The Green Team is a paid job program for Yonkers high school students, providing hands-on experience in community improvement projects. Participants take on real work—building gardens, restoring trails, and enhancing public spaces—while developing valuable job skills, teamwork, and leadership experience.
With guidance from experienced team members, Green Team participants learn by doing, gaining practical skills that prepare them for future opportunities. Whether it's a first job or a step toward a career, Green Team members earn while they learn and make a lasting impact in their communities.
Angela Foucher — Youth Crew Leader
Angela’s journey with Groundwork began when she joined the Green Team in high school. During her time, she experienced the personal growth, friendships, and sense of purpose that came from conservation work. Those experiences inspired her to return as a Youth Crew Leader, driven by a desire to provide the same encouragement and opportunities she once received. She believes in Groundwork’s ability to transform lives by fostering leadership, responsibility, environmental stewardship, and confidence, giving her the chance to invest in the future of both young people and the communities they serve. In her free time, Angela enjoys camping with friends and family, usually at a waterfront, painting, and attending local music events.
Alexander Hall — Youth Crew Leader
Alexander is an incoming freshman at the University of Buffalo majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is a recent graduate of Lincoln High School, and during his time he competed in WESEF (Westchester Engineering and Sciences Fair), placing 4th in the Environmental Science category. Alex is a past member of the Green Team and has taken the step to become a Youth Crew Leader this summer. Since Green Team was his first job, he has gained much of his experience, public speaking skills, and environmental knowledge from the program. He hopes to pass this knowledge to the next generation of Green Teamers and give them the same great experience he has had over the years. In his free time, you can find Alex going to the gym, hanging out with friends, or working on his car.
Lily Zufall — Youth Crew Leader
Lily is a rising junior at Northwestern University majoring in environmental science and journalism. Outside of classes, she trains for and competes in triathlons, writes for an environmental magazine, and tries not to freeze during Chicago winters. This is her first year at Groundwork Hudson Valley, but she has worked with other environmental groups in the past; doing monitoring and research with the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, and running environmental education programs through the City Parks Foundation. Lily likes to spend time outside, read, and cook. She hopes to get the Green Team excited about nature and conservation and looks forward to watching their progress this summer!
Louis Albanese — Youth Crew Leader
Louis is a recent Bennington College graduate with a degree in Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies. With a passion for environmentalism and a background in advocacy, Louis has worked on a variety of environmental projects both inside and outside of the Hudson Valley community, typically with a focus on our social and economic relationship with the environment. He has prior experience working for Riverkeeper in 2024, where he led a research project on the impact of sodium contamination from road salt on drinking water. At Groundwork, Louis hopes to build on his experiences and engage with his local community as a mentor, community educator, and as a change-maker, both in leaving a positive tangible impact on local environments for the better, and in giving the youth of Yonkers the confidence to become leaders, environmental stewards and advocates themselves. Outside of work experience, Louis is passionate about hiking, climbing, and music.
Shennaiya Rose — Green Team Leader
Shennaiya is a third year Green Teamer and will be attending SUNY Oswego this Fall. She will be studying to become an electrical engineer. Some of her favorite activities include reading, watching shows, playing videogames and basketball. Since being on the Green Team she has learned so much and enjoyed many experiences. This year she hopes to have another eventful summer with the Green Team.
Keyla Hernandez — Green Team Leader
Keyla is a rising senior at Saunders High School and this is her second year as a Green Team member. Her favorite subjects in school are English, History, and Science. She is in the Robotics Club, Youth to Youth Club and Crochet Club. In her free time she likes to hang out with friends, go to the city, go shopping, and she likes to play badminton and volleyball. Keyla joined the Green Team because she loves to help and give back to the community, and she loves to see how her hard work directly changes her environment. As a Green Team Leader she hopes to lead, provide her knowledge and inspire her members throughout the summer while creating great memories.
