Every VISTA has a unique story behind their
decision to serve a year (or two, or three). Our fearless VISTA Leader Sarah
Masotta shares her path to service below.
In 2011, I was a University of Connecticut Honors Congressional Intern
recipient and interned full-time for six months within Connecticut House
Representative Rosa DeLauro’s Washington, DC office. I assisted staff to
provide constituent services, coordinated Rosa’s in-home public policy dinners,
summarized congressional hearings, and secured co-sponsors for the Paycheck
Fairness Act. |
| Sarah Masotta with VISTA Member, Aidan Wildes, at our November service project. |
During my internship, Rosa advocated for protecting Pell
Grant funding to support low-income student academic achievement.
Education is a pathway out of poverty. As a
recipient of Pell Grants myself, I was able to mitigate some of my student
loans and complete my studies at the University of Connecticut. I thank
Representative Rosa DeLauro for advocating for policies that support college
access and perseverance. I am grateful for your service to Connecticut.
Through my work with PAVE New Haven, I address the effects
on poverty on education through capacity building within the community. I
began my AmeriCorps service in 2013 at Dwight Hall at Yale – the independent
nonprofit center for social justice. There I wrote grants, fundraised,
and cultivated donors to support the education services coordinated by Dwight
Hall staff and Yale students in the community. Dwight Hall has 23
educational programs that focus on increasing student literacy, expanding
college access, and providing wraparound service for students.
Currently I serve out of the Agency on Aging of South
Central Connecticut as an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader with PAVE New Haven. I
recruit, train, and support a cohort of 16 VISTA members that are placed in 7
local nonprofits and 11 New Haven Public Schools collaborating to foster the
success of New Haven children and families.
I am grateful for the opportunities I had through the
University of Connecticut in awarding me an internship within Rosa’s
office. Her passion for creating public policy that improves the quality
of life for all Americans encouraged me to
serve my community’s educational needs through AmeriCorps.
