The Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA program is supported by a team of dedicated staff and VISTA Leaders. They support AmeriCorps grantees with their VISTA projects, while also supporting AmeriCorps members through training, community, and support. Meet our VISTA Team!
Matt is honored to serve as the Director of AmeriCorps Programs for Campus Compact. In this capacity, Matt provides direct oversight and management of Campus Compact’s multiple AmeriCorps programs in order to ensure high levels of engagement from and impact on higher education member campuses and community partners, provide meaningful public service leadership experiences for AmeriCorps members, and deepen Campus Compact’s partnership with AmeriCorps. Prior to working with Campus Compact, Matt served in multiple roles in higher education with academic affairs, student affairs, and campus ministry focused on civic learning and community engagement. He has served as the Director of the Office of Community Outreach at the University of Connecticut, Associate Director for GEAR-UP at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and Assistant Director of the Center for Social Concern at Stonehill College. Matt has a BS in Business Administration (Finance) from Stonehill College and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut. Matt currently serves as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Commission on Community Service and a member of the Connecticut Civic Health Advisory Committee organized by the Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut and Everyday Democracy.
Matt can be reached at: mfarley@compact.org
Lindsey Ravizza (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager for the Campus Compact VISTA program. Originally from Connecticut, she spent a decade in the Midwest before landing in Rhode Island, where she lives in Providence with her partner, young daughter, and senior cat. Lindsey is a two-time AmeriCorps alum, serving first with AmeriCorps Project YES! in Chicago and later as a Rhode Island Campus Compact VISTA (2014-15), where she designed a high school college access curriculum. Her work has focused on service, community engagement, and educational access, and she has led AmeriCorps projects for Serve Rhode Island and the Providence Children’s Museum. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Beloit College and a M.Ed. in Counseling with a focus on college student development from DePaul University.
Lindsey can be reached at: lravizza@compact.org
Stephanie is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. She attended Creighton University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Stephanie attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) for a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Administration. She served at the Service Learning Academy as a Campus Compact VISTA (2019-2020), creating content on the intersection of education, poverty and service learning. Stephanie created multiple opportunities for K-12 teachers, UNO professors and community partners to come together and discuss how to create intentional service learning projects. She moved into her new role as a VISTA leader, working with data and evaluation and supporting her Midwest VISTAs. Stephanie is currently the program coordinator supporting host sites and members in the Midwest region.
Stephanie can be reached at: sdiaz@compact.org
Ariel ‘Ari’ Samayoa is a seasoned AmeriCorps member with two terms as a VISTA member serving in Austin, Texas, and a term as VISTA Leader in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and has past experience working in mental health, and special education. When he is not working, he enjoys photography, hiking, weightlifting, movies, and travel.
Ari can be reached at asamayoa@compact.org.
Breanna is originally from Michigan and attended Rochester University (not to be confused with the University of Rochester in New York) where she studied Nonprofit Management and Social Work. After graduation, she joined the Peace Corps as an English Educator volunteer in Ethiopia. During her time in Ethiopia, Breanna conducted research to identify strengths and weaknesses in the community, taught communicative English to grade 11 students, and provided teacher training on best classroom practices. After her time in Ethiopia, Breanna returned to the U.S. and began a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA where she helped develop an English Language Arts Curriculum, improved the organization’s curriculum development processes, and worked to improve access to fresh produce for low-income families.
Currently, Breanna is pursuing her Master’s of Public Policy with a concentration in Human Rights Advocacy at Adler University and plans to graduate in the Summer of 2022. She is excited to join the Campus Compact VISTA team and looks forward to what her VISTA Leader year will bring.
Breanna can be reached at: bmihalovich@compact.org
Before becoming a VISTA Leader, Christina served as a Financial Wellness VISTA at Orange County United Way. She assisted in the launch of a financial wellness program in South Orange County, revitalized existing financial security programs, and was part of the emergency plan aimed at addressing financial challenges caused by the pandemic. She graduated in May of 2020 from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Statistics and a B.A. in Political Science. As an undergraduate, Christina worked alongside community and student organizations to support first-generation students and increase higher education awareness in low-income communities. When not working, Christina enjoys traveling, reading, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.
Christina can be reached at: cgaspar@compact.org
Dylan Juza has been the Training and Member Development VISTA Leader at Campus Compact Chicago since September 2021. She most recently served as the VISTA Leader at Housing Action Illinois in the 2020-2021 service year where she increased college outreach and engagement through a Renter’s Rights Workshop and coordinating a National Service Social Justice Panel Seminar. She also served with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition in Austin, Texas, where she built capacity to implement an Employment Navigation Program that supports displaced job seekers experiencing homelessness. Dylan is passionate about economic social justice and empowering local communities through evidence-based practices. As a VISTA Leader, Dylan aims to support the success of VISTA projects across the Campus Compact network and to bring the voice of national service and civic engagement to college campuses.
Dylan can be reached at djuza@compact.org.
