As a native Baltimorean Tony is no stranger to the Mid-Atlantic. Though he attended college in Northfield, Minnesota (goooo Carleton!) earning a Bachelor of Arts in Art History (what, whaaat? Magna Cum Laude. Word!) he returned to Baltimore over school breaks to continue volunteer service as an ESL tutor with the Esperanza Center. The Esperanza Center acts as a sort of one-stop shop for immigrant communities in the metropolitan Baltimore area. While there, Tony worked directly with folks in one-on-one or small group learning sessions, often switching up any “lesson plan” or agenda simply to be meet people where they were. Most recently, Tony served as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at the Cannon River STEM School in Minnesota. As you all know, AmeriCorps positions are full of challenges and big responsibility. Tony’s experience was no different; as part of his service at the School, Tony was tasked with empowering, supporting, and giving voice to a cohort of disengaged and at-risk middle school youth, many of whom had transferred to the school after experiencing significant social and academic challenges in the city’s main public schools. Tony successfully connected students with caring adult volunteers, facilitated a series of civic-engagement projects, and networked with community partners on their behalf. Tony is no stranger to 1:1 relationship building, active listening, or community development.
Tony has a knack for empathy, emitting warmth and approachability in even the slightest encounter; he demonstrated this in his thoughtful responses to interview questions and in his engagement with Site Coordinators during his in-person language evaluation. On top of this, he brings enthusiasm for social change, patience and determination, plus some top notch Spanish language skills. He’ll work as a Site Coordinator in both the Perry School and Columbia Heights offices. We couldn’t be happier to see Tony’s experience, good nature and belief in social justice come to serve our communities in DC.