David Benitez — Green Team Leader
David is an incoming senior at Saunders High School majoring in Fashion Design. This is his second year as a Green Team member, and he currently serves as the president of the Crochet Club. His favorite subjects are Art and Fashion. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, exploring new places, playing with his cats, up-cycling and sewing clothes, and spending time in the city. David joined the Green Team after learning about the impact of textile waste and wanting to help the environment. As a Green Team leader, he hopes to bond with his team and set a positive example through strong leadership, communication, and support.
Santyanna Cole
Santyanna is a recent graduate of Roosevelt High School. This is her first year on the Green Team. She is passionate about this job because she sees it as an opportunity to become more active, work on her physical and social skills, and learn more about nature. Her hobbies include taking walks, playing volleyball, going to the park, reading, and baking. She is interested in music, animals, flowers, and poems. She is looking forward to learning how to plant this summer, bonding with her teammates, and going on the camping trip!
Aviona Lyons
Aviona is a rising junior at Riverside High School. Her hobbies include sketching and taking long walks down by the water. This is her first year on the Green Team. This summer she is excited to learn about ways to remove invasive species to protect native plants. She is looking forward to upcoming trips and hands-on experience in nature. She loves music and old Batman cartoons. Some of her favorite things are low-budget shows, sketching, and spending time with family.
Evangeline Espinal
Evangeline is a rising junior at the Barack Obama School for Social Justice. She enjoys writing, reading, and learning new things. She likes to challenge herself, meet new people, and explore opportunities that help her grow and prepare for her future. This is her first year on the Green Team, and she is excited to gain hands-on work experience while helping her community. She is always down to try something new. She is looking forward to making great memories, learning more about the environment, and having a great summer with the team.
Keila Pivalo
Keila completed her senior year at Roosevelt Early College High School. Her hobbies include photography, reading, and gaming. This is her second year on the Green Team. She joined to gain more experience in the environmental field. She hopes to strengthen her teamwork skills, and strengthen her knowledge about the environment. She is excited to learn more about nature and find new trees that she has never seen before. Her favorite trees are magnolia trees because of their huge flowers.
Lexie Santana
Lexie is a rising junior at Roosevelt Early College High School. She likes to play the guitar, do photography, draw, play video games, and play every sport. This is her first year on the Green Team. She is so excited to gain new environmental experiences, along with building her friendships with her peers. She is an outgoing person that is excited to develop her leadership skills, determination, and work ethic. She hopes to gain more awareness about environmental issues and learn more about various solutions. She is happy to be part of the team!
Liam Damon
Liam Damon is a recent graduate of Yonkers Montessori Academy and is a second year Green Teamer. In his free time, Liam is finding new music to listen to, spending time outside with friends, and writing symbolic poems. He has had an interest in writing these poems for nearly three years and he has been using them to write about connections between humanity and nature that are talked about less. Along with Liam’s long interest in nature itself was a big reason why he wanted to join the Green Team. He hopes to share his ideas with others and new teachings through nature.
Maya Guaitarilla
Maya is a rising junior at Riverside High School. She plays sports and likes to read, draw, and listen to music. This is her first year joining the Green Team, and she is excited to see how this experience impacts her both physically and mentally. She joined the Green Team to learn more about and be around nature. When she found out about this program through a presentation at her school, she thought it would be the perfect opportunity to serve her community. She is really looking forward to working with the Green Team and hopes to get as much out of this summer as she can.
Lisangelo Rodrigues
Lisangelo is a rising senior at Gorton High School. His hobbies include biking, skating, playing video games, learning about new animals, spending time with his dog, listening to music, and occasionally going for a jog. This is his first year on the Green Team. He feel passionate about his work on the team because of the opportunities it has provided him with. He is looking forward to making new friends and improving his environment in Yonkers. A job like this keeps him going every morning because he knows the work he is doing will lead to a positive outcome for other kids, community members, and future generations to come. This summer he hopes to making long-term friendships, go on camping trips, and work in other states to see their beauty.
