Tara Wright
Youth Program Specialist
Prior to joining PATH, I studied art at Guilford College, in Greensboro, NC, and spent 8 years working as a clay artist/ potter in the River Arts District in Asheville. Throughout 2019 and 2020, I experienced some significant personal healing in the area of mental health, which stirred up a strong desire to give back to those still struggling with mental health and/or addiction challenges. This past year, I worked as direct care staff at Red Oak Recovery, a dual-diagnosis facility for young men. My role involved a wide range of responsibilities: taking clients out on backpacking trips, leading discussion groups, wrangling clients to do their chores, frequent crisis intervention, ping-pong, etc. It was the most difficult and most rewarding work I’ve done thus far, and I have many stories to tell of my time there!
When I saw the listing for my position at PATH in Celo List, something in me just knew that it was meant for me. I think this position will both draw from my already established strengths and push me directly into some important growth edges, both professionally and personally. Though it certainly excites me to be learning all about non-profit work, evidence-based prevention strategies, youth empowerment, etc, I am most excited about forming connections with kids and being a positive presence in their lives. In researching youth prevention, I keep hearing and reading that the most important protective factor for at-risk youth is to have one supportive adult in their lives. I hope I can offer that to some of the youth we serve through PATH’s programs. Some possibilities and specific projects I am excited about implementing as Youth Program Specialist include training youth to support each other using Mental Health First Aid, reviving our local chapters of Appalachian Youth to Youth, and organizing a mental health themed storytelling event/ art showcase.
Kate Zarrella
Program/Administrative/PR Assistant
Though I’ve only been here in Burnsville for a short time, what I love about Yancey County is the strong sense of community pride and the eagerness to help your neighbors in every way imaginable. As a helper by nature and someone driven by my values, I was eager to join PATH because they support so many different organizations and initiatives that make this community and the region healthier, happier, and more equitable. It’s been a honor to meet all the volunteers, nonprofits, groups, civic leaders and other helpers dedicated to improving the quality of life in this beautiful community while working here.
I graduated from University of California, Davis in 2012 with honors in English and Psychology and went on to work in customer service, tech, social media, and finally publishing. In addition to PATH, I am a a part of a small, family-run publishing house and specialize in book design, website creation, and the myriad of ever changing tasks it takes to run a small business. I’m excited to bring my years of experience in tech, customer service, and design to help the team here at PATH in our many initiatives to support the community. I’m looking forward to meeting more community members during PATH’s upcoming Sizzlin’ Summer Series events and Summer Food Program. It was wonderful getting to meet so many new people and see the town in action at the recent Burnsville Fit Families 5k.
