ABOUT US
Vela means “come out and shine” in Xhosa
and “candle” in Spanish.
The VELA Scholars program provides Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS) students with learning and enrichment opportunities after regular school hours beyond what might otherwise be available to them. We work hard to increase students’ confidence, social, and emotional well-being, as well as their academic performance. By working with teachers, interns, community partners, and other students in the classroom and beyond, VELA hopes students will:
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Increase core competencies and comprehension in academic subjects
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Engage in intellectually stimulating and personally interesting projects and activities
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Prevent the loss of recently learned skills and knowledge
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Feel a greater connection to ARMS and the local community
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Have fun while learning!
A Partnership With The Collaborative for Educational Services & Amherst Regional Middle School
Intern with VELA
VELA presents students with opportunities to develop and strengthen leadership skills, to establish habits of movement and activity, to cook their own meals, or to design their dream houses (and more!), all while incorporating core academic concepts. Interns find their place in supporting these lessons by working to edit and enhance the material, acting as teacher assistants or as co-teachers, or, in some instances, actually teaching the lessons. In activity settings, interns similarly support activity leaders with their lessons and even develop their own, hour-long lessons to engage the students. By means of these various lessons, interns develop relationships with the students and become role models, friends, and educators for them. Interning with VELA also provides opportunities to wrangle with behind-the-scenes mechanics including making headway for the program as it evolves, understanding budgets and budget tools, and memorializing the program through various media.
VELA seeks out interns who will bring their individuality and creativity every day with enthusiasm and optimism. The VELA family hopes that you join us!
Meet our interns!
Name: Nathaniel Ashley
Hometown: Greeneville, TN
Major: American Studies
VELA Enrichment Taught: Photographing the Past
How did you discover VELA? I was first introduced to VELA due to my membership in a seminar for students interested in careers in education led by Robert Siudzinski. I decided to apply to VELA this year because I believed it would be a fantastic opportunity to get real, hands-on, experience in teaching.
What is your favorite VELA memory? Beyond a doubt it would have to be the students I got to meet and build relationships with. They were all so sweet and fun to be around! Over the program we would talk so much and prank each other, which I loved. Even though it was a short program, I got to see how many of them grew in little ways, which was incredible to witness. The students made my summer unforgettable!
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? I applied to VELA primarily because I wanted to get hands-on, actual teaching experience, and that is exactly what I got. I feel so much more prepared for the next steps in my career, and my amazing co-workers and fun environment were just a bonus! I would definitely recommend this internship!
Name: Amritha Anup
Hometown: Rocky Hill, CT
Major: Biochemistry and Biophysics
VELA academic class co-taught: MathArt
VELA enrichment co-taught: Food and Farming, Beat Making
VELA enrichment taught: Building Bridges
How did you discover VELA? This summer, after seeing my sister struggle with the transition to online learning, I wanted to contribute to developing an engaging environment for students to learn and grow despite the new circumstances. I was searching for a summer opportunity that would allow me to access conversations about remote education, teaching techniques, and learning by doing. When I came across the VELA opportunity, I immediately applied.
What is your favorite VELA memory? Farmer Leila’s cooking class was amazing. It was magical to see all the students walking through recipes independently, the delicious creations they made (like rainbow salads, homemade butter, and zucchini bread), and their growth, as chefs and as individuals, as the week progressed.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? If you would like to have the opportunity to support youth growth, learn about adapting the classroom to fit the needs of the students, and contribute to a collaborative, engaging, and supportive learning environment that emphasizes hands-on learning, this program is for you!
Name: Sloan Askins
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
Major: LJST and ASLC
VELA academic class co-taught: Leadership through Expression
VELA enrichment activities taught: Self Magazine
How did you discover VELA? I was introduced to VELA my freshman year of college during a conversation with Robert Sudzinski. It seemed like a great way to explore education and get involved in the Amherst community.
What is your favorite VELA memory? My favorite VELA memories are the random conversations we would have during my morning academic classes. We would often go on a tangent about anime. Even though I do not know anything about anime, it was so great to see all the students' personalities and see them connect with one another.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? Being a VELA intern is great for those interested in education or a future of working with children. Beyond building classroom skills, VELA interns will have the privilege of growing as an educator and a person. This internship is also a great opportunity to invest and engage in the greater Amherst community.