Cindy Bello
Cindy is a rising senior at Saunders High School. She enjoys cooking, crocheting, spending time with friends and family, and learning new skills. This is Cindy’s first year on the Green Team. She joined the program to gain hands-on experience, give back to her community, and learn more about protecting the environment. She plans to pursue a career in neonatal nursing and enjoys opportunities that allow her to help people and make a positive impact. Cindy is excited to learn, meet new people, and contribute to meaningful projects throughout the summer.
Jean Silaire
Jean is a rising senior at Roosevelt Early College School. His hobbies include gaming, listening to music, and playing sports. This is his first year on the Green Team. He is looking forward to being able to help the environment is because he cares about creating a cleaner future for his community. He is excited to learn communication and leadership skills from his peers. He is ready to get involved in projects and to make a positive difference around his community this summer.
Scarlett Luna
Scarlett is a rising junior at Saunders High School. Scarlett’s hobbies include taking photos, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and exploring new places. This is her first year on the Green Team. She joined to gain better experience working with those around her as well as being able to learn how to make the environment a better place. She is excited to have a positive impact on the environment and have fun while being able to help everyone around her.
Leslie Yance
Leslie is a rising junior at Yonkers High School. Her hobbies include guitar, volleyball, drawing, and she is interested in psychology and likes cats. This year, she was on her school's volleyball team, became social media manager for her after-school club Y2Y, and was an assistant teacher to 4th-grade girls at St. Peter - St. Denis church school. This is her first year on the Green Team. She is thrilled to help her community by restoring nature and making an impact this summer.
Sergio Lopez
Sergio is a rising freshman at Lincoln Tech this year. He is a second year Green Teamer that likes to stay active; after school, you might find him doing homework, playing basketball or soccer outside, or helping his mom with chores around the house. He joined the Green Team to gain new skills and experience. He is also hoping to make new friends while working at Groundwork. He looks forward to having fun, working hard, and learning new things.
Paul Montero
Paul Montero is a rising senior at Yonkers High School. He is 16 years old and beginning his second year as a member of the Green Team. In his free time, you can find Paul playing basketball with his friends or younger brother in his front yard or playing guitar at home. Paul joined the Green Team because of his passion for cleaning up the environment and serving his community. He is looking forward to making a positive impact on his community and gaining new experiences to carry with him for the rest of his life.
Stella Manalo
Stella is a rising senior at Saunders Trades and Technical High School. Her hobbies include singing, playing instruments, playing volleyball, and hanging out with friends. This is her first year on the Green Team. She is passionate about nature and deeply committed to community involvement. She is eager to expand her knowledge of the environment, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of current issues, and wants to make an actual difference. She looks forward to developing essential teamwork and job skills, strengthening her professional capabilities, and exploring new opportunities within Green Team. She is dedicated to making a positive impact on both the environment and her community.
Nathaniel Pagsuyoin
Nathaniel is a rising junior at Yonkers Middle High School. He enjoys many activities such as going to the gym, taking walks, and playing video games with friends. This is his first year on the Green Team, and he is passionate about working with others and experiencing new opportunities. Nathaniel hopes to help develop communication skills and sharpen core capabilities. He is passionate about making a positive impact on his community and learning more about the outdoors.
Tourab Kazmi
Tourab is a rising senior at Saunders Trades and Technical High School with an interest in the outdoors. He enjoys the gym, learning, and taking on new challenges. As a first-generation immigrant, Tourab is dedicated to working hard to create a successful future for himself and his family. This is his first year on the Green Team, and he is looking forward to gaining experience on projects that will benefit his community and environment. Overall, Tourab is looking forward to this experience to further develop his leadership, teamwork, and environmental knowledge. He is very excited to learn and grow this summer within the Green Team!
Jayden Caba
Jayden Caba is a rising senior at Yonkers High School. He's somebody who always has a smile on his face and spends most of his free time playing basketball, journaling, and walking. This is Jayden's first year on the Green Team. He joined to step out of his comfort zone by interacting with nature, and to seek new experiences. Most importantly, Jayden hopes to strengthen his teamwork and leadership skills. Ultimately, he's excited to learn more about nature and the environment and is looking forward to working this summer.
