Name: Loreal Bell (she/her)

Where is home to you? Chicago, Illinois 

Placement Site: Generation Citizen

Education: B.A. in English (Concentration in Writing) & B.A. in Communication, Berea College

Biography: Lo joins Generation Citizen Rhode Island by way of her hometown, Chicago Illinois, where she spent three years teaching at a private academy and preschool working with 2-5-year-old future leaders of America. Prior to that, her initial introduction with working in a school atmosphere was through a work-study program at a historically black boarding high school she attended called The Piney Woods School. Her positions were the assistant and receptionist to the Vice President and Provost as well as preschool caregiver. This led to what would be 10+ years working with students from cradle to career.

During her undergraduate career, she worked at the Center for Transformative Learning as Senior Office Staff focusing on coordinating events, leading workshops, presentations, and overall student support. Outside of that, she was a creative writing TA with the English Department. As Event Coordinator, she realized students and community members had a strong desire to learn more about how to publish or work in the publishing industry on an independent level which lead to creating the first independent publishing conference at her college, and, later co-founding Bobtown Arts, a non-profit artist residency.

Lo attended Berea College where she double majored in English with a concentration in Writing and Communications with an emphasis in Documentary Film. During this period in her life she was introduced to civics engagement, social entrepreneurship, and activism through a fellowship program EPG (Entrepreneurship for the Public Good) and organizations like the BSU (Black Student Union), PULSE (Pride, Unity, Love, & Social Equality) and The Harvey Milk Society. She will be serving as a Brown VISTA Fellow with the Providence RI team and looks forward to being an asset as well as learning how to better support Democracy Coaches as they delve into action civics engagement with our partnered schools.

Why I Serve: I’ve served three times over the past 12 years in different states and times of my life and I enjoy supporting organizations in communities that mirror my own experience and being 

Why Brown University AmeriCorps VISTA Fellowship? I decided to be a Brown University AmeriCorps VISTA fellow because I heard positive things about Brown University and wanted to be connected to a college environment.