McVay Alumni: Interns 2009-2010

Hi, my name is Quynh. I started at Hamline in 2008 and I like it here, especially those great programs that Hamline has. I'm majoring in Accounting and International Business because I love traveling. I hate staying at one place for too long. I love outdoor activities like hiking, camping, tubing, etc. I enjoy doing services and giving back to the community. I love kids and enjoy playing with them. For me, McVay is not only about working but also about having a great time hanging out with the kids. They are totally awesome and I love them!

Hello! I'm Kyra Danneker. I am from State College, Pennsylvania and I am currently a Junior at Hamline University. I am planning to create my own Conflict Resolution Studies major with a possible philosophy minor. Besides working at McVay, I work at the student center, and am part of the Wesley scholars program. I'm not sure what vocation I will choose after my time at Hamline, but I'm hoping that creating my own major will give me lots of options! Outside of school I enjoy playing racquetball, walking, traveling, writing and baking! I am a first year McVay intern this year and am already loving this great opportunity!ç

Hey, my name is Francis Dimapelis. I'm a sophomore majoring in Criminal Justice, and maybe History as well. I am an intern for McVay Youth Partnership, working at all the different sites. I lived in the east side of Saint Paul for my entire life. I love working with kids, because it gives me the opportunity to learn what it's like to mentor and tutor kids that are from different countries and if I ever wanted to teach kids, this is the place to work and acquire experience for educational purposes in the future. Otherwise during my free time, I love to hangout with friends, and playing basketball and always looking for a best challenger available!

Hi there!!

My name is Mikaela Fisher and I am a junior here at Hamline. I'm majoring in Psychology and double-minoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice. I am also involved with a few different on-campus organizations such as Fusion, which our our bi-racial, multiracial, trans-racial/adoptee organization, as well as Spectrum, Our LGBT org. I am also a campus tour guide and a New Student Mentor. In my free time I love hanging out with my family and friends, playing my guitar, reading, dancing and working out.

I am very excited for the McVay program this year!!

 Hi, I am Rakshya Gorkhali, Junior and a Biochemistry major. I am originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. During my three years in MN, I have come to love the diversity, the lakes and the weather; amazingly even the harsh winter.

Being the eldest in the family and having taught kinds back home, I have had lots of experience with kids and love them for their innocence and energy. I am sure working in the McVay program will be a lot of fun and a great learning experience.

When I'm not busy (which is rare), I love playing with my two year old cousin, Aayan. I also like playing sports, watching TV and dancing.

My name is Jasmine M. Graves and I will be returning to Hamline University this year as a sophomore.

This will be my first year working with the McVay program and I'm sure this will be both a great and enjoyable experience! I plan on majoring in Business Administration and minoring in psychology. Outside of my academic interests, I love working with the youth and helping them create a successful path for the future! I've participated in many volunteered programs with helping the youth, and look forward to continuing with helping the youth reach new grounds by being a member of the McVay program! So that's a little bit about myself. I hope to learn more about others as this year continues and I start a new beginning with the McVay Partnership!

My name is Aubrey Hendry and when I grow up I’d like to be an art teacher.  I’m involved with Women’s Chorale, Student’s Together Organizing Volunteer Events, Gospel Choir, Delta Tau Sorority, and Residential Life.  I love cats, singing, drawing, pottery, and climbing trees.

McVay is AMAZING!  Going to “work” is the best part of my day.  Seeing the kids laughing and learning as well as building relationships with them is an amazing experience.  Being able to help change and be a part of their lives is an unbelievable opportunity!

Hi, my name is Dan Holmgren and this is my first full year with McVay.  

I’m currently a junior at Hamline with a Psychology and Management double major.  I really enjoy working with the kids and seeing where they are going in their lives!  I am also a member on the Hamline track team where I am a sprinter.  After college, I plan to pursue my master’s degree in Psychology and eventually attain my PhD in clinical psychology in hopes at being a clinical psychologist.  

My name is Khalid Islam. I am an international student from Kenya, majoring in English at Hamline University. I started working in the McVay Youth Voice Program in the Fall of 2008, and I totally love it!

My hobbies are listening to music, watching movies, playing and watching soccer games, and hanging out with friends.

Hello. My name is Sky Jackson and i am a sophomore, double-majoring in criminal law and legal studies and I am also interested in minoring in psychology. This will be my first year starting in the McVay program and I am very excited to be working with the youth. I believe I have much to offer because I am wiling to provide the best mentoring I can, but I also believe I have much to gain from this experience. This will be the highlight of my second year attending Hamline University!

I'm a senior Biology major and looking into Occupational Therapy graduate school. I enjoy spending time outdoors, with friends, and playing any kind of sport. I am really excited to be working with McVay and it has been the most exciting and worthwhile job that I have had during my undergraduate career!

My name is Jesada Moua. I’m a senior at Hamline, majoring in social studies with a minor in education. I’m a fellow at Wheelock. This is my third year with the McVay Youth-VOICE Program, and I hope to continue working for the program in the upcoming year. I really enjoy being part of the program because I plan on getting my teaching license. Working with the program has helped me learn what is effective, and what isn’t. I also enjoy working with the students, because I feel that it is important to help students gain a better understanding of the work they’re doing. It’s inspirational to see them learn from us as mentors, tutors, and interns. 

