2024 was a busy year for me. I am still working at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood California as one of their on-call recording engineers and full-time assistant engineer. The year was a blur of working on various projects and sessions. I had official engineer credits come out with Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Roddy Ricch, and Terrace Martin. I worked with dozens of artists on music that is scheduled to be released throughout 2025. The first couple months of 2024 were spent with Roddy Ricch’s team working on his album that is scheduled to come out in early 2025. The second half of this summer was spent working with a Korean music copyright trading platform called Musicow as their head engineer. We tracked dozens of songs which will be whittled down to create their first company funded EP. I spent weeks in September and October working with the artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram as head engineer recording the songs for his EP set to release in 2025. I spent a lot of time producing original music with artists this year as well. I had seven singles I produced release in 2024, with artists Lali Bi Baby, Laceup, and Ryan Vo. We have many other releases scheduled for 2025. 2024 was an incredibly productive year and I feel as if I’ve been building up momentum for 2025 to be my busiest and most productive year yet. I am excited to see what further updates I’ll have to share this time next year. Thank you MVYouth for being the catalyst to set me on the journey I am currently on. I am forever grateful.
Galya Walt - Tufts University
This past year has included many exciting new beginnings and transitions! I completed my master’s in public health at Harvard in the spring and spent the summer visiting friends in New England and enjoying some time on the island with my family. This past fall, I moved to Providence to start a PhD program at the Brown University School of Public Health in the Behavioral and Social Sciences department. Over the past few months, I have loved my courses in quantitative and qualitative research methods as well as my research work outside of class focusing on harm reduction approaches for pregnant and parenting people living with a substance use disorder. Rhode Island is a really exciting place to be learning about harm reduction since they just became the first state to open a state sanctioned overdose prevention center. I’ve tried to show up to as many talks and state workgroup meetings as possible to learn about all the incredible harm reduction and overdose prevention work going on in the state. I have been so grateful to be so generously welcoming into Providence’s close-knit community, and within just the past few months I now find myself walking around my neighbor and inevitably bumping into familiar faces and friends. The small community feeling reminds me of home, and I love feeling more and more connected to my neighbors. I am also lucky to be living with one of my best friends from growing up on the island, and sharing another home together has been incredibly meaningful. Outside of classes, I have loved biking on the East Bay Bike Path, walks on Rhode Island’s beaches and enjoying the delicious food Providence has to offer! I am so grateful to all that MVYouth has done to support me getting to this point and to all the amazing work they continue to do on the island. Thank you, and wishing everyone a wonderful 2025!
Rudy Vecchia-Zeitz - New York University
Over the last year I have worked as a prevention educator at the nonprofit, Resilience, in Chicago, providing child sexual abuse prevention education to youth, adolescents, teachers, caregivers and adult service professionals. My work continues to challenge me inside and outside of the workplace, and I am thankful to MVYouth for the role it’s played in getting me to where I am today. I love living in Chicago, and will be going on 3 years of living there this Spring. I am grateful to my community near and far for supporting me as I embrace my authentic self.
Meghan Sonia - Anna Maria College
Another amazing year to reflect on! This year has been one of my biggest adjustments, but has proven to be very rewarding. I moved to Boston and started my first official nursing job, settling into my career as a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s hospital on their Neuroscience step down floor. Through this experience, I have been able to develop my own routine as a nurse and settle into my practice. This gives me such a sense of accomplishment because I just continue to reflect on all of the hard work and sleepless nights that it took for me to get to where I am. My hard work got rewarded by being honored with two Daisy Awards from patients I have helped. Since I am also now a city girl, I have tried to enjoy every aspect of living in a city. I have been making lots of friends, exploring all the different restaurants, and just taking in the beautiful views that Boston has to offer. I also noticed that a very common next step while living in the city was to get a dog. So I have spent most of my time training my new Australian Shepherd puppy, Bean. I continue to look forward to my next year as a nurse in a beautiful city. I hope to do a few different continuous education courses that are offered at our hospital so I can work on bettering my practice. I am forever grateful to MVYouth and its donors for allowing me to have these opportunities. I would not be where I am today without their gracious support.
