Meet the Team: Alabama
Melanie Jacobi Rhodes, Alabama State Director
Melanie Jacobi Rhodes is a native of Pensacola, FL and graduated from Stetson University, in 2004 with a B.A. in sociology and Spanish. While in school, she was the captain of the rowing team, volunteered with… Read More >
Amber E. Price, AL Program Manager
Amber E. Price, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, has a primary focus to motivate, inspire, mentor, and be a positive role model in people's lives. Read More >
Jim Sydnor, SpeakFirst Program Manager
Born and raised in Birmingham, AL, Jim Sydnor graduated from California State University - Fullerton with a major in Sociology and minor in Philosophy. He continued his studies at San Francisco State University, earning an interdisciplinary master's degree. Read More >
Nada Al-Assi, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Team Lead (South AL)
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Nada Al-Assi attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Public Health and a dual minor in Community Health and Communication Management in 2019. Read More >
Brook Araya, AmeriCorps Member
Brook Araya was born in Ethiopia, and his family moved to the United States when he was 6, when he settled in Chelsea, Alabama. He recieved a degree in philosophy from UAB and is beginning his MPH in epidemiology in the fall of 2020. Read More >
Sarah Allison, AmeriCorps Member
Sarah was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up in the Birmingham area. Read More >
Chris Bertolini, AmeriCorps Member
Chris Bertolini, born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2019 with a major in history and a double minor in Spanish and public health. Read More >
Ben Bolton, AmeriCorps Member
Ben Bolton, born in Hattiesburg, MS, grew up in Greensboro, NC after moving there when he was seven years old. This past spring in 2020, Ben graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double major in history and psychology. Read More >
Candace Boyd, AmeriCorps Member
Candace Boyd grew up in Livingston, AL. In 2016, she graduated magna cum laude from UA majoring in Operations Management and Supply Chain Management. She worked as a Data Analyst for 2 years and realized it was unfulfilling and not the correct path for her. Read More >
Kiarra Broadnax, AmeriCorps Member
SpeakFirst High School Team Lead
Born in Anchorage, AK, and raised in Smiths Station, Alabama, Kiarra Broadnax graduated from Samford University. Where she majored in Political Science and completed a minor in Sociology. Read More >
Ann Mirette Carroll, AmeriCorps Member
From Decatur, Alabama, Ann Mirette graduated cum laude from Birmingham Southern in 2020 with a major in political science and a distinction in poverty studies. Read More >
Phillip Davis, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Team Lead (South AL)
Phillip Davis was born in New Jersey but grew up in Alabama; in 2019, he graduated with a double major in French and International Studies from Sewanee: The University of the South (both majors required a semester in Nantes, France). Read More >
Nate Freeman, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Team Lead (Central AL)
Nate Freeman is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated cum laude from Samford University in May 2019 as a marketing major with a concentration in sports marketing. While at Samford, he served on the Brock School of Business's Dean's Student Advisory Council, the Student Ministry Team for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), and was a Presidential Scholar. Read More >
Alexa Helms, AmeriCorps Member
Alexa Helms was born and raised in Slocomb, Alabama and went on to graduate from Jacksonville State University, cum laude, with an undergraduate degree in accounting. Read More >
Tyler Hill-Whatley, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Coordinator
Tyler Hill-Whatley is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. In 2018, she graduated cum laude from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where she majored in public health with a concentration in global health studies. While in… Read More >
J’la Jenkins, AmeriCorps Member
J'la Jenkins grew up in Hoover, Alabama. She earned her bachelor's degree in Public Health from The University of Alabama where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Read More >
Alaura Keaton, AmeriCorps Member
Alaura Keaton was born in Tamarac, Florida, but raised in Alabaster, Alabama. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Business Management and a minor in Computing Technology and Applications. Read More >
Katie Kyle, AmeriCorps Member
Originally from Athens, Alabama, Katie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and minors in Chemistry and STEM Education. Read More >
Sydney McHugh, AmeriCorps Member
Born in Florida but raised in Woodstock, Georgia, Sydney graduated summa cum laude from Wofford College in the spring of 2020 with degrees in both Accounting and Political Science. Read More >
Fanta Mitchell, AmeriCorps Member
Fanta Mitchell, originally from Sumter, South Carolina but moved to Austell, Georgia 9 years ago, graduated from Mercer University with a double major in International Affairs and Global Health in May of 2020. Read More >
Megan Moser, AmeriCorps Member
SaveFirst Team Lead (North AL)
Born and raised New Orleans, Louisiana, Megan Moser moved to Birmingham, Alabama to attend Birmingham-Southern College in 2015. She graduated cum laude with a degree in Psychology. Read More >
Naomi Nderi, AmeriCorps Member
Naomi Nderi, born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelors in Social Work. Read More >
Durga Prabhakar, AmeriCorps Member
Born in Kerala, India, Durga Prabhakar grew up in Hoover, Alabama, and attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she graduated summa cum laude in 2020 with a Bachelor's in Neuroscience and minors in Biology and Chemistry. Read More >
Adam Schraffenberger, AmeriCorps Member
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2020 Adam Schraffenberger graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Cincinnati with degrees in Business Economics and International Business; he also minored in Spanish and earned a Business Spanish Certificate. Read More >
Alexis Stokes, AmeriCorps Member
Alexis Stokes, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, graduated cum laude from Auburn University, where she completed her degree in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Spanish. Read More >
Miranda Townsend, AmeriCorps Member
FocusFirst Team Lead (Central AL)
Miranda Townsend, a native of Live Oak, FL, graduated with honors from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in American Studies and a minor in politics. Read More >
Emily Welch, AmeriCorps Member
Emily Welch, a native of Hattiesburg, MS, attended the University of Southern Mississippi where she graduated with honors and obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Microbiology. Read More >
Staff and corps members for
Impact America is an AmeriCorps Program.
