Serving as senior corps
Coming into my senior corps year, I knew that I was going to have more responsibility and that it would feel different from my corps year in terms of my service. Since I’m working in the office, I have had the opportunity to see what the day to day behind the scenes looks like. I have been able to connect with the staff on a deeper level than I could last year. And I have been a part of the decision making processes when it comes to how to best train and support our corps.
I feel so lucky to be serving as a senior corps member with such a wonderful group of people. We all have the corps and the organization’s best interest in mind as we go about our service and I know that we are going to do everything in our power to ensure that the corps feels supported all throughout the year.
As for my service, here are the goals I have set for myself:
1. Advance City Year San José’s social (and traditional) media presence
I have been at the helm of our @CityYearSanJose Twitter account and most recently have launched our blog, cityyearsanjose.wordpress.com. It is my hope that I can keep them both updated on a consistent basis and to get high involvement from the corps, village and alumni in order to really reach out to prospective corps members and the community. Along with that, I would like to have more coverage in local news media. Last year I helped get us published in the San Jose Mercury News and would like to see more coverage this year.
2. Build a strong community among our corps and village
It is important for us to feel connected both in and out of service and I would like to plan more social gatherings for the corps. To kick start that, I have been creating monthly entertainment guides to give people ideas for corps wide events. It is important to me that the events are cheap (or even better, free!) so I have also been trying to accommodate that. We recently went to an Oakland A’s game and in November we are going to a San Francisco 49ers game… all free of charge.
3. Provide excellent customer service for potential corps members
While it is difficult to juggle daily tasks and still have effective communication with a lot of people, I want it to be a priority for each potential applicant to feel like I sincerely care about them and their opportunity to serve in this program. I got some great tips at Academy on how to be as personable as possible with applicants and how to really engage them. I have already had some really positive interactions with folks and am looking forward to speaking with a lot of young people over the course of the year.
4. Stay connected to our direct service
While the majority of my time will be spent in the office, it is really important for me to feel connected to our service in schools. I can’t effectively tell the story of our service to applicants if I don’t immerse myself in it. Also, I built a lot of really great relationships at the school I worked at last year and hope to still be a role model for the children there. I also want to be present and active at all of our physical service days. I hope that the role I currently hold will also leave room for me to help plan and prepare those service projects.
5. Figure out my LACY
My LACY, meaning Leadership After City Year (or as some refer to as life after City Year) is something that is weighing heavily on my mind. I have narrowed it down to a few options which include continuing my career with City Year as a staff member, pursuing a M.A. in Multimedia or finding work at another non-profit or media entity. I want to figure out a course of action that will not only be right for me, but will also give me a chance to still feel connected to the service movement.
It’s funny to write this all down since all of these things have been floating around in my head, but it’s important to really see it and map out what I want to hold myself accountable for this year. It feels like I’m heading for a big transition in my life, but I want to keep myself in the present as much as possible in order to provide the best possible service that I can.
Here’s to another City Year.