Emma Searle - Boston College
It’s hard to believe that almost two years have passed since I graduated from BC. Over the past year, I’ve continued to grow into my life and work in New York. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my work as a Capital Markets Paralegal at Cadwalader, where I’m continuously challenged and encouraged to grow professionally. I’ve continued to work primarily on CMBS transactions and have also joined one of the Firm’s pro bono teams. Together with another paralegal and a group of attorneys, I’ve had the privilege of helping non-profit organizations establish their organizational structure and achieve tax-exempt status through the IRS’s Form 1023. In moving through the Firm’s two-year program, I’ve worked and developed relationships with attorneys whose skills and work ethic I hope to exemplify myself one day. I’m regularly reaffirmed of my decision to pursue a legal education and will carry many of the lessons I have learned at the firm with me through law school and beyond. This past fall I applied to law schools across the east coast, and I look forward to hearing back throughout the spring with the intention of enrolling in the fall of 2025. It is never lost on me that none of this would be possible without the unmatched support and generosity of MVYouth. Your work is essential to the Island community, and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you.
Meghan Sawyer - Colgate University
My 2024 has been a year full of change and growth. I’ve been living in Boston for the past two years, but in July I moved out of my first apartment and relocated to Quincy, MA, settling into a beautiful apartment on the water. It’s been an exciting transition that has allowed me to enjoy both the peacefulness of the harbor and the vibrancy of city life. I’ve enjoyed exploring Quincy by finding new restaurants and cafes to try, and I enjoy the suburban feel while being in close proximity to Boston. On the professional side, my company underwent a major transformation this year, merging with Eisner Amper, a larger CPA firm with offices nationwide. This merger opens up incredible opportunities for career growth, and I’m looking forward to exploring new paths within the firm. As a Senior Associate, I’ve also taken on the rewarding role of being a performance and career coach for three staff members. Guiding their development has not only been fulfilling but has also helped me gain valuable managerial experience. This fall, I enjoyed traveling to new places, including my first trip to Chicago in October and a visit to New York City later in the season. Outside of work, I’ve been having fun with friends, exploring the city, and attending concerts, sporting events, and comedy shows. I’m deeply thankful for the support of MVYouth, and it’s incredible to be a part of such an amazing organization. I can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store!
Stephany Ribeiro - Southern New Hampshire University
This past year has been an incredible journey! I graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), an accomplishment that has filled me with pride and excitement for the future. As an online student, I embraced the flexibility and dedicated myself fully to learning, taking advantage of every opportunity to absorb knowledge and grow academically. My coursework, particularly classes like Counseling Procedures and Techniques, deepened my understanding of therapeutic practices and further ignited my passion for mental health counseling. While pursuing my degree, I worked at Island Counseling Center (ICC) under Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS), where I gained invaluable hands-on experience in a clinical setting. My role as an administrative assistant and interpreter for Brazilian Portuguese provided me with insight into the inner workings of mental health services. I assisted clients with scheduling, collaborated with clinicians, and supported the outreach and triage process, sharpening my organizational and interpersonal skills. As an interpreter, I bridged the gap between clients and clinicians, observing firsthand the transformative power of therapy. This scholarship played a pivotal role in making my dreams a reality, and I am so grateful for the support. Balancing work, studies, and family life (I became a mom this year!) was no small feat, but SNHU’s supportive environment helped me thrive. My education has not only prepared me academically but has also given me the confidence to pursue my goal of becoming a licensed mental health counselor. As I prepare for the next steps in my educational journey, I look back on this year with immense gratitude and look forward to continuing to serve my community and make a difference in the mental health field.
