Apr
30
Volunteer Spotlights!
Filed Under Lab Stories
This week we are highlighting a few of our superstar volunteers, Shay Glorius Martin (a.k.a. Glo Pesci), Kitty Kilmer, Trisha Collopy, and Robyn Lingen!
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Shay Glorius Martin (a.k.a. Glo Pesci)
has been nothing short of glorius this year at The Lab. Martin, also known as, “Glo” came to The Lab in October of 2008 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of Lab services ever since. He has put in well over 100 hours of mentorship at The Lab this year. From Enrichments at HPJ, HPS and Murray, to individual mentorships with students from W. 7th, Central, River East, Highland Sr. High, Murray, you name it, Glo has done it all, and made a significant difference in the lives of our students.
Glo comes to The Lab with a background in entertainment. A long-time member of the hip-hop group, The Abstract Pack, Glo recently left his life and his career in California to move back to Minnesota to make a difference and positively impact his local community. “I want to see children change, pursue dreams and give them the confidence that the sky is the limit,”to help them to find a better way. “He has an ease and ability to connect with youth in such an effective and wise manner,” said Program Coordinator of The Lab, Mary Tinucci. “He has become a critical member of The Lab team, and we are grateful.” Glo operates under the personal motto that, “everyday that you are blessed enough to wake up, is a day you can be better than you were yesterday. Be Better!” And he leads by this example. It is evident in the work that he does with students at The Lab, that Glo is passionate about empowering youth. “There is nothing better than seeing a kid make different decisions that he/she wouldn’t have made just a couple months prior,” said Glo. When working with students, Glo uses his own, real life experiences and talents to inspire, motivate and positively impact students and said Glo.
“The thing about righteousness is that you almost never get to see the fruit of your actions right away… you see it over time,” said Glo.
“Matter of fact, it kind of hurts and is painful most of the time trying to do something right on somebody else’s behalf, but if we can change even one of these children’s lives, we all have to ask ourselves, is it worth it? I said yes, and have seen more than one child change, make better decisions, handle themselves maturely, be respectful, helpful, become mentors themselves, etc…”
Kitty Kilmer
has been a consistent force at The Lab, supporting so many aspects of The Lab’s development this year. She has been instrumental in supporting students in the Enrichment programs for Highland Sr. High, and fostering one to one mentorships for Highland jr. high and Highland sr. High. Her caring energy is such a gift to The Lab and our students. Kitty has put in well over 50 hours of volunteerism at The Lab in the last six months.
During this time, she has supported students and Lab staff in Enrichments, worked one-on-one with students on different arts, crafts and photography projects and has mentored students in small group activities. We especially appreciate Kitty’s proactive nature and ease in which she connects with students. She so sincerely wants to get to know our students and to find ways to help them shine in their talents. Kitty is a self-proclaimed, “jack of few trades, master of none”, but her talent in connecting with students of all ages would prove otherwise. When asked what she would do if she had $1 million dollars to spend at The Lab, Kilmer said that she would like to invest it in a summer day camp, complete with field trips that would, “provide students with new and valuable experiences not possible in the short sessions they/we are confined to during the school year.”
Kitty is always generating new and effective program and service ideas at The Lab. She has a huge heart for the work that she does, the students that she works with and the many lives that she has impacted. On any given day it is not rare to see Kilmer going above and beyond the call of duty by shopping on her own time and her own dime for new and cool art supplies. She is selfless in her dedication to The Lab and has spent countless hours building, bonding and establishing relationships with students.
“I get a big kick out of seeing the unique way in which each of them [the students] tackles projects,” said Kilmer. “I just really enjoy and respect them.”
During her time at The Lab, Kilmer has spearheaded projects centered around, photography, jewelry design, shoe design, cooking and the list continues. “I was stunned to see how eagerly the students got into the shoe painting project,” said Kilmer. “They really expressed ownership of their creations: personalizing their designs, wanting to take their shoe home before it was time and some asking to decorate a pair that they could actually wear.” Kitty’s genuine spirit, positive energy and enthusiasm for working with youth is what makes her such an amazing volunteer, mentor and leader.
Trisha Collopy
is our longest-serving volunteer at The Lab, volunteering with us for two consecutive school years! Collopy works as a Copy Editor at the Pioneer Press, has been writing poetry since she was in high school. She spends most of her time at The Lab working as a 1×1 writing mentor, Enrichment supporter, poetry lab group facilitator, and new to The Lab this Spring, a gardening group facilitator. She has connected with students from Highland Jr. High, Highland Sr. High, and River East, logging approximately 38 hours of volunteerism at The Lab this year.
When asked to share what she has enjoyed most at The Lab, she responded, “I love writing poetry with students. Every week is a new blank page and a surprise. They [students] surprise me and I surprise myself.” In working with both junior and senior high school students, Collopy has been inspired to try new things and think outside of the box, “I secretly want to get up on the mic and beatbox,” said Collopy when asked to comment about something that she has learned about herself while working at The Lab.
In the work that Collopy has done with The Lab thus far, she thinks it is important to continue finding a way to make resources, such as Enrichments and arts activities, available to as many kids as possible. Collopy’s talents passions as a writer and a poet shine through in her work with students at The Lab. Her presence and positive energy are reflective of her clear intentions to inspire our students. Trisha has been an integral part of The Lab team and is very much appreciated for her passion for youth, truth and empowerment.
Robyn Lingen
has stepped in such a powerful manner this year, as a Wellness mentor, teaching the martial art of Shaolin Kenpo to young women from Central High School and Hazel Park Middle School. Robyn has been practicing the art of Shaolin Kenpo since 2002 and holds the rank of second degree, black belt. She is among the first of three women in Minnesota to earn her black belt and is the first woman to teach Shaolin Kenpo in Minnesota.
Robyn teaches traditional Shaolin Kenpo, and The Shaolin Way, for self-defense, fitness, stress release and anger management. “There are two sides to Shaolin Kenpo,” said Lingen. “One side develops the mind body connection, improves self-esteem, develops a greater ability to focus, improves all physiological systems in the body, builds a greater sense of self-respect and teaches honorable ways of dealing with conflict. And the other side teaches a most powerful form of self-defense.”
Students at the Lab who have the opportunity to work with Robyn find success through this Wellness activity in ways that don’t always come easy in school. “What is so beautiful about the movement arts, is that the smallest changes are readily noticeable, and so I see changes and growth and blooming that others may not,” said Lingen. Robyn helps individuals use Shaolin Kenpo to alter the internal outcomes associated with trauma and violence and is on a mission to bring the art of Shaolin Kenpo to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to try it. “Students at The Lab face life situations in which the strength, confidence and power that comes from studying a martial art is beneficial,” said Lingen. Robyn is a master at helping students make the link, and build the bridge between their learning through Shaolin Kenpo into their every day lives. She has a compassion and understanding of our students and their unique needs.
“Students at The Lab face life situations in which the strength, confidence and power that comes from studying a martial art is beneficial,”
When Lingen isn’t busy working as a Karate Instructor, a Design Consultant or volunteering at The Lab, she enjoys spending her time reading, writing, taking pictures, creating art and learning how to play the Native American flute. Robyn has put in approximately 32 hours of volunteerism at The Lab.
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