The past 11 months have challenged me in ways I never expected. After graduating from Michigan State, I saw myself moving to New York and working in the fashion industry. I would have never imagined myself with AmeriCorps serving in a rural high school. That being said, if I have learned anything this year, it's to go with the flow. Plans change and a lot of times for the better!  
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Serving with the Capital Area College Access Network (CapCAN) has opened my eyes to new opportunities and allowed me to grow my confidence and skills in ways I never predicted. Through presentations, scheduling visits, event planning, and student meetings, I found new passions and had the opportunity to improve upon my weaknesses. I learned the importance of adaptability, and it's okay not to know what's coming next!

Looking back to where I was when I started my service and where I am now, I feel much more positive when thinking about my future. I am a planner. I like to have things planned down to the minute, but my service year has taught me the importance of adaptability and going with the flow. Not knowing what the future holds was a big fear of mine, but now I have a much more positive outlook. The opportunities out there in the world are endless! Although I am not where I thought I would be, I am hopeful for the future and plan to carry the lessons I learned during my service year with me.​

As I think about wrapping up my term of service with MCAN in the coming weeks, I think back on the past 11 months as an AmeriCorps member and the opportunities I have had. When I originally took on this role as the Data and Technology VISTA with MCAN, I was hesitant about working with technology and numbers. Coming into a planned gap year between college and graduate school, I knew I wanted to challenge myself, and I saw this role as one way to do just that.
 
Over the course of my term of service, I have seen myself grow more comfortable with data, numbers, and working in website management. These were areas foreign to me 11 months ago. And as frustrating as it has been at times to work outside of my comfort zone, I’ve also come to see that this is where personal growth occurs. While AmeriCorps has given me many different professional development opportunities over my term of service, the biggest professional development that I have received this year has come in the form of having the chance to work in a field I otherwise would never have had the chance to be apart of. This year of service has shown me that even when I am uncomfortable with the content of my work, I still have the capacity to work through problems, find solutions, and do good in the world. This I believe is what AmeriCorps stands for.
 
So, while much of the content that I have learned throughout my service year might not directly transition into my next phase of life in law school, what will is my belief that I have the ability to make positive change in this world. AmeriCorps has given me an amazing opportunity to take a year of my life and focus it towards making this world a better place. And while this year challenged me in unforeseen ways, I also am so glad that I decided to challenge myself and choose a role for myself that left me with a new confidence for the future.

Looking back on the last 11 months it is hard to believe my year of service with the Mackinac Economic Alliance in St. Ignace is almost over. I started as a VISTA in August not really knowing what to expect. Once I started to settle in, I built an ambitious plan of what I would like to accomplish. As any good plan goes, some parts are sidelined, some are deserted all together and others pivot and grow into new and exciting ideas.

My year of service has taught me to let go of the plan that does not serve me anymore. I know that when you put your time and energy into something that you have fostered from the initial idea is hard to let go. How can you abandon something that you have so much energy into? Not all is lost. I must remind myself that the experience will lead to better ideas, faster implementation, and more opportunities to utilize the connections that were built along the way.
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I have enjoyed the opportunity to work on a Human Centered Design project with my teammates Naomi and June along with our facilitator Chris. Together we worked to take a hobby and turn it into a workforce development project. I looked forward to our meetings between the brainstorming and socializing. We listened to each other’s ideas and input to create something we are proud of.  I am excited for our group to present our project in August.

As my last month nears, I am grateful for all the people I was able to meet, the organizations I partnered with, and all the experiences that will continue to build on beyond my VISTA service.

I’ve been with Detroit College Access Network for 10 months now. In a lot of ways, it feels like I’ve been there forever; it’s hard to imagine a time when I wasn’t one of their VISTAs. On the other hand, I still get the feeling that there’s so much more I need to learn and experience with DCAN before I can claim competence in education or nonprofits.
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I’ve learned so much from DCAN. I know how to pull data and how to organize it to be both efficient and presentable, and how to compile aggregate and disaggregated data (and I know what those words mean!). I feel comfortable drafting social media copy and creating amateur graphics. I can explain the intricacies of the FAFSA and can assist students and families with completing it. I’m comfortable reaching out to and meeting with new partners to discuss DCAN’s mission and how we can align to best serve students. I’m familiar with the inner workings of Detroit high schools and recognize where there are deficits and successes in college access for Detroit seniors. I’ve compiled resources, created new systems, hosted a pilot event, been an adviser for seniors, and rallied vendors and speakers.