I’m not involved in any sports, but I enjoy playing any sort of sport for fun with friends. Currently, I am the president of the Hmong Student Association Organization at Hamline.

For fun, I enjoy playing sports, reading, drawing, playing games, learning about and working on cars, and more. In the future, I hope to get my teaching license so I can work with and teach students. I am the second oldest child in my family, and I have three siblings.

I was born in Thailand. I came to the U.S. when I was young and lived in Wisconsin for about ten years and then moved here to Minnesota. Currently, my parents live in Minneapolis. I live on campus in one of the theme houses that Hamline owns. I really enjoy living on campus and hope to get my own place once I get everything settled.

I’m Hieu Nguyen, a new intern to the program, and I’m a international student from Vietnam.  I am majoring in accounting. I love working with the kids because it reveals my past, which is mostly like them.  In the future, I hope I would be an account for my family business.

Hello! I love art, nature, soccer, hockey, traveling and cooking. I have lived in Minnesota all my life and attended high school at Saint Paul Academy. I am a senior this year at Hamline majoring in English with a minor in Education, pursuing a license in K-12 Language Learners. I'm excited to get involved in McVay so that I can gain more experiences for my License as well as make some strong relationships with my classmates and local high school students.

Hi everyone, My name is Tram Pham. I am a junior at Hamline University and I am from Vietnam. I like to travel and I have been in many countries including Australia, Thailand, China, Japan and America. I fall in love with America for its rich diversity. I love Minnesota winter because I had never seen snow before. I still get exiting every winter when I see the snow falling down from the sky.

My major is International Business. I love to study different languages, cultures and meet people from different part of the world and I hope I can apply that into the business world. This is my first year at McVay program so I am very excited to work with everyone especially the youth because I have a lot of things to share and I would like them to share their stories with me. 

HEY!!!

I’m Alex Roetman, and I’m from Tampa Florida.  I have one younger sister who is one of my favorite people in the world.  I’ve moved a lot and have lived in Minnesota (now twice), Utah, and Florida.

I am a junior at Hamline University, and I am planning on majoring in communication studies with a minor in religion.  I LOVE spending time with friends, laughing about anything,  going on adventures, Tea Garden Tuesdays, and playing RUGBY!

One of my most favorite things to do is working with McVay! These kids are the reason that I love my job so much; they make me want to come back every day!

Hey, my name is Ahmet. I’m currently a junior at Hamline. I’ve been a part of McVay for two years now. I like to hangout with kids younger than me because it reminds me of my own childhood. As a kid I had some really cool role models and it meant a lot to me. That is partly why I like to work with McVay, and partly it also never gets boring with kids.

I played soccer for Hamline my first year here. Now I play Tennis. I like s ports, enough that I actually did a marathon once. I also like chess and I am a former high school chess champ for it! I currently study Physics. I want to become an engineer someday, I feel like I would be good at inventing things, for I have a creative mind . I also have tricks for convincing kids with how talented they really are, because sometimes they simply aren’t conscious of it. I believe that everybody is especially good at something, and that you truly have to believe that you are for your talent to flourish.

 I graduated from Roosevelt High School in June of 2008, I am now majoring in legal studies with a paralegal certificate, and a minor in psychology.

My biggest passion is to help others. I hate to see injustice. If there’s an underdog being kicked to the curb, I will step in and help. This passion for others fuels my interest in law. Our legal system is set up for everyone to have an equal chance. However, if they don’t have a lot of money or a good lawyer, the system makes it harder. I want to be that person who provides legal help for those who aren’t able to afford it.

I love to spend time with my family, going to church, shopping and eating chocolate. I started working with the McVay program October 2008 as an intern and have been enjoying everything the program has to offer ever since.

Hi, my name is Kor Zoua Pa Xiong, but some youth at McVay also know me as Koko.  I am a city girl, born and raised in St. Paul, MN.  I’ve lived here all of my life. I am thinking of exploring or moving elsewhere once I finish school. I like to have fun and learn new things.  I enjoy being with family and friends and just taking chances in life.  I’m a risk taker, so watch out for me!

This is my third year at Hamline University and I am planning to double major in criminal justice and exercise sports and science.  I am an intern working for McVay, and this will be my first complete year working with this program.  I love being a part of McVay Youth-Voice Program because it’s one of the most enjoyable jobs that I’ve had.  The program is great for youths; it gives them a chance to be themselves, have fun, and learn.  I enjoy working with the youths at all the sites; they’re all great kids.  I’ve learned so much from them, and hopefully they’ve learned from me too.  I hope to continue working with McVay!!!

My name is Susun, pronounced the way it is spelled. i was born in Fresno, California but was raised in Tulare. I have lived in Minnesota for over ten years now and love it, but cannot say the same when it come to the frosty below temperature. I am a third year student at Hamline majoring in Anthropology, possibly majoring or minoring in Women's Studies and working towards a Conflict Studies certificate. I love keeping myself busy because that is when I fell the most alive, accomplished and challenged.

The McVay Youth VOICE program gives me an opportunity to do two of my favorite things: work with the youth and serving as a resource for the students through community building activities which result in the development of relationships similar to that of a mentorship.