AmeriCorps VISTA

Sofia Howson

Clinic: Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics
Position: VISTA Leader

I graduated from Wake Forest University in 2018 with a BA in Anthropology. Shortly after graduation, I joined the U.S. Peace Corps and served in Togo, West Africa as a Community Health and Malaria Prevention Volunteer. I am excited to start my new role as the VISTA Leader with the Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (IAFCC) where I hope to support the IAFCC VISTA members as well as implement a telehealth project among member clinics all with the goal of increasing access to healthcare. In my free time I enjoy tap dancing!

Hiba Pediyakkal

Clinic: Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics
Position: Opioid Resource Project VISTA

I am originally from the greater Philadelphia area and just graduated from Boston University with a B.A in Chemistry. During college, I discovered my motivation to expand health equity and reach underserved communities. I hope to dedicate my career to improving the health of communities. I will be serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the IAFCC office working on the Opioid Resource Project. I am so excited to work to expand access to care for those with substance use disorders. In my free time I enjoy podcasting, kickboxing, and finding new coffee shops in every city I visit!

Kari Allen

Clinic: Champaign County Christian Health Center
Position: Resource Development and Quality Improvement Coordinator

Lily Alvey

Clinic: DuPage Health Coalition
Position: Data Coordinator

I’m Lily, and I am the Data Coordinator VISTA for the DuPage Health Coalition. In 2018 I graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Mathematics and a minor in Statistics. After graduating, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, teaching mathematics to middle schoolers and high schoolers. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my dog.

Sam Qian

Clinic: DuPage Health Coalition
Position: Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Sam serves as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the DuPage Health Coalition (DHC). He is tasked with expanding DHC’s marketing, outreach, and fundraising activities. Sam is passionate about making healthcare and healthcare information more accessible for low-income, uninsured DuPage County residents. Sam received a Bachelor’s Degree in Cognitive Science from Case Western Reserve University. Outside of work, you can typically find him playing tennis, watching TV shows, or spending time with friends and family.

Purva Shah

Clinic: DuPage Health Coalition
Position: Data Coordinator

Steph Strek

Clinic: Norwegian American Hospital
Position: Mobile Service Volunteer Coordinator

I am from New York and studied Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. I am passionate about community health initiatives and accessible care; at Norwegian American Hospital’s Mobile Services, I will be serving as the Volunteer Coordinator, working to create/grow/sustain a volunteer program for their mobile health units. Previously, I worked as an EMT on my college campus for 4 years. Outside of my work/experiences, I love to run, read mysteries, and eat chocolate! I also have a twin brother in Chicago, too.

Erica Cowans

Clinic: Norwegian American Hospital
Position: Data, IT, and Emergency Preparedness VISTA

Charlie Revord

Clinic: Old Irving Park Community Clinic
Position: Data Management/Fund Development

Charlie joined the team at Old Irving Park Community Clinic after graduating from Saint Louis University in 2019. His role is to assist the clinic in its capacity building and outreach efforts. He enjoys running and reading in his free time.

Adelaide Del Angel

Clinic: Old Irving Park Community Clinic
Position: Data, Social Media and Fund Development VISTA

My name is Adelaide Del Angel. I am originally from Chicago and currently live in Evanston. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied molecular and cellular biology pre-med with a minor is Spanish. I will be spending the next year with Old Irving Park Community Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. My role in the clinic is data, social media, and fund development through the lens of capacity building as a VISTA.

Allie Wesel

Clinic: Will Grundy
Position: Community Outreach and Development VISTA

I graduated in May from Carthage College with a Bachelor’s of Art in Neuroscience and minors in Chemistry and Biology. In college I was a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, so serving the community that I am a member of is something I value. Access to quality healthcare and health equity were the focus of my desire to serve and my passions began to lie in the last half of my college career, and both IAFCC and Will Grundy Medical Clinic are steadfast in these. I am thrilled to serve with this organization and to help develop their coming programs. I love donuts and coffee! I also love to spend time with my dog and being active.