I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to be a jack of all trades in my role. In working with such a small but driven team, it’s easy to fall into various projects and initiatives — some I lead, many I support. DCAN doesn’t designate specific titles for their two VISTAs, and it isn’t hard to see why; I could hardly encompass all I do with DCAN in a single title. Recently, a new partner mistakenly introduced me as DCAN’s “Director of Skilled Trades/Certifications”. I was flattered, but really: I could hardly claim such expertise. Although I’ve had 10 months of observing and executing, there is still so much to learn! I’m grateful for DCAN for allowing me the autonomy and trust to develop new programs and initiatives so that I could grow and gain experience. My service year has strengthened my confidence in my professional abilities, and I'm excited to build on the skills I’ve gained at Detroit College Access Network. I know that my career will never stray far from education and educational equity, and I can thank DCAN for solidifying my passion for the work.

I start every day off with a checklist. I rip a page out of my notebook, tear off the perforated fringes, fold the paper vertically, and start writing my to-do list for the day. It’s a routine that I started before I began as an AmeriCorps VISTA and something that I continue to do in my final weeks of service with Washtenaw Literacy through the MNA Pathways to Employment program.

This morning as I sat down to write my to-do list for what is a pretty typical Tuesday, it started off looking like this: 

Tuesday To-Do: 

• Staff Meeting 10:30 - 12:00 
• Weekly Meeting with Supervisor 12:00 - 1:00 
• Podcast Team Meeting 2:00 - 3:00 
• Tutor Tech Support 4:00 - 5:00 
• Finish Volunteer Orientation Data Entry 
• Send out form reminders 

As the day goes on and things get done, I start crossing tasks and meetings off my list and inevitably adding more as I attend meetings. 

Tuesday To-Do: 

• Staff Meeting 10:30 - 12:00  Done
• Weekly Meeting with Supervisor 12:00 - 1:00  Done
• Podcast Team Meeting 2:00 - 3:00  Done
• Tutor Tech Support 4:00 - 5:00 
• Finish Volunteer Orientation Data Entry 
• Send out form reminders  Done
• Upload new podcast episode 
• Work on Human-Centered Design Project 

Before starting my service year, I had just come from jobs where specific tasks absolutely had to be completed by the end of the day or week, so that notion had continued when I started my service year. During my first few months as a VISTA, I really struggled with wanting to complete my to-do list by the end of each day. I remember being frustrated and annoyed that I wasn’t able to finish every task on my list.  

What I’ve learned this service year is that people and relationships are sometimes more important than a to-do list. The work has to get done at some point, but not at the expense of making a connection and helping the community around me. In the long run, it’s okay to push tasks off to tomorrow or the next day in order to help someone today. 

While there are many tangible skills that I have gained over the past year, this idea is one that I think I will carry with me wherever my career takes me next. I am thankful for what this year of service has taught me, and I cannot wait to see how it impacts the rest of my life. 

Working at Detroit College Access Network (DCAN) these past 10 months has been a great opportunity. Graduating during the beginning of the pandemic (May 2020) was definitely a challenge, while adding finding a job to that. I’m so grateful I came across the opportunity to serve at an organization that does great work for the students in the community. DCAN has helped me grow and made my transition from student to a working adult in the real world seamless. 

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this service year is to go with the flow and take challenges that come up as opportunities to grow. Due to COVID, things have been changing so quick. Students are learning virtually, or they’re in person, or they’re doing it in hybrid form. Events are allowed to be in person with only “x” amount of students or events aren’t allowed to happen in person at all. You have to be able to take what’s happening and be okay with it and make it work.  

The best part of my service year has been meeting and working with so many different people. I’ve met students, counselors, advisers, and many more. This has been a great experience that I’m so glad to have had. 

Early on in the pandemic, I saw a tweet that I now can’t find, but it went something like this: “March 2020. Teachers everywhere add ‘remote instruction’ to our resumes.” Of course, back then most of us had no idea that we’d still be in this weird digital world over a year later, but here we are.

It’s interesting to look at how the pandemic has shaped my resume and skill set this year. I’d interviewed for a job as a preschool special education paraprofessional (teacher’s aide) about a week prior to the shutdown, having applied at the suggestion of the school’s principal. My references were being contacted right when the schools closed “for a few weeks.” Obviously, when the schools stayed closed, I didn’t get the job. If I had, I’d never have been available to even consider being a VISTA.