Alex Rego - Dartmouth College
n June 2024, I graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a degree in Geography and Government. I love navigating postgraduate life, but I do miss being a student. Every so often, I’ll dream that I’ve got an upcoming essay deadline that slipped my mind… The past seven months have consisted of lots of randomness: I have worked four different jobs on the island (stop by ArtCliff Diner this summer and say hello!); I briefly moved to New York after an inspiring experience at New York Climate Week; and right now I write this update on a very bouncy bus as I solo backpack Colombia and Ecuador. While still in the throes of the infamous postgraduate job search, I trust that my career trajectory will manifest the way it ought to. I am currently managing the impact campaign for a documentary short about Robinson Crusoe Island, one of the most biodiverse places in the world. The film is titled Si la isla quiere (“Island Willing”). Stay tuned for screenings on Martha’s Vineyard this summer! Otherwise, I am still on the prowl for grassroots-level work in the climate/environmental sector. Should you think of anything, I’m always looking! And as always, thank you. Martha’s Vineyard has been the inspiration for all my life’s endeavors: where I went to school, what I studied, what I am pursuing as a career, and so on. This scholarship has meant more to me than words can describe. All my best always.
Spencer Pogue - Columbia University
It feels strange to be writing these reports now as a graduate, and though many things in my life have changed since I finished my degree at Columbia University last Spring, I am so grateful to have ended up where I am today. After graduating, I accepted a position as a Staff Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr. Betsy Crouch at UCSF’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine in San Francisco. The Crouch Lab investigates blood vessel development in the human brain, with the ultimate goal of creating novel technologies and therapeutics to treat brain hemorrhages in neonatal and pediatric patients. I was nervous at first about joining a biology lab because I worried that I lacked experience with the research techniques that they used, but I quickly adapted, and I have gained an astonishing amount of knowledge in my first six months of work: so far, I have improved my immunohistochemistry skills, learned to conduct experiments using flow cytometry and FACS, grown neural spheroids from primary tissue (which hopefully will someday be able to incorporate vasculature) and conducted single-cell RNA sequencing analysis on various patient samples in order to identify gene expression patterns that influence fetal neurovascular development during the second and third trimesters. The mentorship I have received from my boss and labmates has been outstanding thus far. Despite the occasional late nights spent running experiments, I have greatly enjoyed the camaraderie and support of working in a lab environment. As for the city, I have always loved San Francisco when coming to visit family, so I was excited by the opportunity to move here after graduating. I have been spending lots of time outdoors, mainly going for runs, playing tennis, or reading in all of the great parks the city has to offer, and I am starting to get used to — and appreciate — the fog that San Francisco is known for. My hope for the future is to apply to PhD programs in Developmental Biology or Biomedical Engineering, with the goal of entering a program in the Fall of 2026. Thank you to MVYouth for all that you have provided me, and I cannot think of enough words to express my gratitude for helping me to turn my aspirations into reality.
Jackson Pizzano - University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge
This past year has been a very fun and exciting time for me, I have continued to live and work on the Vineyard trying to make my way in the Tree industry. I acquired my own insurance and have been trying to do a bit of my own jobs on the side as well as continuing work for the local company Tabor Tree. My boss and owner of Tabor, Riley Dobel has been very generous to let me use some of his equipment to do these jobs which has been very helpful as tree work can require a lot of tools and machines to be done safely and efficiently. It has been fun and challenging learning to bid jobs on my own trying to make sure I give the client a good deal as well as not short selling my own skill and production. I have learned a lot doing this and continue to learn more everyday. Aside from work many of my friends are wrapping up their college careers and it's been nice to be able to spend more time with them as many of them are back on the island full time. A group of us does trivia once a week which is a nice way to split the week up and not get too bored in the long island winter. I continue to play hockey once or twice a week in the local league and the ponds have been frozen so pond hockey has been a regular occurrence on the weekends. I would like to thank MVYouth for all the help they have provided me over the years, I would not be where I am today without the generous donations from all the donors making everything possible for me and the other recipients. I will always remember the time I spent in college and the people who made it all possible.
