Thank You, Shyamla Menon, for Volunteering at A Better Chance

Thank you, Shyamla Menon for helping students in A Better Chance in Darien apply to colleges. Your work is appreciated. We hope others join you.

About This Series

• This is the first article in a series of daily profiles of volunteers recognized at the Darien annual volunteer recognition luncheon back in May. The event was organized by the Community Fund of Darien, held at the Darien Community Association and recorded (in this video) by Darien TV79.
• Darien runs on volunteers — from our churches to our town government, schools, political parties, sports teams, three fire departments and our local nonprofits. They’re the largest part of what makes this town a community. We should all encourage them and thank them.
• Darienite.com is running this series now, while more people are thinking about whether they want to volunteer in the upcoming year. We may run it sooner after the next event, in 2020.
• Each article presents the description provided about that volunteer (or sometimes more than one) as provided by an organization that benefited from that person’s efforts.

About Shyamla Menon’s Efforts

Shyamla Menon has served as college advisor for our ABC Students. She has worked diligently with our 2018 and 2019 graduates to help them prepare for and write powerful college applications, select appropriate colleges and gently but firmly hold their hands as they go on as first generation college students.

With her guidance, our students have been accepted to great universities such as Franklin and Marshall, Boston College, Trinity College, Holy Cross and Skidmore.

Thank you Shyamla for all you have done to make a huge difference in our scholars’ futures.

— by Pat Cage of A Better Chance in Darien

Here’s the Full List of Volunteers

Each of these volunteers was recognized at the last Volunteer Recognition Luncheon and will be profiled in this series:

Shyamla Menon (A Better Chance);—Nina Miller (At Home in Darien);—Rochelle Charnin (Building One Community);—Frank Huck (Darien Arts Center);—Vic Pensiero, Shaun Volin & John Hessmer (Darien Board of Selectman);—Pam Miller (Darien Book Aide Plan);—Cheryl Williams (Darien Chamber of Commerce);—Pat Parlette (Darien Community Association);—Tiffany O’Connor (Darien High School);—Anne Lise Brown (Darien High School Parents’ Association);—Carolyn McGrath (Darien Historical Society);—Janet Cling (Darien Land Trust);—Kathy Larkins (Darien Human Services);—Peter Eder (Darien Library);—Mike Wheeler (Darien TV79);—Scott Overbeck (Darien YMCA);—Jennifer Geddes (Domestic Violence Crisis Center);—David Ball (Family Centers);—Shelly Skoglund (League of Women Voters);—Andrea Huntington (Mather Homestead Foundation);—Katie and Emily Wiley (Norwalk Grassroots Tennis);—Hayley Ackers (Person-to-Person);—Margaret “Annie” Slaughter (Silver Hill Hospital of New Canaan);—Reeve Boeckmann & Elizabeth Hall (The Carver Foundation of Norwalk);—Jill McCammon (The Community Fund of Darien);—Bryne Pozzi (The Darien Foundation);—Donna Collins (The Darien Nature Center);—Kathy Arrix (The Depot, Darien Youth Center);—Annie Arrix & Lily Kosnik (Thriving Youth);—Stephanie O’Malley (Tokeneke PTO);—Katie Murphy (Darien Youth Commission).

Sponsors of the 2019 Recognition Luncheon were the Darien Community Association, Brown Thayer Shed and Halstead Real Estate.