Working in the VISTA program has done a lot for me. Imposter syndrome is real. Here’s the thought process: if it comes easily, then clearly it can’t have been a big deal. If it’s challenging, then clearly other people would be able to do it much more easily and capably than I did. I doubt any of us looks forward to our monthly and quarterly reports, but writing down everything I’ve been working on has helped me to see just how much I do accomplish. Maybe when I start job hunting this summer, I won’t assume a posting with a lengthy list of responsibilities is beyond my skill set.

And what are some of the skills that have come out of my experiences this year? I’ve learned the ins and outs of coordinating a tutoring program. I’m much more comfortable with Google Suites and other digital tools and platforms. Thanks to webinars and virtual conferences, I’ve been able to learn more about a wide variety of topics. I’ve learned a lot about plain language and clear communication, which I hope to continue working with as I move forward. I’ve been able to work on virtual workshops and trainings. I’m more able to value things I accomplish at work, even if they still do feel like they came too easily. I’m starting to figure out that maybe things come easily because of my capability.

I’m not sure where I’m off to next after my service ends. I’d love to be able to stay in the nonprofit world. If not education, then perhaps conservation, arts, or social justice. Wherever I end up, I’ll be grateful to MNA and Washtenaw Literacy for the foundation I’ve been able to build this year.

I was born and raised on Detroits' Eastside, 2020 graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, and recently I found myself serving with Detroit Horse Power in the community of Hope Village as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. My name, is Hakeem Weatherspoon. Over the past couple of months as a VISTA, I have been engaging with community residents and leaders in order to build awareness for the implementation of a community equestrian center in the year 2023. I've been learning in order to have a strong community you need to have strong communication and unity. In all honesty. I  practically made Hope Village a home away from home. Through my service, as a VISTA I have hosted and performed events with the youth of the community, as Hakeem The People's Poet where R.A.P is an acronym for Rhythm and Poetry, helped in gardens, made many friends in order to  build a strong relationship of unity within Hope Village not only as a VISTA member but as an individual.

So far within Detroit Horse Power the work I am most proud of, is, as listed: Detroit horse Power's first quarterly community zoom meetings and  starting on the second one May 24,  2021 Detroit Horse Power's first Community Grooming Day. (Where community members can have first hand interactions with a horse and learn about the social emotional processes of what it means to connect with something outside of self). I have  budgeted for Detroit Horse Power's  youth to help build Detroit Horse Powers first billboard with community leaders and residents to display on Detroit Horse Power's future site. Made a connection for Detroit Horse Power to partner with the first Black owned farm and cider mill in the country. I have also represented Detroit Horse Power for the first time and hosted THE HOPE VILLAGE REVITALIZATION Community meeting. ( Detroit Horse Power always attends but hasn't got a chance to host and as a Vista member I took on the role to be the first.) 

Even through some of my successes, of being an effective communicator within Hope Village it has been challenging to just keep the work being done within Hope Village. In other words, the neighboring communities that surround the site have been hearing about the work of Grooming Day and have the need for horses in their neighborhood. My solution is to make all future events that I plan to be open to all, while still centering all ideas within Hope Village

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​If you are thinking of doing a service year, DO IT! After graduating from college, I was not sure what I wanted to do, there were just so many options out there. I decided to take a gap year and serve and loved doing a service year so much that I decided to do a second year. Some of the benefits are the connections that you make during your year. From my current year I have made connections with several people, some who have already gone through law school, which is my next step in life. However, this is just one of the perks of being doing a service year. In addition to making connections and having the support of my organization I serve at; it was great to get real world experience before going back to school. It helped me realize what I want to do with my life, but more importantly, areas that do not work for me and what I do not want to do. Lastly, if you are thinking about going back to school, like me, the Segal award is an amazing benefit. Though it changes yearly, the award is $6,000+ for each year you serve (you can only receive it twice, but serve as many years as you’d like), and some schools even match this award, and even some host sites. 
 
With all of that being said this year has been an amazing VISTA year. I have been fortunate enough to serve at an organization which truly wants the best for me. When I was studying for LSAT, they were there for me and encouraged me to do my best and wished me luck on the test. I have an amazing supervisor who regularly checks in on me both personally and professionally, and I also serve with some amazing VISTA’s that work as a support system at my site.
 
Though MNA will no longer have a VISTA program, there are so many other options that are out there. Take a look on the AmeriCorps website, you can serve just about anywhere you would like in the US. On the other hand, if you were thinking about serving outside the US, look at the PeaceCorps. They allow you to serve as well, though your term would be a bit longer. No matter where you serve though, be sure to make the most of your service year.