Service Year Alliance announced today the recipients of the 2025 Service Year Alums Awards. The 11 honorees served at least one term in a national service program, including AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, and displayed exceptional post-service achievement and community impact.
WASHINGTON, DC (June 12, 2025) - Service Year Alliance, a national nonprofit organization working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans, announced today the recipients of the 2025 Service Year Alums Awards. This annual recognition honors alums of service year programs, including AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and YouthBuild, for their achievements during their service year and beyond.
This year’s awards theme - A year of service. A lifetime of impact. - highlights the many ways alums embrace their service year experience to develop new skills, build connections, and pursue new career or post-service volunteer pathways.
“Service years are a platform for lifelong personal growth and professional success,” said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “Each awardee exemplifies the many ways a year - or more - of service can provide a launch pad to a new profession, academic interest, or long-term volunteer role. Their commitment to strengthening communities and addressing our nation’s toughest challenges make them powerful role models for all Americans.”
More than 1.5 million Americans have served through AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. They leave their service as more engaged citizens who are more likely to vote, get involved in their community, and feel confident about working with their peers to solve challenges. For many, the experience is transformational and strengthens their connection to their fellow citizens and nation.
The 2025 Service Year Alums Awards Honorees
This year’s 11 honorees include 10 AmeriCorps Alums and 1 Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. They hail from 10 states, and represent a collective 20 years of impact through national service programs.
Lilit A. (JusticeCorps) - As an AmeriCorps member with JusticeCorps, Lilit helped self-represented litigants at a court-based self-help center in her home state. Working alongside licensed attorneys, Lilit assisted neighbors from low socioeconomic communities - including domestic violence survivors, the elderly, and tenants facing uninhabitable living conditions - navigate complex legal barriers and processes. Today, as a law student, Lilit draws upon her service year in the classroom and as a volunteer at a local legal aid clinic.
Logan Beyer (Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley.) - Multiple service years with Habitat for Humanity expanded Logan Beyer’s understanding of the determinants of health, especially the environmental factors that can impact a young child’s mental, physical, and socio-emotional well being. It’s a focus she continues to explore today as a student at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Today, Logan serves as the Executive Chair of Advocacy for the AAP Section on Pediatric Trainees, and is an active volunteer on campus and in the community.
Jordan Bohlen (Salt Lake County Community Resources & Development Division) - Jordan Bohlen’s service year with the International Rescue Committee in Salt Lake City focused on helping newly arrived refugees and other vulnerable populations find safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Today, Jordan works for UServeUtah, the state service commission, where she helps nonprofits across the state implement impactful service year programs. Jordan also remains an active volunteer with organizations supporting refugees and immigrants find employment and tell their story.
Myles Cramer (College Mentors for Kids) - Myles Cramer served with College Mentors for Kids as a Data & Evaluation VISTA, where he applied his background in mathematics to help colleagues track their impact in the classroom. Myles served two additional service terms through Conservation Legacy, including as an Acoustic Assistant, where he helped preserve the natural soundscape of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Through his varied service year experiences, Myles gained skills and insights that support him today in start-up environments at the intersection of technology and governance, and experience that he applies as a mentor to individuals facing career transitions.
Brendan Csaposs (Jumpstart, Teach for America, City Year) - Brendan Csaposs is a three-time AmeriCorps Alum and lifelong educator. Service years with Jumpstart, Teach for America, and City Year solidified Brendan’s desire to help students and teachers succeed, a mission he continues today as a global education consultant, and active Rotary Club volunteer, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Brendan’s commitment to his students is rooted in a belief that everyone can achieve their goals.
Don Holly (Peace Corps) - As a fifth generation farmer, Don Holly left his rural hometown to help communities in Jamaica adopt modern and sustainable agricultural practices. In addition to the perspective and expertise Don brought to communities he served, his Peace Corps experience also provided him a greater understanding of community engagement and economic development. He employs these skills today as an analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he brings a service-centered approach to public engagement.
Doria Josma (Public Allies, Reading Partners) - Doria Josma is a two-time AmeriCorps Alum. Through Public Allies New York, Doria helped young adults succeed in the classroom and connected them to pre-professional and post-secondary opportunities. An additional service year as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Reading Partners further developed her understanding of organizational development - expertise she applies today as both a fundraising specialist for a local nonprofit and as the founder of her own social impact consultancy in New York City.
Cady Molloy (FoodCorps) - As a FoodCorps Service Member with Wellness in Schools, Cady Molloy applied her dual passions for food and education to serve students in New York City Public Schools. During her service year, Cady helped introduce more fresh and nutrition-rich ingredients to school-provided meals, and connected students to the kitchen through cafeteria taste tests and classroom activities. Cady continues her service today as Executive Chef for a school district in Colorado. In recognition of her efforts, the district recently received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award from the US Drug Administration.
Zachary Schreckenberger (National Health Corps) - Zachary Schreckenberger provided free comprehensive vision care for children living in the South Side of Chicago during his service year with the National Health Corps. Following his service year, Zachary was accepted as a student at the University of Toledo College of Medicine. While a student, Zachary served on the board of a student-run health clinic, provided peer support as a tutor, and volunteered with the American Medical Association. Zachary graduated from medical school in spring 2025 and returned to Chicago to begin his residency in pediatric care.
Keith Smith (Operation: Veteran Connect) - Keith Smith is an AmeriCorps Alum and veteran of the United States Navy. More than 50 years after his service in Vietnam, Keith found a new sense of purpose by supporting his fellow veterans. Through Operation: Veteran Connect, Keith helped veterans access their government-provided benefits and community resources, access transportation to job interviews, and furnish their living spaces at a transitional housing facility. He continues to serve his Florida community as a volunteer, including helping with disaster relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.
Christian Soto (City of Billings - Division of Community Development, Social Capital Inc., City of Buffalo - Citizen Services Division) - Christian Soto is a three-time AmeriCorps Alum. Through service years in Montana, Massachusetts, and New York, Christian developed an interest in public health and policy. As an Excelsior Fellow with the New York State Department of Health Division’s Legal Affairs, Christian brings a unique perspective to his work, including an understanding of the varied and complex issues affecting local community members. He also serves as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and is an active member of the American Public Health Association and the Albany County Medical Reserves Unit.
For more information about the 2025 Service Year Alums Awards and this year’s honorees, contact Nick Zevely, Communications Director, Service Year Alliance: [email protected].
About Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. We envision a future in which national service is an integral part of growing up in America, with one million young people serving their communities each year. To make this vision a reality, we partner with states, agencies, and local organizations to expand the number of service year opportunities through new models and funding sources. To enhance the corps member and alumni experience, we develop partnerships to build and scale key national service innovations to demonstrate how service transforms lives. At the core of our work is a commitment to raising up the voices and experiences of young people, corps members, and alumni. Learn more at serviceyearalliance.org.
