Celebrating nine years of City Year Milwaukee alumni

City Year Milwaukee is celebrating our 10th anniversary, and we’re highlighting the 800 alumni who chose to support the students in Milwaukee over the course of the past nine years. After completing their year of service, so many alumni continue to empower young people and become powerful leaders in our community, becoming social workers, teachers, aspiring doctors, and more, all while continuing to believe in the power of young people. Read on to learn some of the ways City Year Milwaukee alumni continue to make an impact in Milwaukee. 

Emily Sear ( Milwaukee ’11, ’12)

Emily has served as a school social worker in Milwaukee Public Schools for four years. She loves the opportunity she has been given to invest in Milwaukee’s youth and learn from their resilience.  In her spare time, Emily enjoys cheering on the Bucks, reading and exploring the city on her bicycle.

Favorite City Year Founding Story: Moccasins

Don Malchow (Milwaukee ’12, ’13)

Don recently moved to Eugene, OR to start a new journey in the Pacific Northwest. He is working as a preschool SLP helping children acquire communication skills to help them improve their daily lives and their academic opportunities in the future. City Year was extremely impactful for him in narrowing down a career choice that was a right fit for his family.

Favorite City Year Founding Story: The Bridge Builder

Cortney Dunklin (Milwaukee ’13, ‘ 14)

Cortney is a Detroit native. After City Year (service years and on staff), Cortney pursed a master’s degree in urban studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She graduated this year! Cortney was awarded the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Economic Development Fellowship. Cortney has focused much of her free time and research on food accessibility and environmental justice.

Favorite City Year Value: Excellence

Symona Gregory (Milwaukee ’14, ’15)

Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Symona graduated from Bradley Tech High School with a full Track scholarship. She attended Youngstown State University in Ohio. Since then, she’s committed herself to numerous organizations such as City Year Milwaukee, Teach For America Milwaukee, Milwaukee Community Kickball League, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Favorite City Year Value: Service to a Cause Greater Than Self

Pachoua Lor (Milwaukee ’15, ’16)

Pachoua Lor is a current graduate student in the administrative leadership master’s program at UW-Milwaukee. She hopes to use her degree to support first-generation students of color and other marginalized student populations.

City Year Founding Story: The Shoulders of Giants

Néstor D. Muro (Milwaukee ’15, ’16)

Néstor is the community school coordinator at H.W. Longfellow School through a partnership with Journey House Inc and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. He is a first-generation college graduate. Having received his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, he is currently pursuing his M.B.A. from Western Governors University. He is a member of the City Year Milwaukee Alumni Board and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee.

Favorite Founding Story: The Bridge Builder

Kyle Welhouse (Milwaukee ’16, ’17)

Kyle served as a first-year corps member and then team leader at Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education. He is currently finishing up his first year of medical school at Medical College of Wisconsin. Kyle hopes to work either in pediatrics or in a surgical specialty.

Favorite City Year Founding Story: The Lighthouse & The Shoulders of Giants

Angelica Rocha (Milwaukee ’17)

Angelica is a Mexican-American woman who was born and raised here in Milwaukee. Anyone who knows her knows that the scholars she worked with through City Year will always be her forever booskis! She currently works as a second grade educational assistant at Milwaukee College Prep.

Favorite City Year Founding Story: The Starfish Story

Jerrion D. Shell (Milwaukee ’10)

Jerrion recently completed his masters in urban education from Cardinal Stritch University. In September, he’ll be heading to Rwanda to begin his service with the Peace Corps as a primary education teacher trainer.

Favorite City Year Value: Ubuntu