Ian Morentes
Ian is a rising sophomore at Roosevelt Early College High School. His hobbies include walking, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with friends and family. This is his first year on the Green Team. He is passionate about this job because it is fun to meet new people and work with his team. He likes to play guitar and use his katana. He is looking forward to working on new Green Team projects and having fun with his team. He liked to spend time fishing with his stepdad and hanging out with his cousins. He is hoping to save money and have fun this summer!
Thurman Edwards
Thurman is a rising sophomore at Barack Obama School for Social Justice. His hobbies include working out, football and basketball. This is his first year on the Green Team. He is most looking forward to all the fun events and projects he will work on this summer. He is also looking forward to making new friends. Some of his interests include computer and cyber security, which he first became interested in after joining the P-TECH program at his school. He will soon be taking college classes for computer information systems.
Junleidy Diaz
Junleidy is an rising junior at Riverside High School and a first year Green Teamer. Her favorite subjects are English and Music. She has many hobbies like drawing, listening to music, discovering new movies or shows, reading, writing, but mostly playing different genres on her piano. She is involved in Yonkers Partners in Education and the Fordham Trio program. She hopes to make a positive impact on the environment and community, as well as make new friends!
Matthew Bonilla
Matthew is a rising senior at the Charter School of Educational Excellence. His hobbies involve going on walks, going to the gym, drawing, playing piano, and playing video games. This is his first year on the team, and he joined so he could learn how to benefit the environment, plants, and animals around him. He is excited to have a ton of new experiences. Matthew hopes to have a great, reliable team and sharpen his skills, such as creative thinking, work ethic, and punctuality. He is excited to learn more about nature and its ecosystems.
Daniel Santiago
Daniel is a rising senior at Saunders High School and a second year Green Teamer. He is strongly committed to creating change in his environment and educating others on the importance of conservation. Outside of work, you can catch him working on his art, listening to music, or doing street photography.
Za'Nasiah Alston
Za'Nasiah is a rising senior at the Charter School of Educational Excellence, looking forward to gaining professional experience and meeting new people. This is her first year as a Green Team member after all! She is currently involved in the Automotive Club at her school and has previously engaged in gardening/environmentalist programs. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, going outside, drawing, and informing herself on what is going on around the world, researching as much as she can. Za'Nasiah is looking to major in psychology in the future! She is hoping to strengthen her communication and leadership abilities while working alongside her peers and doing her best to help the community.
Sali Ceesay
Sali is a rising senior at the Charter School of Educational Excellence. Her hobbies include singing, playing piano, reading, writing, drawing, cooking, and baking. This is her first year as a Green Team member, and she's planning on putting in 110% every day! Always ready to try new things, she is hoping to develop her communication and teamwork skills along the way. She is ecstatic to work as a Green Team member and care for the environment while learning more about it!
Lucas Soto
Lucas Soto is a rising senior at Saunders Trades and Technical High School, and this is his second year on the Green Team. He’s excited to meet new people who also care about protecting the environment and is looking forward to making new friends while working toward a shared goal. In his free time, Lucas enjoys running, playing video games, and listening to music. He’s ready to learn more about sustainability and have fun this summer.
Elisa Guzman
Elisa is a rising junior at Lincoln High School. Her hobbies include music, hiking, and ice skating. This is her first year on the Green Team. She joined because of her love for the outdoors and to learn about the world around her. At school, she is part of the Hydroponics Club, which inspired her to apply for the Green Team. Every day after work, she goes home feeling accomplished and proud of what she does. She’s passionate about ways that people can make a difference in the world around them. She believes education and awareness about the environment are very important since we rely so much on nature to survive, and hopes to become more informed so she can educate others. This summer, she looks forward to planting trees and continuing invasive removal. She is so excited to be a part of the Green Team and can’t wait to make a difference this summer.