The Blue Wagon
Alumni Newsletter – January 2012
Inside This Issue Amuse Bouche & Announcements Bike & Build – An Alumni Cross-Country Trek Meet the Alumni Council Meet the Board of Directors Thank You from the Alumni Appeal DREAM Doppelgängers
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AMUSE BOUCHE By AJ LeGaye, Alumni Council President Happy New Year! As all of you know, we wrapped up 2011 with an unbelievably successful Alumni Appeal. One of my favorite memories from the Appeal was spending two nights in Boston with folks like Mike Foote, Floyd Franks, Josh Nagle, Jill Diamond, Brooke Zambroski, and Lindsay Deane, calling a long list of Alumni to request donations. Yes, cold calling was a highlight of the Alumni Appeal for me. And here’s why… Have you ever tried picking up the phone, dialing the number of a person you don’t know or an old friend you haven’t spoken with in a long time, and then asking him or her to give money? It’s never easy. That is… right until the conversation starts. “Hi, my name is AJ LeGaye, and I’m calling about the DREAM Alumni Appeal…” Opening line, done. From that point on, it’s a walk in the park. Most Alumni are excited to hear from us. Almost everyone asks how DREAM is doing and how the Appeal is going. If I connect with an old friend, we spend a few minutes catching up; if I speak to a recent grad, we talk about post-college life; if I reach an older alum I’ve never spoken to, we spend some time getting to know each other. Oftentimes, that conversation turns into a “date,” where we schedule a time to meet up for coffee, drinks, lunch, dinner, etc. I had brunch with Paul Biggs in Portland, OR; I met Josh Solomon for dinner and drinks in Boston, MA; I’ll be seeing Mike Newton in Portland, OR and Sam Kennedy in Seattle, WA next time I’m up that way. Why is cold calling one of my favorite aspects of the Alumni Appeal? It’s a catalyst that leads me to create new personal connections with DREAMers across the country. It reminds me that, no matter what we’re doing in life or where we are in the world, we share a very special connection that can always bring us together. DREAM On, AJ LeGaye Alumni Council President, 2010 – 2012 a.legaye@gmail.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS 1.
Did you know DREAM is on YouTube? Check out these three awesome videos. First is a nice tribute to “DREAM Mentors” (http://goo.gl/yDzMk). Next, we’ve got a video about the Office’s Core Values (http://goo.gl/uYhiE). And finally, we have an awesome montage of “what DREAM is…” (http://goo.gl/V80Pt), with a focus on the Champlain College local program.
Steven Sousa celebrates his graduation with mentor Adam Goldfarb (Dartmouth ’08).
2. In case you haven’t heard, the DREAM Alumni Org will be presenting the first ever Community Builder Award to one of you in less than a month! It will be given to a DREAM Alumna/us who has provided exemplary service in support of his or her community, regardless of whether it's a community that DREAM currently works with or a community elsewhere in the world. We are accepting nominations until January 27th. To nominate someone, simply click on the following link (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GVZDYD8) and tell us about your nominee. The award will be announced by the end of February. We're excited to recognize our first winner! 3. A belated kudos to Steven Sousa of Northwoods DREAM, who graduated from Hartford High Class of 2011!
Bike & Build – an Alumni Cross-Country Trek By Andrew Lassiter & Caity Patey (Champlain ’10) With the wind in their hair and the gravel under their somewhat skinny tires, Andrew Lassiter and Caity Patey groaned in pain as they conquered camp road this past summer on their way to Camp DREAM from Burlington. To some, their summer bike journey, with a detour up the inclined (ouch, so steep!) and winding road to Smuggler’s Notch, and an exceptional hike with 10-12 year old DREAMers up Sterling Pond Trail, may have seemed crazy enough. But this summer these Alumni are DREAMing even bigger. On May 24th, Andrew will depart from Charleston, SC, and on June 20th, Caity will depart from Portsmouth, NH, embarking on a crosscountry bike ride to support affordable housing with a non-profit organization called Bike and Build. Along the way, they will be giving presentations to local communities and stopping for "Build Days" to work on affordable housing construction sites.
Andrew Lassiter, former lord of Camp DREAM.
