Ashley McCloud - Constant Communication

Hey! My name is Ashley McCloud, and I am serving at the University of Michigan-Flint in the University Outreach Department, as a liaison between University of Michigan-Flint and the Community Education Initiative (CEI), lead by the Crim Fitness Foundation.

I can’t believe that in 4 months I will have officially completed my second term as an AmeriCorps VISTA! I can say that being an AmeriCorps member has opened many opportunities for my growth in the professional world and has given me experiences that I will remember forever. Throughout the past two years, I’ve learned and experienced what feels like a million things, but for this blog, I will only tell you about one of the most important things that I’ve learned and experienced as a VISTA.

I had to quickly learn how to be persistent with community partners. I found that when working with some I had to be in constant communication and be intentional when working with them. Often partners were so busy with their own organizations that the projects I set to collaborate on with them were delayed. It was challenging because it felt like the projects that I wanted to complete weren’t going anywhere, but I found ways to ensure projects were accomplished. Typically, I would send constant reminders to partners about what needed to be done and sometimes that method worked and other times not so much. At times I tried to get in contact with partners for several months before getting a response. I didn’t want to give up because I believed that the projects would be beneficial to the Flint Community Schools and their students. Eventually, my consistency and dedication paid off and I could complete the projects that I set out to do. 

One of the biggest projects that I was able to accomplish with community partners was my work-study tutoring program. It’s a program where the University of Michigan-Flint students can use work-study funds to tutor at Flint Community Elementary Schools, specifically Doyle Ryder. The tutoring program has helped to serve over one hundred K-3rd grade students at Doyle Ryder elementary school since January 2018. Teachers, students, and staff members have been grateful for the tutoring program and it makes me feel good knowing that despite many challenges I faced with partners, I was able to grow the program. Other projects that I have been able to support or collaborate on with partners include Arts and Scraps, an after-school dance program, volunteer opportunities for high school students, college tours, SAT workshops, and more!
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 I am so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to be an AmeriCorps member, it truly has helped me grow personally and professionally. I don’t think that I would have the skill-set and ability to deal with challenges I have now if it weren’t for this position. It’s bittersweet that this is my last term….at least for now, and I can’t wait to use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained in my next journey!