AmeriCorps VISTA
Contact Information
sterlinm@dickinson.edu
255 W. Louther, 3rd Floor
Biography
Mary Charlotte (MC) joined the CCLA in 2025 as the AmeriCorps VISTA PCCE Fellow. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, she recently returned to Carlisle to invest in the community she grew to love during her time as a student at Dickinson. In her role, MC works closely with both the CCLA and Supportive Partnerships for Youth (SPY), serving as a bridge between campus and community. During her time at SPY, her work focuses on building capacity by supporting local youth to meet the needs identified by the Carlisle community, particularly through the development of a “Counselor-in-Training” initiative that focuses on middle school youth leadership development. At the CCLA, MC works to help build a sustainable, campus-wide engagement program designed to connect Dickinson students, faculty, and staff with community partners to address social issues across the Carlisle area.
MC brings extensive experience working with youth of all ages and has a strong passion for uniting community stakeholders, nonprofits, and campus organizations. While at Dickinson, her academic work culminated in a senior thesis in Sociology examining the factors contributing to rising teacher attrition rates in public elementary schools. She also has a passion for exploring social and emotional learning strategies for youth, deepening her interest in how educational environments can better support both students and educators. She is eager to apply this background to her work at the CCLA and SPY, leveraging both her experiences to build stronger, more connected communities.
She graduated from Dickinson College in 2025 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Educational Studies, along with the Health Studies Certificate. During her time on campus, she was actively involved in Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, and served as Vice President of Programming and Events for the Panhellenic Council. She was also a Global Ambassador for the CGSE and worked for three years at Dickinson’s Access and Disability Services, focusing on event planning and assisting students with accessing the appropriate resources. In her free time, MC loves going to the gym, hanging out with friends, or rewatching New Girl.