Since 2002, Bike and Build has donated $3.3 million and 100,000 hours to affordable housing groups throughout the country. Riders are required to fundraise a minimum of $4,500 before the trip departs, and this money is distributed via grants to organizations like DREAM, which focus on affordable housing initiatives and involve young people directly in their work. Grant applications are reviewed and awarded by riders participating in one of the eight trips across the country each summer. Each rider also has the opportunity to award a non-profit of his or her choice with a $500 donation at the end of the trip. Andrew, who is the former DREAM Land and Resource Manager and is currently devising outdoor expedition options for DREAM local programs, will be a trip leader for the route from Charleston, South Carolina to Santa Cruz, California. Working for DREAM opened his eyes to the challenges of people living in affordable housing. It also showed him the difference one person could make in those people’s lives, just by committing the time, energy, and positive attitude typical of every DREAMer. Andrew is now inspired to continue making that difference in every way he can, and he thinks this bike journey is his opportunity to do just that. You can follow Andrew’s blog, where you can learn more about his journey, how you can support him, and just why the heck he’s so crazy, at andrewlassiter.tumblr.com Caity, a 2010 Champlain DREAM alumna and current Birchwood Local Program Partner, will be a rider on the Northern U.S. route, ending her journey in Vancouver, BC. "I'm riding because I've seen what a proper living environment can do for kids in communities like the ones we work with in DREAM. No child should be embarrassed to invite friends over, be worried about a safe, warm place to do homework, or struggle in any part of their life to make goals and achieve them because of the place they live. I'm also DREAMing big so that other mentors, kids, teens, alumni and more will be inspired like DREAM has inspired me." You can find Caity's blog, profile and donation page here: http://bikeandbuild.org/rider/5675. Both Andrew and Caity are supremely excited for this journey, and they hope that you follow along and support their cause. You can learn more about Bike and Build, and donate in either rider’s name, at bikeandbuild.org. Feel free to contact them with any questions or comments at Caitlin@patey.com and Andrewlass@gmail.com! Caity Patey, Champlain ‘10
Meet the Alumni Council By Dylan Nelson, Community Initiative Area Head 1. Who am I? Name – Dylan Nelson; Age – 25; Hometown – Bellevue, WA Current Residence – Washington, DC; Alma Matter – Dartmouth ‘09 DREAM Local Program – Northwoods/Hollow Drive Favorite Disney Character – Slinky Dog from Toy Story 2. Why did you originally join DREAM in college? When I first arrived at Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to do some sort of community service work like I had in high school, so I was looking for the right fit. Many of the folks who ran fall orientation were wearing DREAM shirts and often gushed about how awesome the program was. That reflected extremely well on the program, and I was sold on it when I saw herds of kids running around campus on Fridays during my first term on campus. 3. What are you doing now? (Work, school, etc.) Are you volunteering outside of your job? I live in Washington, DC and work for the George Washington University School of Public Health. I do research and grant administration related to health care financing and population health work around the country. I also take classes toward a Masters of Public Health at GW. My main volunteer work has been as the Community Initiative Head of the DREAM Alumni Council. 4. Are you where you thought you would be this many years out of college? What are your “next steps?” I knew I wanted to go into health policy and eventually grad school, so I guess in that sense I ended up where I thought I’d be 3 years out of college. I didn’t really know that it’d be in DC or that I’d be working for a university. My next step is to finish my Master’s in 2013 and figure out what I’m going to do with it! 5. What prompted you to consider joining the Council? What do you hope to achieve as part of the Council? I was a co-chair for multiple terms and helped lead two High Adventure trips during college. I knew that I wanted to stay connected with DREAM after I graduated. So when I heard about the formation of the Alumni Council, I thought it’d be a great way to give back to the organization and stay actively involved in the program. 6. What is your position on the Alumni Council? What does that mean on a day-to-day basis? I am the Community Initiative Head, which basically means that I’ve worked for two years to help people organize mini-reunions around the country, created and ran The Blue Wagon for a year, created and ran the LinkedIn webpage, and created and ran the Community Builder Award. Day to day, this means a lot of e-mailing to ask people to do things for you! For reunions especially, it’s all about delegation because I can’t be everywhere in the country. If you’re interested in hosting a reunion in your area, shoot me an e-mail at Dylan.j.nelson.09@gmail.com! My term as an Initiative Head will come to an end in March, so I’m looking forward to seeing someone add new energy and ideas into the position. 7. What is your favorite memory of DREAM from when you were in college? I have many fond memories, but it’s probably the “roses and thorns” session we had after a very eventful and stressful night in a high school gym in San Jose, CA on High Adventure 2006. I can’t think of any other time that a 12 year old has brought me to tears. 8. Where do you envision DREAM will be next year? In five years? In ten years? As an Alumni Council Member, you hear some pretty exciting plans from people very involved with DREAM’s future. I’m hoping that in five years we have a DC chapter and in ten we’ll be expanding into who knows where in the Northeast. I think DREAM’s mid- to long-term future will be a struggle to balance the intense focus that we need to give to each of our current communities with the desire to expand the DREAM model to others. It’s an exciting time to be a member of DREAM’s Alumni Organization because we have a chance to truly shape the direction of this relatively young organization!