Name: Julia Gill
Hometown: North Haven, CT
Major: American Studies
VELA academic class co-taught: Multimedia Storytelling & American Monuments
VELA enrichment activities taught: Modernism and Pop Art
How did you discover VELA? I first learned about VELA through the education career advisor at Amherst College’s Loeb Center. Before VELA, I had education experience as a tour guide working at the Mead Art Museum and as an America Reads tutor at Wildwood Elementary School. As someone who believes in the power of transformative education, VELA seemed like a perfect fit for me!
What is your favorite VELA memory? My favorite memory from VELA is assisting Farmer Leila’s “Farming and Food Fun” class. Even though students were participating in the class virtually, it was so amazing to see such enthusiastic young cooks and food lovers in the kitchen. Fun fact: Farmer Leila’s awesome class taught me that you can regrow garlic, parsley, and scallions from your vegetable scraps.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern?
Name: Gyselle Hennessey
Hometown: Amherst, MA!
Major: Mathematics and Psychology
VELA academic class you co-taught: Understanding through Modeling and Data Analysis with Mr. Newman
VELA enrichment activities you taught: Understanding the Cosmos, an astronomy class dedicated to exploring the universe!
How did you discover VELA? I had vaguely heard of VELA during my own time at ARMS, so when it was advertised through the Amherst College career center as a remote internship opportunity, I was excited to learn more and delve in.
What is your favorite VELA memory? My FAVORITE memory is our first all-VELA Friday, as even through all of the mild chaos that is expected from a 30 person Google Meet, I could strongly feel the sense of family and love for the first time. The fact that this community was so strong even virtually says a lot about VELA in itself. This is a program based on love and the cooperative improvement of each others’ lives.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? Students should consider being a VELA intern because, no matter their intended career, they will learn so much. I gained so much knowledge about how to revolutionize learning and how to make it work for all students. I also learned how to be a better learner and how to be a better team-worker from the interns around me, from the teachers, the activity leaders, our director Nancita, and especially the students. Beyond the powerful lessons and skills I have learned, I have had fun and felt totally cared for in this group.
Name: Mallory Kimbriel
Hometown: Clarksville, Arkansas
Major: Neuroscience
VELA academic class co-taught: I worked with Mr. Newman to help students build models of their dream houses!
VELA enrichment activities taught: Mind Hacks
How did you discover VELA? All throughout high school, I tutored and student taught in my own school system. Later, as my freshman year of college ended, I decided to look for an internship in education because I missed working with students. I stumbled upon the Vela program, and it sounded absolutely perfect for me. Two years later, I’m still working here with the greatest students and staff anyone could ask for.
What is your favorite VELA memory? There are too many incredible memories to count, but some of the most genuine and carefree moments I can remember happened when I got to play games with the students during classtime breaks. It was an awesome way to connect with everyone, and of course I always liked winning!
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? As cheesy as it may sound, Vela has absolutely changed my life. As interns, we have the privilege of building these amazing, strong relationships with students and our fellow staff members that extend beyond the walls of a school building. In the time we all spend together, we get to teach, learn, laugh, and explore with young people who often end up teaching us more than we ever expected.
Name: Soon-Young Shimizu
Hometown: Tarrytown, NY
Major: Physics, STEM Education Interdisciplinary
VELA academic class co-taught: Math in Visual Arts
VELA enrichment activities co-taught: Art
How did you discover VELA? The program director of education professions, Robert Siudzinski, sent out an email with information about summer opportunities that were still open and can be done remotely during COVID. With an interest in education and nothing planned for the summer, I thought it would be a worthwhile engagement, so I applied!
What is your favorite VELA memory? A couple of students at the end of my Hexaflexagon lesson were excited about the hexaflexagons they made and were discussing ideas on what they could do with them (write secret messages on them, use it as a decoder?!).
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? You learn how to engage with students both in an academic and social context — learning what their needs, concerns, and interests are as students and young people. You have the opportunity to teach both for an academic class and in a class that you develop yourself.