Paulo Pereira - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
This past year has emulated similar themes to those of the previous year, with each day bringing a new learning experience both professionally and personally. I’ve been at Morgan Stanley for slightly over three years and have learned a lot since joining the firm in late 2021 while working alongside incredibly smart and ambitious people. I’ve worked on a variety of deals involving asset-backed securities, capital markets products such as initial public offerings and debt financings, as well as mergers & acquisitions, to name a few. I find the deals related to mergers & acquisitions interesting as these tend to be transformative for the acquirer and/or the target company being acquired. At the same time, I find myself gravitating towards and asking more questions about the investing process on the buy-side in fields such as private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds, which is fascinating to me and something I hope to explore further. As I reflect on the past year, I can’t help but think about how instrumental MVYouth was in enabling me to get to where I am today. Thank you MVYouth for making such a difference in the island community as well as in the families of those you all have supported over the years, including myself and my family!
Charles Parkhurst - UCLA
I’m glad to share that the past year has been an incredibly productive one! The most significant development is that in May of last year, I began my studies at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics with a concentration in finance. The program is primarily completed online, but last June, I spent a week on-campus in Ithaca to kick off the degree and will return for another in-person session this coming August to conclude the program. I’ve truly enjoyed my classes so far and am very happy with my decision to pursue this degree. The program is a unique balance between data analytics and business, offering courses in subjects like accounting, financial modeling, microeconomics, and marketing, alongside training in programming languages like SQL and Python and data visualization tools such as Tableau. For the remainder of the program, a key focus will be on machine learning and artificial intelligence. While managing the degree alongside full-time work has made for a busy schedule, it has also been deeply rewarding, as I see much practical value in everything I’ve learned so far. I’ve continued living in Miami, Florida, while working as an Investment Data Analyst at AlTi Tiedemann Global. However, this contract position is now coming to an end, and I’ve just started the search for my next opportunity. I’m eager to apply the skills I’m gaining in graduate school to further advance my career. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to MVYouth for providing the launchpad for my educational journey nearly a decade ago. Without the incredible support of this organization, I may not have had the chance to pursue this degree today.
Annie Ollen - Barnard College
2024 was an exciting year of new opportunities and growth on the Vineyard! I continue to work at the West Tisbury School as a math specialist helping students in the middle school to meet their specific math goals. Each day is dynamic, as my role is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the individual students that I work with. This fall, I also started my Master’s in Education program at Merrimack College where I am taking classes online. Taking classes while working full time was certainly an adjustment, but it was great to get back into the classroom and continue to develop my skills as an educator. In addition to coaching middle school volleyball in the spring, I also started coaching girls soccer at the high school this fall. It was exciting to get back out on the field that I spent so many years on when I was a student there, and continue to be involved in the island community. Finally, this fall marked my first full year working on the Advisory Board for MVYouth. I am grateful for this opportunity to be involved in such an incredible organization that gave so much to me as a student. To now be sitting on the other side of the interview table is an honor that I do not take lightly. The next generation of island students is incredibly talented and motivated, and it’s a great feeling to see the same promise in them that was seen in me when I received my scholarship in 2015. MVYouth gives so much to this island community, and I am so thankful to be a part of it!
Madeleine Moore - University of Chicago
In 2024, I successfully unionized my former workplace with my coworkers! This has been one of my proudest career achievements and the result of over a year of building relationships and trust with everyone across my company. As of now, they are still in bargaining and I am hopeful they will have a new contract soon! Additionally, after nearly three years at my former job, I was hired at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as their Digital Campaigns Manager. In this role, I was able to manage staff and raised over $16 million for fifteen incumbent and challenger U.S. House candidates. While we saw some losses on Election Night, we also saw some major wins and flipped several House seats in California and New York. I look forward to working at the DCCC this coming year and hope to work towards a better Election Night in 2026. This year I also saw my brother, Huck, the youngest of all my siblings, graduate high school. He is now attending Yale University alongside my sister, Ingrid, while my other sister Isabel, is now a Teacher's Assistant at the West Tisbury School. Since 2011, there has been a Moore sibling at MVRHS so it feels very bittersweet now that we are all graduated and off on our own adventures. I felt very lucky I was able to come back to the island twice this Summer and I hope to be back more frequently the next. Every time I come home I am reminded of what a special and unique place Martha's Vineyard is and every time I leave I am thinking of my next trip back. As everyone in my family embarks on their own path, those times at home together are even more special and I feel truly grateful for the time we have with each other on the island.
