We’re excited to welcome four new members to the PALS team: Ashley Parish, Kirsty McDonald, Joshua Stroman, and Jordan Rosalyn Henderson.
Each of these individuals are taking on new positions this year within the staff team, supported by a generous grant to further our commitment to a world of belonging.
Three Community Development Associates (based in Philadelphia, Boston, and Los Angeles) will work throughout the recruitment season developing a grassroots plan to identify and connect with potential campers, families, and volunteers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Our Family Resource Associate will work to increase access to our programs by registering PALS as an approved waiver provider with governments in all states where we run programs. In turn, this will enable families to use state awarded funds for our programs rather than paying out-of-pocket.
Let’s meet the new team members!
Hi everyone! My name is Ashley Parish, and I am joining PALS staff as a Community Development Associate in Los Angeles. I am a California native, having been born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2016 with a degree in Political Science and Public Policy. I have experience working for the federal government, serving on a policy team for a government affairs group, and in 2016 I worked on the Hillary for America presidential campaign in an outreach and recruitment capacity. Most recently, I’ve worked for an airline where I trained staff on topics such as customer service techniques, federal aviation regulations, and policies to improve the experience of travelers with disabilities. In the past I’ve volunteered with PALS at our San Francisco camp, where I served as a volunteer and ultimately a director, and I am thrilled to be working with PALS in my new role. I have a brother with Down syndrome, and love being a part of this loving and inclusive community. I can’t wait to help PALS grow in Los Angeles so we can continue to spread the PALS magic.
Hi, I'm Jordan Rosalyn! I'm the new Community Development Associate in Philadelphia. I was born and raised here, leaving only to get my bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh. I have a passion for creating access to resources for marginalized communities. I've spent the years since graduating from Pitt working and advocating around community development, education and building partnerships in low income neighborhoods. As someone who was lucky enough to have a summer camp experience through my church, I am excited to bring the programming that PALS offers to people with Down syndrome within communities of color! The friendships and memories I made those summers still bring me joy to this day.
I’m Joshua Stroman! I grew up in Columbia, SC and am bringing a decade of community engagement experience to my role as PALS Community Development Associate. Having worked and lived in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, I’m coming to PALS Programs comfortable engaging families and communities of all backgrounds. As a former high school drop out, who lost both parents by age 13, I credit my mentors and role models for helping me secure my high school credentials, which allowed me to attend and graduate from both Benedict College in Columbia, SC and Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. I’ve worked with various youth development, social justice and educational organizations and am primarily concerned with issues of belonging, leadership and culture.
Hello, my new PALS family! My name is Kirsty McDonald and I am the new Family Resource Associate here at PALS! I am so incredibly excited to be joining such a large and welcoming family. I am from Scotland originally: I grew up there and all of my family are still there, but I moved to Columbus, Ohio in 2019, after I graduated law school, to be with my wife whom I met at summer camp. And yes, I do sometimes sound like Merida from Brave! I can’t wait to get started on this amazing project. Summer camp isn’t a thing that happens in the United Kingdom, at least not nearly as much as it does here in the US, and so when I had my first summer camp experience as a horseback riding instructor back in 2015 in the USA, I fell in love with the camp bubble and vowed that from that moment on, I would use all of my skills to do whatever I could make sure that as many people as possible get to experience the magic of summer camp. I am so excited that this project will allow me to do just that!
These four added positions on PALS staff further embolden our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion as we seek to make Camp PALS a place where everyone – regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, ability status, or socioeconomic differences – belongs. We’re thrilled to welcome Ashley, Joshua, Jordan, and Kirsty to the team, and we can’t wait to see the impact of their efforts on our 2021 season and beyond.