THE PUBLIC & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
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School-Based VISTAs & Sites
Community-Based VISTAs & Sites
 
Hover over an image and right click to copy a team member's email address
 

PUBLIC & SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP MAIN OFFICE

Logan, UT – Utah State University
​The PSP office provides support and training to PSP VISTA members and Site Supervisors as well as to its Senior & Community volunteers and stations. The main office is in charge of all hiring and budgeting, and it also coordinates national days of service events.
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Director

Mark Larese-Casanova

Responsibilities: As the PSP Project Director, Mark oversees grant writing and budgeting, reporting, placements and partnerships, university and federal processes, employee training and supervision, and other responsibilities relate to effectively managing a nonprofit organization. 

Bio: Mark is originally from Connecticut and received Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Wildlife Conservation and Management from the University of Connecticut.  He began his career as a seasonal intern for the U.S. Forest Service where he learned the value of service to communities and agencies. Since 2003, Mark has devoted his career at Utah State University to developing partnerships with non-profit organizations and state and federal agencies to build educational capacity. He developed, taught, and directed several education programs from multidisciplinary K-12 field trip programs to statewide training program for adults.  Through these programs, Mark has trained tens of thousands of youth and thousands of adults.  Utah Master Naturalist, Mark's flagship program, trained over a hundred volunteer naturalists, Americorps members, K-12 teachers, and agency professionals every year.  To further build educational capacity in his field, Mark has shared his experience directing and evaluating programs through professional presentations, fact sheets, and peer-reviewed publications.​
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Program Coordinator

Aubrey Call

Responsibilities: Aubrey coordinates many of the functions that help PSP run as a VISTA project, including: supporting sites and VISTAs, onboarding VISTA members, exiting VISTA members, navigating university and federal processes and systems, VAD development, VISTA recognition, reporting and time card intake and tracking, and conducting site visits. Aubrey is also a Site Supervisor for one of PSP's VISTA Leaders. 

Bio: Aubrey previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with PSP in from 2018-2019 at Cache High School, and she is excited to be a part of this program again. She loves being a part of something where she knows she is making a difference. With AmeriCorps VISTA, she is able to leave work knowing she is helping in some way. Aubrey enjoys spending time with her friends and family and playing the guitar when she has some free time. She truly believes, “Life is better when you’re laughing.”
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AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

Myia Barton 

Responsibilities: The VISTA Leader with PSP serves as a liaison between the VISTA members and the PSP administrative team. VISTA Leaders serve as advocates for VISTA members, support them in their service endeavors, guide them through various systems and processes, and engage in other tasks to ensure VISTA members have a successful and satisfying service term. ​

Bio: Myia is one of PSP's VISTA Leaders. Myia has served in several different capacities at PSP, including one year of AmeriCorps VISTA service with the Northern Utah Native Connection, one previous year of service as VISTA Leader, and some time as PSP's Event Coordinator. Her passion is helping in her community in whatever capacity available. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her children and adventuring with her family.
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Event Coordinator

Tina Peralez

Responsibilities: The Event Coordinator supports the PSP office and VISTA members by coordinating service projects, quarterly conferences, recognition ceremonies, and other events. The Event Coordinator also assists with community and social media outreach.

Bio: ​Tina was born and raised in south Texas and received her degree in Psychology from Utah State University with an emphasis in Sociology. With a strong passion for education, she worked as an AmeriCorps member serving lower social-economic status schools during her time at USU. After graduation, she wanted to continue to serve her community and became an AmeriCorps VISTA. During her free time, she loves to express her creativity through playing guitar, baking and painting. Tina's life passion is to spread Mental Health Advocacy and Awareness.​
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SCHOOL-BASED AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBERS & SITES

Cache County, UT – Cache County School District Schools
​VISTA members at PSP's school-based sites engage in various service activities, ranging from securing food and other basic needs resources for students, to coordinating grade- and attendance-tracking systems, to developing systemic interventions to support students and their families, and much more!
 
 

Community-Based VISTA Members & Sites​

Northern Utah -- Multiple placement sites
PSP's community-based VISTA members serve in non-profit organizations across northern Utah. These VISTAs focus on a wide variety of service activities. They ensure the sustainability of organizations and programs; recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers; secure funding and partnerships; develop new and improve upon existing programs; increase outreach and awareness; develop and implement new programs; plan and implement annual events; and much more! 

