Meet the Members

Sarah Cao (Rise)

Sarah Cao is a rising junior Public Health major at TCNJ. This summer, she is partnering with Rise of Eastern Mercer County and serving as Assistant to Camp Director for their Academic Enrichment Program. She is looking forward to developing leadership skills and engaging with the community throughout the program, where she will be assisting in activity development and overall management of the camp. After TCNJ, Sarah hopes to pursue a Master’s in Public Health.

Erica Mends (Arm in Arm)

Erica Mends is a first-generation college student and a rising senior at The College of New Jersey studying public health. She was born and raised in Ghana and is passionate about learning and understanding what health means for people from diverse backgrounds. She is also excited to be serving with Arm-In-Arm this summer and looks forward to learning and contributing to change in and outside Trenton.

Grace “Gracie” Smithwick (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen)

Grace “Gracie” Smithwick is a recent graduate from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Spanish in May 2023. Next year she will be pursuing a Master of Biomedical Science at Rowan University’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and hopes to pursue a career in medicine. This summer she will be partnering with AmeriCorps and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen where she will intern as an Adult Education Program Assistant. Gracie hopes to create meaningful connections with the residents of Trenton and create a tangible impact in the lives of others. She will hold private tutoring sessions to help them to work towards achieving their high school equivalency diplomas. By combining a passion for medicine, dedication to learning, and commitment to community service, Gracie hopes to one day be a medical professional who addresses the many barriers that hinder the well-being of underserved communities.

Karina Chacon (HomeWorks Trenton)

Karina Chacon is a senior majoring in Elementary Education and Spanish at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). This summer, Karina is partnering with HomeWorks Trenton where she will be the operations & administrative assistant. She is grateful for the opportunity to develop administrative skills and practice her leadership abilities. She is excited to work with a group of individuals dedicated to helping young girls excel academically. On the TCNJ campus, Karina served as the president of the Spanish Club, was the Secretary of Colleges against Cancer, and Oral Proficiency Leader with the World Languages and Culture department. After graduation, Karina looks forward to working as a teacher and continuing to positively impact students.  

Frank Davis (WorkWell)

Frank Davis is a rising Senior with a major in Political Science. He will be serving at WorkWell as a program support assistant who is responsible for helping participants with computer job search tools, housing search, and aligning the employment opportunities with their career interests. Frank is interested in learning about the negative effects of institutions and developing ways to address the impact the carel state has on returning citizens via government action. Frank has been involved in the Musical Theatre program on campus in the productions of Little Women, Adams Family, and Legally Blonde. He has been committed to TCNJ’s new Public Policy Graduate Program and is excited to learn about the opportunities he will discover in this Master’s program. 

Lauren Ettenger (Mercer Street Friends)

Emely Lopez (HomeFront)

Santiago Salinas (Millhill Child and Family Development)

Nour Elhady (Millhill Child and Family Development)

Nour Elhady is a rising junior majoring in Kinesiology looking to move on to physical therapy school after graduating TCNJ. This summer Nour is partnering with Millhill Child & Family Development, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families in Greater Trenton. Nour will Intern at Millhills Camp RISE to provide academic enrichment, recreational and mentoring activities for children between ages 5-11 years old to counter summer learning loss.

 Erin Stout (Meals on Wheels)

Erin is a rising junior studying sociology with a specialization in community and nonprofit development and a minor in Spanish. This summer she will be interning at Meals on Wheels of Mercer County as a program assistant where she will assist with outreach and communication efforts. She looks forward to interacting with MOW participants and learning more about the role nonprofit organizations play in the community. She is also excited to expand upon her leadership skills and apply the community engagement experience she will gain this summer to her goal of becoming a social worker.

Carol Pina (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen)

Carol Pina is a rising senior Public Health major with a minor in Information Systems and Technology at The College of New Jersey. This summer, she will be serving with Trenton Area Soup Kitchen where she will intern as a Case Management Assistant. She is excited to learn about making a change in the Trenton community and providing them with the resources they need. She is also looking forward to developing leadership skills that will help her in her future career. After completing her undergrad, Carol will be pursuing her master’s degree in Public Health at TCNJ.

Julia Yoon (Rise)

Julia Yoon is a Senior Public Health major with a minor in Health and Wellness at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). This summer, she will be serving with NJ RISE as their Families Understanding Nutrition (FUN) Intern. Alongside RISE case workers and managers, she will assist local neighborhoods in the Eastern Mercer County area to promote healthy eating and nutrition for families and children while providing resources to address food security. She looks forward to expanding her leadership skills and hopes to spread positive impacts throughout the community that she serves.