AmeriCorps Public Ally Spotlight: Kyle Walker
Meet Kyle Walker. Kyle has joined the Exodus team as an AmeriCorps Public Ally member. She will be serving at Exodus for 10 months in the youth program.
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a born-and-raised Hoosier who lived in Massachusetts while I attended Williams College and moved back to Indianapolis after I graduated in 2019. I studied economics, and my passion is the way it can (and should) intersect with social justice. In my first term of service with Public Allies, I was placed in the Office of Community Engagement at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and I am excited to be at Exodus for my second year.
2. What does your role at Exodus entail?
I am learning the ropes right now of the Youth Mentor Program (with the support of my awesome supervisor Becca Grimes) as we wrap it up for the year. We are looking to next year already and through the winter, and I will then coordinate the program in the spring.
3. Why did you want to get involved with serving at Exodus?
I heard of Exodus when I was in high school and thought it would be amazing to work in refugee resettlement, so it is a dream come true to be here. A few of my favorite ways to work are across cultures, in social services, and with kids, and I get to do all of these at Exodus.
4. How can the Indianapolis community be more inclusive and welcoming to refugees?
After being on the east coast for a few years, I will never again take for granted just how nice everybody is in Indiana, but we need to acknowledge that the extension of Hoosier hospitality can be conditional on people’s identities. I would like to see Hoosiers treated with kindness regardless of race, ethnicity, and immigration status. The Indianapolis community can celebrate the diversity in our city thanks to refugees while recognizing that as human beings, so many of our needs and wants are the same: safety and stability, health and happiness for ourselves and our loved ones.
5. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am the oldest of five in my family and love to spend time with my siblings, my parents, and our two cats. Otherwise I enjoy spending time outside (biking, hiking, etc), singing in my church choir, and reading.
