2020-21 VISTA
Alda Dansou
Alda is the current AmeriCorps Vista. She recently completed her undergraduate education at the University of Iowa where she received a bachelor's degree in public health. Her passion for public health is what fueled her interest to serve through AmeriCorps. She is a first-generation immigrant from Togo, West Africa who later grew up in Edgewater, Chicago. Alda's background empowers her drive to work for underserved communities and to work towards health equity. She is not only keen to learn more about the nonprofit sector but she also has the desire to learn more about how to effectively apply evidence-based solutions to ongoing community issues. Following her service with AmeriCorps Vista, she aims to attend graduate school to obtain an MPH in Community and Behavioral Health. In the future, she hopes to utilize these experiences on an international scale, working in developing countries such as her native, Togo, to create community-tailored solutions that can combat mental health stigma as well as barriers to health care access.
2019-20 VISTA
Le
Engaged Scholarship Coordinator
312.467.2356
SLamonae@thechicagoschool.edu
Le (pronounced Lee) is the current ILCC-VISTA (AmeriCorps). With over 11,000 volunteer hours at over 125 nonprofits, Le has had the great opportunity to immerse herself in great dialogues intersecting many different communities especially in the areas of education, urban development, and child welfare. In the near future, Le hopes to explore international volunteering opportunities! Please stop by the Community Partnerships Office as Le is always up for a chat on the importance of service and exploring what is means to be a global citizen.
2018-19 VISTA
Chris Coleman
Engaged Scholarship Coordinator
312.467.2356
ccoleman1@ego.thechicagoschool.edu
Chris Coleman is the current AmeriCorps VISTA. A native of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, Chris has lived in Chicago his entire life and is now completing his undergraduate education at Chicago State University where he is a sociology major. Growing up as a product of Chicago Public Schools, Chris is very passionate about youth programming and community engagement and prior to becoming involved with the AmeriCorps VISTA program, has held several positions working directly with youth including being a resident assistant at Jackson State University, a youth mentor for the union League Boys and Girls Club and Catholic Charities, and working with the music program at King College Prep, his former high school. Aside from his current professional and educational aspirations, Chris has a great passion for music. He is a self-taught producer, composer, amateur audio-engineer, and also an artist and musician. He spends much of his free time in his home studio, and performs under the stage name HalisiSoul as a bassist, trombonist, background vocalist and MC. Moving forward, he plans to use his education and his passion for community and youth engagement to start a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for youth to study music and other fine arts, and eventually would like to obtain his doctorate in Ethnomusicology with an emphasis on historically Black forms of Western Music.