Robert Taylor

YES! Learning Center

Robert writes: My name is Robert Taylor and I am currently serving my second term with Literacy AmeriCorps. My first term was a very enjoyable experience. I met many interesting people who were in hopes of achieving their educational goals. I was blessed to help students pass the GED test, learn to read their mail, and even learn to speak English as a second language. There are many personal goals I will love to achieve this service term. I am looking forward to sharing my second term with the new members. It is going to be a great year!

Kareem Kennedy

Neighborhood Story Project

Kareem is a hard working, giving and honest. Originally fromNew Orleans, he attends Delgado and is focusing in Sociology. He graduated last year from John McDonogh Hish School where he worked with the Neighborhood Story Project. It was a great match and for his service year he will be working with NSP not only to help other students and community memebrs learn how to write books about their community but also writing a book of his own!

Lauren Pigeon

Urban League - College Track

Lauren moved to New Orleans from Durham, North Carolina. She graduated this past May from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in Psychology. She loves to read, go running, and spend time with her friends. She will be doing her AmeriCorps year with the Urban League's College Track program.

Kimberly Wilkinson

NOPLAY

Kimberly received a BA in history from LSU-Shreveport in 2002. Although born and raised in Shreveport, she considers herself a proud New Orleanian as of August 2007. She moved to the city to attend medical school at LSU. After one year, she decided it was time for one last break (until retirement, most likely), and that is what brought her to AmeriCorps and NOPLAY. Her ultimate goal is to become an emergency medicine physician, or possibly psychiatrist (Either way, she is certainly a glutton for punishment). But seriously, she cannot imagine doing anything else with her life. She tries to return home often to visit her parents, sister, and nieces, but most importantly (well, the cat thinks so, anyway) her Siamese, Luna. She enjoys reading, cooking, running in Audubon Park, and exploring the fun parts of NOLA. Included as an added bonus is this little known fact: she has been to the tip-top of the Eiffel Tower with a fever of 102, and a horrible cold… she is pretty sure that she got frostbite since the temperure in Paris that day reached no higher than 28°F. But it was well worth it!

Libby Favrot

Delgado Community College Adult Education

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Libby has finally taken the plunge and moved down to New Orleans in order to begin her exciting new career as a young twenty-something, desperately seeking love and a greater purpose in life. In her spare time, she plans to be an Americorps member at Delgado Community College's Adult Basic Education Program. She also likes rice pudding, nectar cream sodas, and kittens-- all of which, if provided to her, would result in happiness and joy.

Adrian McGrath

St. Vincent da Paul/ Literacy Alliance

Adrian writes: This is my second year with Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans (L*AC). For the past year I have taught Adult Basic Education and GED preparation through L*AC at the St. Vincent de Paul - Adult Learning Center (SVDP-ALC) with Sr. Lory Schaff and Sr. Kathleen Bahlinger. This year I am again teaching at SVDP-ALC, but I will also be serving at the Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy. I was born and raised and lived almost every day of my life in New Orleans. The longest time I was ever away from the Crescent City, besides a summer program at Middlebury College in Vermont, was during my "Katrina Displacement." I am as old New Orleans as it gets - born in Gentilly, went to St. Frances Cabrini for Kindergarten and Catechism classes, went to St. James Major Catholic Elementary school also in Gentilly, Jesuit High School in MidCity, Loyola University and Loyola Law School Uptown, once upon a time played traditional Irish music at a pub in the French Quarter, celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the Irish Channel, still transport myself around town via the Canal and St. Charles streetcars, and eat red beans and rice on Mondays and always seafood on Fridays (either fried catfish or shrimp po-boys). In my youth I lived in New Orleans East when the eye of Hurricane Betsy came right over us.

Kelly Madere

YES! St. Charles Parish

Kelly writes: Hello wonderful listeners, I am Kelly Madere. I am extremely happy to be part of Literacy*AmeriCorps mostly because of my personal appreciation for teachers and to be part of the community. I want to help people, the community, the environment, the world with myself in it, to genuinely be better. I started in teaching by volunteering at my daughter’s local public school and loved just about everything about it. Working a s a substitute teacher is very rewarding and challenging. I have obtained parish certification through certain school board procedures and have sub’d for several years. However, I strive to do better and reach a level of qualification and to be a full-fledged teacher. I love teachers and seeing people burst through barriers in the process of learning. I want to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Hopefully, it will all be for the better. Smile, Kelly Madere

Kenneth “Kynt” Bryan

New Orleans Public Library - African American Resource Center

New Orleans, Louisiana native Kenneth Bryan, a Loyola University New Orleans graduate and the first student with a special double major BA in Communications and Dance, began his studies in classical ballet at the age of 19 as a freshman at Loyola University. Mr. Bryan continued his studies in New Orleans where he received full scholarship at the New Orleans Dance Academy, Ballet Hysell, New Orleans Children’s Theatre, and the Schramel Conservatory. Eager to take charge and diversify his classical training, Mr. Bryan moved to New York and later relocated to Los Angeles, California. Mr. Bryan returned to New Orleans where he taught ballet, hip hop, and jazz at NORD - New Orleans Recreation, New Orleans Dance Academy, performed as Principal Soloist with Ballet Renverser, Loyola Ballet, and as a guest performer with Komenka Ethnic Dance Ensemble. Currently Mr. Bryan, also known as New Orleans premiere international chart topping dance recording artist KYNT……with the bonafied global hit songs “Day After Day”, “We Can Work This Out”, “Makes Me Hot” and “Listen To The Music”, tours the world performing his massive hits, works as a freelance dancer/dance educator/choreographer, and performs classical and non-classical repertory.

Laura Klein

NOPLAY

Laura was born in central Minnesota, and went to college in the utopian city of Madison, WI, where she majored in Women's Studies and minored in Psychology. Upon graduation, she realized that a Women's Studies major can only go so far, and she decided to give Literacy* AmeriCorps a go. Still holding on to her feminist roots, she dreams of one day creating a world in which all women can get the education they desire (and men, too!). Until then, she will continue to participate in activities which bring her fulfillment, including petting rottweiler puppies, exploring the magical city that is New Orleans, and making musical instruments out of everyday items.

Molly Losey

Delgado Community College Adult Education

Molly is a very recent mid-western transplant to New Orleans, and finds it to be a breath of fresh air after four years in the windy city of Chicago. Her favorite pastimes include traveling, practicing storytelling, making conversation with strangers, and reading Craigslist's missed connections. Her favorite word is cosmopolite (a citizen of the world), and believes that education and literacy are keys to making cosmopolites out of us all.