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Rochester Youth Year. He also previously served as a Summer VISTA Associate for Horizons at The Warner School of Education during the summers of 2021 and 2022. His RYY Host Site, East Upper & Lower Schools, has been in an educational partnership with his alma mater for the past 10 years and is also a community school. The Community School model allows East to act as a Resource Hub for its scholars and families. Whether someone needs assistance with food, clothing, transportation, college navigation, or even access to free haircuts, East has partners on-site to provide support and long-term solutions. Adrian has decided to re-enroll for another full year of VISTA service, and hopes to use the relationship building and contextual understanding from his first year to strengthen his service and accomplish even more and add to the great things happening at East!

In their second year of AmeriCorps VISTA, Robin is excited to perform their role as the Community Partnerships Coordinator. Robin's year will be focused on community engagement and the analysis of partner feedback by enhancing the Center's communications mechanisms, leading their VISTA peers in a new pilot, shadowing program, and expanding on the Center's opportunities to gather its partners together in facilitation of collaborative problem solving. They hope to gain more experience in networking, qualitative research, and event organizing so that they may assist in building more resilient and mutually interdependent communities.

Paige holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a minor in Media & Communications from St. John Fisher University. Prior to this, she earned an associate's degree in human services from Monroe Community College. In her leisure time, Paige finds joy in the company of family and friends, and she delights in exploring different areas within the Greater Rochester area. For her AmeriCorps VISTA service year, Paige will be based at EquiCenter, Inc. in her hometown of Honeoye Falls. EquiCenter is a nonprofit organization focused on fostering growth and well-being across all age groups and abilities through various programs revolving around nature. In her role, Paige will be assisting with social media efforts, enhancing client relations, and facilitating resource development. She eagerly anticipates her service year as well as connecting with her fellow VISTAs!

Marlo graduated from the University of Rochester in spring of 2024 with a degree in English Language, Media, and Communication and a minor in Brain and Cognitive Science. Her love for the Rochester community led her to AmeriCorps, and she will be serving her year as a VISTA with Jewish Family Services at the Rochester Highlands and the NORC at Ellison Park Apartments. Her focus will be to help residents get more engaged and involved with their services. She is excited to spend the year building capacity and creating community at both host sites. In her free time, Marlo enjoys playing piano, taking care of her cats, and watching Mets baseball.

Isabel is a recent graduate of St. John Fisher University and is serving as the Urban Outreach Coordinator at Genesee Land Trust. She earned her degree in environmental sustainability with minors in sociology and business studies. Isabel is passionate about environmental stewardship and ensuring equal opportunity to green spaces. When she is not serving as a VISTA you can find her walking along one of Rochester's numerous bodies of water with a latte and a loved one to catch up with. She has a passion for gems and jewelry and often visits antique and second hand shops to look for unique vintage treasures to wear and upcycle. Her outdoor activities of choice include downhill skiing at Bristol, and crocheting in her backyard while listening to a podcast or music.

Yaide Valdez (she/her/hers/ella) is a first-generation graduate from the University at Buffalo, where she majored in Political Science with a minor in Education Leadership and Policy. She is now an upcoming graduate student at the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, working towards a Master's in Education Policy with an advanced certification in Program Evaluation. Yaide’s passion lies in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and she is on a mission to integrate these principles into educational policy. As someone who grew up in the city of Rochester, she has joined Rochester Youth Year to give back to her community. Yaide is dedicated to ensuring that students from inner-city backgrounds have access to the same resources as their suburban peers, advocating for education reform to provide a more equitable education for minority students. Beyond her commitment to social justice and education reform, you can find her enjoying online shopping, exploring TikTok, or attending concerts.