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L*AC Members

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.
 

Thomas D'Angelo

Hispanic Apostolate

Born and raised in Chicago. BFA in poetics from the New College of California and MFA in writing from the Art Institute of Chicago. Taking nursing school prereqs at Delgado. Planning to attend an accelerated Nursing program in 2009/2010. First book, Thomas The Twin, released December 2007 and is working on a second: You Know a Secret. Oh and I play the drums and teach 9th grade English and my hero is Scatman Crothers.
 

Michel Dieciedue

St. Bernard Adult Education

Until recently, Michel was a film student at Savannah College of Art and Design. After moving back to New Orleans, she made the decision to join Americorps to aide in the educational recovery of her community. Upon completing her term with Literacy* AmeriCorps, Michel plans to attend film school at the Univesity of New Orleans and someday make millions and millions of dollars.
 

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.
 

Noel Hoffman

St. Bernard Adult Education

Noel writes “I was born in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada on December 22, 1982 on a day where, as my parents tell me, a terrible snow storm was coming through. My mom is Canadian and my dad spent his early life in Italy before coming over to the United States. I was born in Canada, and am able to get back up to the lake and cottage there every summer, but I grew up in Auburn, Alabama. My dad is a Mathematics professor at Auburn University and my mom works in mental health. I have a younger brother who is in his final year at Auburn’s School of Architecture working and studying in west Alabama with the well known Rural Studio. I have lived in New Orleans for just over a year now. I graduated from Auburn University with a degree in International Trade and came to New Orleans with the idea and desire to help the community and to begin the MBA program at the University of New Orleans. I joined Americorps last year and worked at the Main Library in downtown New Orleans with the YMCA/YES! Adult Learning Center. Currently, I am in my second consecutive Americorps term, working with the St. Bernard Parish Adult Education Center on the campus of Nunez Community College.”
 

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.
 

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
 

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.
 

Miriam McGinn

NOPLAY

Miriam grew up in Chicago and Cleveland, but has called New Orleans home since 2004. She attended Loyola University, where she majored in Sociology and focused on photography. Miriam is fully embracing her new life in midcity, where she shares a shotgun with her roommate and a very confused, eggplant shaped cat. She enjoys exploring the city by bike, reading fiction, borrowing puppies, and her daily chocolate fix. She also loves to costume at any given opportunity.
 

Nicholas McMahon

JPPSS- Hispanic Resource Center

Nick grew up in Sulphur, Louisiana (just outside Lake Charles). He took up the guitar as his main source of enjoyment in his teenage years. Whether it is playing in a band or teaching guitar, the instrument is never far from him. Nick left the small town of Sulphur for Baton Rouge where he attended Louisiana State University. After a few adjustments with his major, he graduated with a degree in History.He moved back to Lake Charles and began working random job trying to find something he enjoyed. He decided that Lake Charles was not the place he wanted to be at the moment and began looking else where for the next adventure which brought him to New Orleans and Americorps. Other than guitar, he likes learning new instrument and useless trivia Nick hopes to one day to visit every presidential burial site.
 

Bradley Narcisse

Delgado Community College Adult Education

Bradley was born in Baton Rouge, LA, but spent his elementary years in small town Virginia. Upon his return to the deep south he became deeply ingrained into its unique culture and everything it has to offer. He lives for the things that are most important to many of the people from the region, family, friends, LSU and the Saints. He graduated from LSU in 2006 with a degree in English literature, and strives to give back to the community who gave him so much.
 

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.
 

Judith Patrick

New Orleans Public Library - Computer Room

Judith enjoyed her previous year of AmeriCorps so much that she decided to try the ride again. She's currently facing new challanges as a proud volunteer at the main branch of the public library on Loyola and Tulane offering computer literacy assistance. A fan of rollercosters, she enjoys seeking out aspects of life that are attractive yet elusive. Random sunsets, lollipops and cicada husks are a few of these things. She spreads her love of the world in her work and with her doggie, Samus the destroyer of worlds. Her hopes for the year to come are many and include learning how to ride a motorcycle and helping people learn the wonders of the internet.
 

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!
 

Caroline Warburton

Even Start Family Literacy

Caroline grew up in a small town in southwestern Virginia. After graduating from the University of Virginia (go 'Hoos!) and spending a year as a College Guide in a Virginia high school, she finally gave up the Blue Ridge for the chance to live in New Orleans. Confession: she has a serious crush on words. Prose, poetry, talking, writing, spoken word, fiction, non-fiction.... you name it. This year in AmeriCorps will marry that love for language with her belief that education is essential for social and political change. Her goal for the year? Teach as many people to fish as possible.
 

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!