Author: Janelle Davis

1. As the Director of Youth Enrichment Programs at WHOLE ME, can you share what the organization is about? WHOLE ME Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves Deaf individuals and their families. WHOLE ME has a variety of programs, such as our after-school program, preschool program, teen program, transitioning and workforce development, Deaf senior care services, care coordination, and many other things. 2. Can you tell us about the WHOLE ME Enrichment Programs? WHOLE ME Enrichment Programs provide activities that focus on enhancing everyday interaction, literacy, and daily living skills. In order to help families understand their child’s…

1. Food Bank of Central New York is a very well-known organization. Can you tell us a little about it and who you serve? Lynn Hy: The Food Bank has been around since 1985 and works within 11 counties. We are the distribution center that works behind the scenes for the emergency food network: food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters. We acquire and distribute nutritious food to our partner programs. There are more than 400 emergency and non-emergency programs that we work with throughout the year. During our last fiscal year, we distributed more than 17.4 million pounds of…

1. What is your background and what school are you currently a nurse at? I kind of took the long route to nursing. My first undergrad is from Miami University in Ohio as an education major. I realized I didn’t love it, so I transferred and got my bachelor’s degree in family psychology with a minor in gerontology. While deciding my career path, I worked at Chase Bank while my now husband finished his master’s degree in Ohio. He encouraged me to give nursing a try, so I shadowed at McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Ohio, and I loved it.…

1. What is your background and how did you end up at BASCOL? Angela St. Laurent: I came to BASCOL 13 years ago. Previously, I was running the art department for a newspaper. After some personal experiences, I decided to stop working. A woman at my church suggested that since I like children, I should work with them. So, I started working at BASCOL. I started as a teacher. After two years, I became a site director, and now I am Program Manager. I’ve come full circle because I love my job so much, and I honestly love getting up…

1. What is your art/education background and what are you doing now? Growing up, I was a classically trained painter and sculptor. I spent time studying at the Art Students League in Manhattan. I learned a lot from my mother, who was a professional portrait painter while raising me. I got my undergraduate degree in sculpture at California College of the Arts. After two years, I took a break from my studies and backpacked throughout Asia and the Middle East. This experience really helped to inform my practices as an artist, an educator, and a person. Part of that time…

Pam Ranieri, Director of Children’s Programming at the Jewish Community Center of Syracuse 1. What led you to Director of Children’s Programming at the Jewish Community Center of Syracuse (JCC)? I started working in an early childhood program in a for-profit center for about 10 years. I came to the realization that the for-profit world of childcare wasn’t for me. It didn’t feel like the values for raising children were the top priority. I found the Jewish Community Center, and loved the idea of a non for profit and putting it all back into the community and the kids. 2.…

1. What is your background and where are you now?   I am a 1986 graduate of Ithaca College. For a year, I worked in New York City at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. I then left for a 2½ year assignment with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. I returned to Syracuse and worked at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital for three years. That is how I was led to the North Syracuse Early Education Program. A young mother came to my office with back pain She shared with me that she had a young son with cerebral palsy, and it…

1. What is your education background and what you are currently doing? I have been working in schools and at summer camps for almost 20 years now. My first experience as a camp counselor was when I spent three summers working at an overnight camp called Camp Colby in Saranac Lake as an Environmental Educator for the DEC. This is where I first fell in love with working at summer camps! Later, I transitioned back to Syracuse for the summers, and was fortunate to find my way into the perfect position at Manlius Pebble Hill School’s Summer Place as a camp counselor. After…

1. What is your education background and what are you currently teaching? Spanish has been one of the loves of my life since I’ve been going to school. My high school Spanish teacher, Señora McLaud, really had an impact on me. She always said I was really great at Spanish, but would be a lot better if I was more disciplined. She suggested I go into the military to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, Calif. I didn’t think much of it then, so after graduating, I went to Cortland State and majored in physical education. Joining…

1. What is your education/coaching background and what are you doing now? After graduating from Fredonia State University, I started as the boys varsity soccer coach at Fayetteville-Manlius the summer after. I moved to Syracuse from my hometown of Webster and taught sixth grade at Donlin Drive in Liverpool as a one year long-term substitute position. The following year, I took a fifth grade position in F-M. I taught at the middle school level for five or six years before moving to high school, where I taught U.S. history and economics until June of 2020. I retired from teaching full…