Name: James Speranza
Hometown: Villanova, PA
Majors: Math and Music
VELA academic class co- taught: Identity through Art
VELA enrichment activities co-taught: Summer Beats, Art with Ms. Savoia
How did you discover VELA? I first heard of VELA through Mallory, a longtime intern with the program. When my college career ended and I had a whole summer’s worth of free time, I was so excited to discover that VELA offered a summer internship program through Amherst College. I immediately drafted a cover letter and sent in my application, which ended up being one of the best decisions ever.
What is your favorite VELA memory? My favorite memory from VELA is watching the students grow, both academically and socially. Especially in a virtual setting, it took some time for the students to open up to us and make their most substantial contributions, but once they did, it was so satisfying to see. One of the students in my academic class started off the program as incredibly shy, but by the last day, he was talking about our class to a meeting with over 30 students and teachers.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? If you are in college and considering a career in education, VELA will probably be an amazing fit for you. You can get meaningful experience teaching and managing students within a very short period of time, and the personal connections with both teachers and students make the experience fun and memorable.
Name: Clara Vonderheide
Hometown: New York, NY
Major: Potential Pre-Med Math Major
VELA academic class co-taught: Storytelling
VELA enrichment activities co-taught: Summer Beats, Art with Ms. Savoia, Zum-Bomba
How did you discover VELA? I was looking into Amherst College sponsored internships for the summer when VELA popped up! As someone who loves teaching and working with students, I knew this would be a great program to be a part of, so I decided to apply.
What is your favorite VELA memory? My favorite VELA memory is DJ Anghelli’s Summer Beats class. After students learned how to create their own electronic beats using AudioTool, students were tasked to find their own samples and make a song. It was so exciting to see everyone create music together, learn something completely out of everyone’s comfort zone, and be unbelievably creative during remote learning.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? You should become a VELA intern because the program does an amazing job of fostering community and encouraging interns to take initiative and have a voice in classes and decision making even from the beginning. You will learn so much from the incredible and passionate teachers, directors, and students. No matter your career path, this is a truly meaningful and fun experience where you will grow immensely.
Name: Anya Zak
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Major: Psychology and Environmental Studies
VELA Enrichment Taught: Theater
VELA academic class co-taught: English
VELA enrichment co-taught: Music
How did you discover VELA? I learned about VELA from Robert Siudzinski, the Amherst College advisor for Careers in Education Professions. I worked with him as an intern during the academic year, researching Creative Practices in Education. So doing an internship with VELA was a good way to apply what I’ve been learning in a real-world setting.
What is your favorite VELA memory? My favorite memory from the VELA program is this transition from not knowing kids at all – when they just came, and then, after a few days, getting to know all of them better, seeing their personalities, and learning about their backgrounds.
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern? Apply to VELA if you want to get an introductory experience working with middle school students from different backgrounds. This might sometimes be challenging, but it is so satisfying to see young people appreciating your work and becoming friends with you.
Name: Elise Farley
Hometown: Dorchester, MA
Major: Prospective Education Studies and Biology
VELA Enrichment Taught: Figure drawing
VELA academic class co-taught: Engineering
VELA enrichment co-taught: Basketball
How did you discover VELA?
Like many other Amherst college students, VELA was recommended to me by Robert Siudzinski, who runs a fellowship I am part of for students interested in careers in education. VELA provided everything I was looking for: a summer experience which would allow me to work directly with kids, and the chance to work with middle schoolers for the first time.
What is your favorite VELA memory?
While there are too many to choose from, the memories that will last with me the longest are from my time assisting basketball. In basketball, I would see previously reluctant kids come out of their shells, and I got to know them in a space where they felt comfortable and excited to play. My greatest accomplishment was gaining their trust enough that they started to ask me to play one on one with them!
Why should a student consider becoming a VELA intern?
Being a VELA intern has given me the confidence to know that I can pursue a career in education. From designing and teaching your own class, to communicating with colleagues about snacktime, you will experience the full range of what it takes to create a meaningful and fun learning environment. Most importantly, you and the students will form meaningful bonds, and the ones you least expect will often steal your heart.