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Cache Employment & Training Center (CETC)

Austin Draper 

Bio: Austin Draper is a Utah native, who has been given so much by his community and wishes to give back. He writes poetry, hikes, and reads on occasion.​
​CETC website
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Stokes Nature Center

Alex Palmer 

Bio: Alex served a 6 month term with Utah Conservation Corps and wanted to continue serving through Americorps. Their favorite project was working in the Grand Teton National Park collecting and planting native seeds. Originally from Idaho, Alex could not live without the mountains. They grew up camping and visiting national parks with family. In their free time they can be found hiking all over the valley.​
Stokes Nature Center website
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Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP)

Melinda Thornton

Bio: ​​Melinda is a returning AmeriCorps member, though she is new to the AmeriCorps VISTA program. A decade ago, she served 2 years with Salt Lake County's National program at Y.W.C.A. She has a Bachelor's and Masters of Social Work and loves working with people. In Melinda's spare time, she loves playing with her service dog,  Raven (see cute picture above). She can’t wait to meet any and all of her fellow PSP VISTAs!
​UATP website
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Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP)

Kenner Mecham 

Bio: My name is Kenner Mecham. I am 23 years old. I am from a small town in northern Utah. I am going back to school to become a computer engineer. I enjoy working with my hands and with computers. I also enjoy gaming on my pc and building pcs. My dream job is designing and building technology for making life easier. I enjoy working for Americorps and look forward to a great year here.
​UATP website
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Cache Makers 4-H

Tessa Kearl

Bio: Tessa is a proud Colorado Native. After a brief year at Utah State University in Fall of 2017, she returned to Denver to attend dental school where she earned her CDA. Upon graduation, she accepted a position at a pediatric dental practice where she discovered the impact that encouragement and empathy had on fostering patient relationships. This energy was contagious, and she quickly realized her true calling was in education. She moved back to Cache Valley in early 2020 and has lived in Logan ever since. She is currently working towards a bachelor’s in elementary education. Serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Cache Makers has been invaluable to expanding her professional skill set, and she hopes to carry this passion for STEM education and exploratory learning throughout her career.
Cache Makers website
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Common Ground Outdoor Adventures

Anna Turner

Bio: Anna Turner is 23, and was born in North Carolina. She enjoys swimming, reading, and dog training. Her passion lies in advocating for persons with disabilities especially when it comes to workplace accommodations. Anna now lives in Logan with her family and is going to school majoring in Psychology with minors in both Social Work and Disability Studies. Together, with her service dog Vixen, Anna is looking forward to creating relationships that will last a lifetime.
​​Common Ground website
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The Family Place Utah (advancement)

Christy Syndergaard 

Bio: Christy Syndergaard is one of the VISTA members in The Family Place Utah's advancement department, where she works as a volunteer coordinator. At The Family Place Utah, she works with amazing volunteers who are willing to give their time, and she coordinates opportunities for them to share their talents and interact with the community. 
​The Family Place website
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Cache Makers 4-H

Amelia Kimber

Bio: Amelia is super excited to be working with AmeriCorps VISTA this year! Currently, she is working on a bachelor's degree at USU, studying technical communications. She is a huge nerd that loves anime, manga, and K-pop. She absolutely loves anything STEM, and her favorite pastime is tinkering on the latest project that she is obsessed with. Currently, that project is building an invisibility shield with lenticular lenses, because why not.
Cache Makers website
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Little Lambs Foundation for Kids

Rebecca Ellis 

Bio: Rebecca is one of the VISTAs working at Little Lambs Foundation. In her previous life (a.k.a pre-motherhood), she was a Mortgage Loan Officer. She is very excited to be returning to the workforce via being a VISTA with Little Lambs Foundation. She is grateful she can be part of this phenomenal organization and  serve the community here in Cache Valley. She was born in Nevada, lived in Wyoming, then moved to Utah when she was 11. She has lived in Cache Valley on and off since she was 14. She claims Cache Valley as her home as that is where she has raised her two children, Ethan and Elizabeth, for the past 12+ years. They love to play throughout this amazing community, and they take full advantage of all the community events this great valley has to offer. Plus, she loves to listen to audiobooks and watch movies.
​Little Lambs website
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Wasatch Mountain Institute

Sienna Vollbrecht 

Bio: Sienna grew up in Park City, UT, spending her free time nordic and big mountain skiing, ice skating, running, mountain biking, playing tennis, sitting in hammocks, and enjoying the local reservoirs. She went on to earn her degree in Outdoor Education & Leadership from Westminster College in SLC in 2021. She now applies her knowledge and experiences, from in and out of the classroom, to student programming at Wasatch Mountain Institute. When she isn't working, Sienna is likely outside, catching up on celebrity drama or sleeping.
​Wasatch Mountain Institute website
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Public & School Partnership
(435) 797-0633
pspvista.ut@gmail.com
Located in the USU IDRPP Building:
6505 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-6505
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The Public & School Partnership is housed in the Utah State University Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice
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  • About
    • Our Team
    • Calendar of Events
    • Other Ways to Get Involved >
      • Interest Survey
      • Smith's Inspiring Donations
  • News
  • AMERICORPS VISTA
    • Current Openings >
      • Full-Term & Office
      • Summer Associates
    • Reporting
    • Training Resources
    • VISTA Member Recognition
    • Host a VISTA Member or Summer Associate
  • Contact
    • Directory