Meet the DREAM Board of Directors By Kat Kehrt, Green Mountain College ‘12 1. Who am I? Name - Kat Kehrt; Age – 23; Hometown - Cranbury, New Jersey Current Residence - Poultney, VT; College Green Mountain College, May ‘12 DREAM Local Program – Poultney Favorite Disney Character – Baloo 2. Besides sitting on the Board, what is your primary occupation? I am a full time student and DREAMer at Green Mountain College. 3. How long have you been on the DREAM Board? What was the path that led to you joining the Board? I have been on the board since January 2011. Being a DREAM mentor has played such a huge part of constructing my path in life that I wanted to play a bigger part in the organization and have say in what goes on behind the scenes. 4. In your own words, what exactly does the Board do on a day-today basis? What is your role? We oversee the functions of the program. We vote on plans, budgets and ideas. We discuss polices and ways to improve The DREAM Program. As the only present mentor on the board, I provide ideas an d input that best represents the mentors all throughout the program. 5. What is your proudest DREAM moment? My proudest moment was working at Camp DREAM in the summer of 2010, and having my mentee come for a week. I was so incredibly proud to be part of such an outstanding organization. 6. What do you hope to achieve or contribute during your time on the Board? I hope to develop a better, solidified understanding of how DREAM functions in all aspects and how a nonprofit board runs. Being an active mentor on the board, I hope to continue giving input that best represents the mentor body. 7. Where do you envision DREAM will be next year? In five years? In ten years? Next year, I see DREAM expanding even more in Boston, and moving into different locations in New England. In 5 years, DREAM will be in more states than just Vermont and Massachusetts. In 10 years, I see DREAM in all of New England, and moving into different parts of the country. 8. How do you think Alumni and current mentors can best support DREAM’s mission? I think all mentors and alumni should continue to be the role models our kids need. Try to be someone that, if you were a little kid again, that you would always look up to and listen to.
THANK YOU from the Alumni Appeal Committee By Frieda Arenos, Alumni Appeal Leader
With your help, the Alumni Appeal raised
$43,937!
(... and counting as donations continue to roll in...) Dear DREAM Alumni, On behalf of the entire Alumni Appeal Committee and the DREAM Alumni Council, I want to thank you for making this year’s DREAM Alumni Appeal the most successful in all of DREAM’s history! With your help, the Alumni Appeal raised nearly $44,000, which will be applied to DREAM operations, expansion, Alumni Grants for Local Programs, and the Alumni Endowment. Your dedication will help the Program continue to strengthen and grow, which means more DREAM families, children, and mentors will continue to benefit from our village mentoring model. I enjoyed speaking with many of you during the Appeal and hearing about your visions for DREAM’s success. Thank you for your ideas and for your commitment to making this Program the most incredible it has ever been. DREAM would not be here without your support! If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments about the 2011 Alumni Appeal, or have new ideas for how DREAM funds should be allocated, please contact Frieda Arenos, DREAM Alumni Appeal Leader, at flarenos@gmail.com. If you did not have a chance to donate during the Appeal and are still interested in doing so, or if you were not contacted and perhaps need to update your contact information with DREAM, please email Sandy Mervak, DREAM Development Director, at sandy@dreamprogram.org. The DREAM Program will gladly accept donations all year long! Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year, and thank you again for your support of DREAM! DREAM big, Frieda Arenos Alumni Appeal Leader DREAM Alumni Council UVM 2008