Danielle Middleton - Howard University
After four years of hard work, I’m proud to share that I’ve graduated. Walking across the stage this past May was a moment of immense pride and gratitude. I felt proud to join the ranks of Howard University alumni in front of my friends and family, and deeply grateful for everyone who helped me reach this milestone. Over the summer, I worked as a youth development professional at the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club, a place that has shaped me profoundly. With these past seven summers, I’ve met and learned from so many amazing people, and together, each summer, we gave kids a safe and enriching space to grow. My experience at the MVBGC taught me how to look beyond myself and recognize the importance of contributing positively to the community. I look back on my time at MVBGC with fondness and appreciation for the role it played in my life. I’m excited about the amazing upcoming changes happening there, and look forward to seeing its continued impact. Currently, I’m working as a Family Support Worker with the Island Wide Youth Collaborative, part of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. In this role, I connect individuals and families with essential resources like housing, healthcare, employment, education, and other community supports. Though I’ve only been here a few months, I’m incredibly grateful for my team, who have guided and supported me as I transition from being a student to a full-time professional. Their mentorship has eased any uncertainty I had about starting my career, and I genuinely look forward to going to work each day. Even after finishing my undergraduate degree, I find myself learning and growing daily. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next. I hope to continue paying forward the support that MVYouth has given me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you MVYouth, for supporting me every step of the way.
Evelyn Medeiros - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science University
This past year I have been so fortunate to continue working on an endoscopy unit that continues to challenge me and further develop my nursing skills. With the encouragement of my manager, I decided to sit for the exam to become a board certified medical surgical nurse. I was honored to be accredited by the board to prove my experience and expertise in nursing. In addition to becoming certified, I had made it a goal this year to practice my Spanish, and I now feel much more confident conversing with the large Spanish speaking population that I care for. This not only allows me to take better care of my patients, but helps to build trust and comfort with them in a way that I was not able to before. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my dog and exploring new places with my partner. I have made an effort to better my work-life balance and truly enjoy my time outside of the hospital. Being a healthcare professional that has seen how cruel the world can be, I have found it important to really appreciate my time away from the bedside. I feel truly blessed to have found a unit that has helped me grow as a healthcare professional, but also as a person. For that, I want to thank MV Youth once again, because without you, it may not have been possible. I look forward to seeing what the next year has in store for me. I am excited to continue to learn and improve.
Casey McAndrews - Hamilton College
The past year has been full of new challenges and learning opportunities. To bring in the New Year, two classmates and I organized a seminar for UNECOM students on firearm harm reduction, as firearm injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. This sparked a passion for advocacy in gun violence prevention, leading to a partnership with Moms Demand Action, who invited me to speak at the Maine State House for their annual advocacy day. As part of the REGMS program, I presented my research at ENDO 2024 in Boston and connected with other students from across the country. As District Representative for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT), I met other SOPT leaders and trainees at the AAP National Conference to collaborate on ways to get medical students involved in pediatrics and advocacy for child health. In July, I started my third year of medical school, which means we are no longer learning in the classroom but instead on the hospital floors through our clinical rotations! To kick it off, I spent 6 weeks as a Neuroanatomy Teaching Assistant where I taught second-year students their neurology and neuroanatomy curriculum in small groups. Since then, I have been rotating through various hospitals and clinics in Rhode Island learning about the different fields of medicine, how to evaluate patients and create a treatment plan, and even how to perform medical procedures. Among all of this, my favorite part has been getting to interact with patients and support them through their most vulnerable times. As the year winds down, I am getting ready to apply for a residency in Pediatrics this upcoming fall and could not be more excited. Thank you to MVYouth for making all of this possible!
