October 2025 Recap
Meet Madeline
We are so excited to have Madeline on our team as an intern during this school year! Madeline is a first year Master of Social Work student at Pitt and received her Bachelor's degree in Global Development Studies with a minor in Urban Planning from the University of Virginia. This is not Madeline's first introduction to ARYSE - she interned at PRYSE Academy in 2019.
In this internship, Madeline is working closely with Dakota to plan and facilitate our Post-Secondary Program. She will also be conducting research to support our understanding of Pittsburgh's post-secondary landscape to better equip us with the resources and tools to support our students and families. We are so happy to have you as a member of our team, Madeline!
Program Updates
After School Club
"October is always filled with a ton of fun and energy. At After School Club, we use the month to focus on community and relationship building as we welcome students and mentors to the program. This year, students visited the new ARYSE office, talked about what "community" means in the different spaces we occupy, and got to play a life-sized board game.
Students work on homework during the first session.
As we cap off the month of community building with a fall festival hosted by Duquesne University’s Phi Eta Sigma honors society, we look forward to building upon the foundation and routine we’ve established with the students. I can’t wait for the rest of the year!"
-Mike Sirera (he/him). Program Manager
Girls Art and Maker Group
"Our first session of Girls Group for this school year was full of fall festivities at Simmons Farm. It was the first time to a pumpkin patch for most students, so we had fun exploring, petting animals and picking our favorite pumpkins. I started the day by introducing our theme this school year of "community" and what it means. Students had the chance to talk with someone new and exchange a bracelet with them.
This first session I was happy to put in action students feedback, many ask for more field trips as well as community building activities that help them get more comfortable in the space. I look forward to new opportunities to co-create this program with youth!"
-Erica Hughes (she/her), Program Manager
Youth Steering Committee
"Our group has been doing incredible work so far, and our students have shown remarkable engagement this year. On October 4th, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dakota to our meeting. She played a pivotal role in helping students explore the concept of life after high school. Her presentations were insightful and packed with valuable resources that our students found both inspiring and practical to think about their interests and pathways.
As we reflect on our goals, we remain committed to ensuring that every student under our guidance makes meaningful progress. We continue to find creative ways for students to cultivate public speaking and collaboration skills and encourage self-advocacy.
Looking ahead to our next meeting, our focus will be practicing communication skills in the context of employment. We aim to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the job market, introduce themselves professionally to new individuals, and build connections that support their future aspirations."
-Chance Eliah (he/him), Program Coordinator
Post-Secondary Support
"It’s been a great month for the Post-Secondary Support program! With 18 students newly enrolled in the program and 15 students continuing from last year, we’ve already been off to a strong start. On October 18th, we kicked off our new mentoring program, where 14 students will be able to work with volunteer mentors on exploring their post-secondary educational and professional goals, and we’ve also held events providing students with more information on the admissions and financial aid process thanks to our partners at Carnegie Mellon University and PHEAA.
I’m looking forward to more partnerships in the coming months with other program managers at ARYSE and organizations in the community that will support our students in becoming the social workers, computer scientists, educators, legal and healthcare professionals, pilots, and real estate professionals they dream of being!"
-Dakota Rottino-Garilli (she/her), Program Manager