McVay Fellows: 2016-2017

Hi! I am Opeyemi Arogundade from Nigeria. I am currently a Junior at Hamline University majoring in Physics. I enjoy watching movies and playing soccer. I feel honored to be starting my first year as a fellow at Arlington.

Hi! My name is Kacie Connelly and I am happy to be back for my second year working with the McVay Program as an Arlington Fellow. Currently, I am headed into my senior year of undergrad studying Sociology & Communications. Outside of McVay, I am involved in Orientation & First-Year Programs, STLF and am a member of the NCORE Team. I love to explore the Twin Cities, attend concerts, and listen to podcasts. My favorite part of McVay is the opportunity to learn from the youth and be inspired by their passion for life!

Hi! My name is Rachel Nelson and I am excited to be starting my fourth year with McVay. I am a senior studying Biochemistry and hope to being a PharmD program in the Fall. On campus, I also work with Residential Life as an Assistant Area Coordinator. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, watching Netflix, cooking/baking, and exploring the outdoors. As I finish my last year with McVay, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow alongside a fantastic staff and group of kids.

HEY MCVAY, I am Eric Yeakel a Senior double majoring in Legal Studies and Political Science. I am a Fellow at Arlington and this is my third year at McVay. I enjoy playing soccer with the Youth and jamming to their favorite songs in the van.

Hello! My name is Sesen Kidane and I am a senior majoring in Social Justice and minoring in Political Science, where I one day hope to work as an educator. This will be my third year working with McVay's wonderful staff and youth. During my free time, I love to watch sporting events (specifically basketball and boxing) and listen to golden age Hip-Hop and RnB!

My name is Jasmine Tappin and I am currently a senior at Hamline University. I'm from Minneapolis, Minnesota and I am majoring in Sociology and Minoring in Psychology. I chose to work at McVay because I love the idea of being a mentor to youth and these past two years involved with McVay has been an amazing journey. These kids have really left an impression on who I am as a leader and I plan on taking the lesson's I've learned here with me into the future.

 I am a senior this year at Hamline studying Chemistry and Secondary Education to become a high school chemistry teacher after graduation. I am the senior fellow at Mounds Park and love every day with my students. My favorite McVay memory is dancing with the kids to Cupid Shuffle at the End of the Year party. In my spare time, I watch Disney movies with my friends, go on walks with my dog, and watch political dramas on Netflix.

Hello! My name is Indie Falana, and I'm a Fellow at the Mounds Park site this Fall. I'm a Biology and Public Health double major, and a Sophomore here at Hamline. I have been with McVay for less than a year, and I'm super excited and grateful to be working with such amazing kids and staff members. In such a short amount of time, I have made meaningful connections with the kids, and watching them learn and grow is the biggest reward. In my free time, I like to read, laugh with friends, learn anything and everything about Biology, and spend quality time with family.

Hey McVay! My name is Joshua Kiyee and I am very happy to be returning to McVay for my second year in a row serving as a Fellow at the Mounds Park site! I am currently a Junior here at Hamline University completing a double major in the Public Health Sciences and Global Studies with a minor in Spanish. During my time here at Hamline, I've been highly involved with the theatre department starring in shows such as Macbeth and Batboy: The Musical. I have an interest in globalization and cross cultural studies, and in my time during and after Hamline, I'd like to engage in International Relations and ESL training. McVay has affected me greatly as I once was a student of the program. It has been a blast getting to recreate some of the fun experiences I've had as a student and create stronger rapport with the students in the Fellow position. I'm looking forward to have even more memorable moments with the students this year.

Hello! My name is Claire Tee and I am currently a sophomore at Hamline University majoring in Elementary Education. I was once a student of the McVay program and I'm beyond blessed to now be a staff member. I enjoy traveling and meeting new people.

I am a senior majoring in elementary education and psychology. This is my last semester at McVay. It has been a great 3 years. I will be student teaching in the spring and then onto the working world for me where I hope to teach abroad or in Minnesota.

My name is Abel Moe, and this is my third year at Hamline and McVay. I am majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice because I want to become a Police Officer so that I can be closer to the community by helping others and keeping it safe. I am a Fellow at our newest site, Washington, where I graduated from. I am excited about this opportunity to work at the school because I knew many of the teachers there and it would be great seeing them there and being able to help my other coworkers if they need to find certain things in the building or have a question about the school. The reason why I chose to work at McVay is because it really is a great environment to be in, especially with all the kids and the group of hardworking people there help to make it fun and welcoming.