Louise McDonald - New York University
2024 was a pivotal year for me. I successfully completed my first year as a full-time associate at an asset management firm in New York, passed several SEC exams, and gained confidence navigating the post-graduate world. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance from MVYouth. Although it has been more than five years since I received my scholarship from MVYouth, my determination to achieve ambitious goals and dream beyond what seems imaginable remains steadfast. Over the past year, outside of work, I dedicated time to studying for finance exams, analyzing market trends, and deepening my understanding of the economic environment. These efforts were aimed at helping over 40 institutional investors allocate capital effectively and achieve successful outcomes. I also collaborated closely with portfolio managers to strengthen relationships both externally and internally within my firm. I led internal meetings, introducing various macro strategies to educate 20+ colleagues on emerging trends expected in the near term. Recently, I transitioned from asset management to a global multi-strategy hedge fund, where I now lead two teams focused on REITs and financials. My role involves overseeing research, assisting with trading, and facilitating communication between teams and stakeholders. I can confidently say that my achievements, lessons, and relationships built over the past year would not have been possible without MVYouth's belief in me back in 2019. Going through the interview process, meeting the founders, and embracing the unknown shaped traits that I carry with me every day. I am proud to be part of such an incredible organization and look forward to further contributing to its mission in the future.
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
2024 was an exciting year! I spent my second semester of 1L competing in a mock trial competition with the National Black Law Students Association, where my team of all first years placed second in the regional competition and fourth in the national one! It was such a great experience and really affirmed that I want to do trial advocacy. I spent my summer in Atlanta, Georgia where I interned at the Southern Center for Human Rights. I absolutely loved the city and it was such a privilege to work with an organization that has been doing incredible work to combat the death penalty, excessive sentencing and prison conditions in the south for decades. I actually was taught by one of the Southern Center’s most prominent directors, Stephen Bright, during the spring as well when I took his course, Capital Punishment: Race, Poverty & Disadvantage. When I returned to New Haven I moved to a different part of the city where I am loving my new neighborhood though it is a bit farther from the law school. My second year of law school has been a lot of work but it has been very rewarding. During the summer in addition to working at the Southern Center I also did work for a clinic I would join in the fall, the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic. My summer work led to me arguing in Fresno Superior Court in opposition for a motion for summary adjudication during only my second week of classes last fall! It was a surreal experience and one that I will cherish for the rest of my legal career. My clinic work kept me very busy this last semester. However I also found time to be the Secretary of the Yale Black Law Students Association, work as a rep for a legal search engine Lexis, and continue my position as a research assistant for Deborah Archer at NYU. Heading into this spring semester knowing I am now more than halfway done with law school is almost unimaginable. I feel like it was just yesterday I was graduating from MVRHS and heading to Barnard College. I am so grateful for the support and opportunities MVYouth provided me throughout my 4 years of undergrad and beyond that have gotten me to this point. Thank you MVYouth!
Jack Holmes - Brown University
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2024! We did it! After four incredible years, we’ve finished our undergraduate education. It all went by so fast that I still struggle to reflect on it, even months afterward. During this time, I’ve been taking a break from school to pursue interests that being a full-time student had precluded. Without the time constraints of college, I’ve been able to save money and travel! Since last May, I’ve gone to Northern Europe, touring the Nordic region with friends from college, and even taken a month-long trip to Japan—something I had always wanted to do. I’ve also started playing bass in the band Dock Street, made up of me and three other guys from the island. It’s been so energizing to get back into music, as this was one of my passions that took a backseat during my time in college. I’ve always considered making music with friends to be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling pursuits, so I’m grateful to have this opportunity to play in a band again. While I’ve enjoyed my time away from school, I’ve always been thinking about the next step in my education. I love learning, and although the potential to learn is always around us, no matter the environment, I think I want to pursue my interests within the structure of graduate school. One of the most valuable things I’ve done since finishing my undergraduate degree is speak to professionals in different fields. I’m exploring different options for graduate school, and these conversations have given me valuable insight into potential career paths and academic programs. By taking this time to talk with people and do my own research, I hope to enter graduate school with a clear direction and goal in mind. In the meantime, I plan to keep playing bass and learning about the world outside the classroom.