Meet the Kansas City staff

Jillian proudly serves as a City Year midwest regional recruiter. Jillian grew up in Liberty, Missouri, where she graduated from William Jewell College with a BA in political science. She served as an AmeriCorps member in City Year Kansas City’s founding corps and returned to serve a second year as a team leader. She is excited for the opportunity to return to City Year and help young people cultivate their passion for service.

A native of Kansas City, Sabrina is proud to serve as a recruiter for the midwest region sitting at City Year Kansas City. Prior to joining City Year, Sabrina spent 8 years working with an AmeriCorps program called Jumpstart. Serving first as a corps member, team leader and then joining the staff in New York City as a site manager. Sabrina has always held service and education (specifically working to address systemic inequity in education) close to her heart. She is an alum of The University of Missouri-Columbia, getting both her BA in communication and her MA in public affairs on the Mizzou campus in Columbia (Go Tigers!).

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, family time, and taking photos of her dog, Benny, and her cat, Tully.

Danielle is the proud Senior Impact Manager at East High School. Right after graduating from Stephens College in 2018 with her degree in Health Science, Danielle joined City Year Kansas City as a First Year City Year AmeriCorps Member (ACM). She then returned to serve as a Second Year ACM. Danielle grew up in Kansas City and feels grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve in her home city. This is Danielle’s first year as an Impact Manager and she feels excited for the opportunity to empower her team through service to a cause greater than self. Her hope is for her team to see how powerful they are and how capable they are of reaching their goals.

Paige is originally from southwest Missouri, but has lived in 4 states and 3 countries. She moved to Kansas City and joined the CYKC team in 2021, after spending the last few years living in Boston and working in development for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Paige is a proud Mizzou grad and has years of experience working in nonprofits, with a particular passion for healthcare and human services. When she’s not at the office, Paige enjoys traveling and exploring new places, spending time with friends and family (especially her niece), and going to the park with her dog, Piper.

Jessica Herman is in her 18th year with City Year, serving as the managing director of impact with City Year Kansas City. In this role, Jes manages the impact department, oversees all program and service, and leads the site’s work with schools and district relationships.

She started as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Chicago, then served as the civic engagement manager—leading physical service events for volunteers across the city. In '09, Jes served as an impact manager for a new school as part of the Diplomas Now (DN) collaborative. She would go on to serve as the national deputy director for Diplomas Now, focused on building the network-wide collaborative. In ‘15 she returned home to KC to help build City Year's work from the ground up in her hometown. Jes is also a PROUD University of Kansas alumna twice-over—receiving her BA in sociology in ‘05 and her master's degree in public administration in ‘18. Jes spends her free time with her husband Ben and daughters Violet and Marigold.

Chaz Hoskins was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He got his degree from Missouri Western State University in Journalism and Public Relations, and has a love for writing. He joined the Americorps program after graduation. He served in Topeka, Kansas and in Austin, Texas; during his time there he worked with students and their education. He has many years of non profit experience and has a deep passion for helping others. And is thrilled for the opportunity to continue that passion through City Year.

Peyton is a Kansas City transplant, originally from Springfield, MO. Coming to City Year from United Way of Greater Kansas City, where she worked alongside some of the most passionate educators and community members to ensure quality education programs throughout Kansas City. When not working, she enjoys hiking with her dog, cooking, yoga, spending time with friends and family, and exploring all the fantastic restaurants Kansas City has to offer!

Mariela is serving her ninth year at City Year. Before this role, she served as an impact manager for three years at a KCPS middle school. Graduating from UC Davis with a BA in history with a minor in art history and religious studies, Mariela is proudly from Ivanhoe, California, a tiny town in California's Central Valley. Prior to her roles on staff, Mariela served two years with City Year Sacramento. First as an AmeriCorps member serving 7th and 8th grade students and returning for a second year of service as a team leader. Through her service as an AmeriCorps member, Mariela has been able to witness the impact City Year has had on students and she wishes to continue supporting AmeriCorps in building strong relationships with students. Although not a fan of Midwest weather, Mariela has come to love Kansas City and the city's passion for service.

Matt joined the City Year Kansas City as a development manager in July '18. Having lived in KC for nearly 10 years, Matt is excited to now call KC home. Originally from St. Louis, MO – he's one of six siblings in a blended family. Matt graduated from the University of Central Missouri with his BS in history. He then served as an admissions representative for his alma mater before relocating to serve as a fundraising campaign manager at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In his time there, he managed the efforts that raised more than $1.2 million for cancer patients in our area. After this, Matt spent time as a membership manager at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Outside of work, Matt loves to try new restaurants, play competitive court volleyball, and spend time with his friends.

Shelby is excited to be serving her fourth City Year as Impact Director in the city she has spent her most formative years in. Shelby is a proud Mizzou alum and has worked in various non-profits. She is a founding Equity Committee member dedicated to developing anti-racist practices and advocating for inclusion that ultimately serves our students. Her hope is to inspire young students, AmeriCorps members, and staff to recognize their potential through their time with CYKC. In her spare time Shelby enjoys going to concerts, traveling, and being a big sister to three wonderful siblings.

Aisha is proud to be back serving in her hometown and in the community that her family has lived in for generations. Aisha is in her first year as the Impact and Evaluation Director for CYKC. Before her current role, Aisha served four years as an Impact Manager at Central High School and The Ewing Marian Kauffman School. Prior to joining CYKC’s staff, Aisha served two years as a corps member for Teach For America - Metro Atlanta in a 7th grade English Language Arts classroom at Forest Park Middle School in Forest Park, Georgia. Aisha is an alum of the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) where she majored in Multicultural Psychology and minored in Gender Studies. Aisha is also an alumna of Cottey College where she majored in Psychology. Aisha enjoys movies, travel, and trying new foods. She lives in Kansas City with her husband James, daughter Alyse, son Xavier, and dog Chloe.

Tim is excited to continue his work with City Year Kansas City as an Impact Manager! Graduating from William Jewell College in 2019 with a B.A. in Communications, Tim joined City Year Kanas City as a First Year AmeriCorps member at Northeast Highschool. He then returned to Northeast Highschool to serve as a Team Leader during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Tim is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but has lived in Kansas City for 6+ years and is honored to continue to serve this city he calls home. As the Impact Manager at Northeast Middle School, Tim looks forward to finding new and innovative ways to improve and expand the work that AmeriCorps members do in our schools. In his spare time, Tim enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, practicing, and performing Ballroom Dance, taking care of his cat Ure, and spending time with friends.