Maddie Poindexter - Reflection and Motivation

Hi everyone. It's Maddie Poindexter, serving with Davenport University in Grand Rapids. I can’t believe I am already half way through my second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA. The past year and a half has been life changing. I am so thankful that I took the leap of faith after graduation to apply for AmeriCorps VISTA. I have gained so many new skills and techniques throughout my time as a VISTA that I can apply to my future career as a social worker.
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​I have done many things throughout my time as VISTA but one of the biggest projects I worked on throughout my first year as a VISTA was creating a college & career program for the Refugee Education Center (REC). At the beginning I was doing a lot of research and community networking to get a good understanding of what college & career readiness entails and what supports are available in Grand Rapids. I then moved on to creating three curriculum that can be used in the local English as a Second Language (ESL) middle school classrooms and at the center during after-school programming. All three curriculum are specifically made for a certain demographic: preparing for the future (middle to high school), college readiness (high school and beyond), and career readiness (high school and beyond). Currently, the “preparing for the future” curriculum is being used in the ESL middle school classrooms and the “college & career readiness” curriculums are being used during the after-school programming. My hope is that my work as a VISTA has given REC the capacity to serve students that can benefit from academic planning and support.

Another large project I focused on in my second year as a VISTA was the Panther Resource Closet located at Davenport University W.A. Lettinga Campus. The Panther Resource Closet (PRC) is a 24/7 student resource closet that provides non-perishable food, personal hygiene items, and professional clothing for those students in need. At the end of my first year as a VISTA we launched the closet and since then it has blossomed into such a large aspect of Davenport. I have spent a lot of time collecting donations, tracking donations and intake, doing inventory, and creating marketing materials. The PRC now has an online fund found on Davenport’s website where people can donate via credit card. This project has made me step out of my comfort zone and focus on aspect of my professional development that I would have overlooked.
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I don’t know how to put into words how much my experiences as an AmeriCorps VISTA have shaped my future career goals, personal passions, and professional development. I have gained valuable experiences that I would have never had if I wouldn’t have agreed to do AmeriCorps VISTA. I would encourage anyone who is interested in getting to know the people on the front lines in their community to apply for AmeriCorps. You are able to network with organizations in your community that are doing life changing work. AmeriCorps VISTA is for anyone of any age wanting to grow and learn through an intensive year of community development focused on alleviating poverty!

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