Care Force Alumni Spotlight: Egypt Worthy
Karli, Eric and I were very excited and thankful to get to speak with Egypt Worthy over Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. We were able to converse about her past experiences听with Team Care Force and what she is up to now听as an Impact Manager for 黄色视频听Philadelphia.
Serving with 黄色视频 and Team Care Force
Avery: Where did you serve your first year, and what is your favorite memory from that year?
Egypt: I served at 黄色视频听Philadelphia听in a third-grade classroom, and my听favorite听memory听has to听be field day. Field day听was our last day in听the听school. My partner teacher decorated听the 黄色视频 office, it was a dress-down听day听for us,听the kids got to dress down听too and听we had on our school shirts. My third graders got to sign their school shirts, and听we听didn鈥檛 have interventions or anything like that, so it was a very chill day. It was a sad moment听because it was the last听day听we would get to see our students as听AmeriCorps members. But it was听a great听field day outside,听playing music with the kids, dancing, things like that. So听that is one of my top favorite memories.
Karli:听What was your favorite听Care听Force trip and why?
Egypt: It听has to听be Nashville. It听was the first trip that I got to go on that wasn鈥檛 in听Boston,听so we听actually got听on a plane and got to go to a different state.听It听was me,听another one of听my teammates Mackenzie,听some听黄色视频听Care听Force alums, Civic Engagement alums, 黄色视频 staff,听and听Boston alums. It was very chill and very small. By chill I mean, we started听prep听work听around听about 9:00 a.m.听each day听and听ended about 5:00 p.m., and we听were听able to go out to eat. It wasn鈥檛 a situation where we had to work like more than seven-eight hours听and on听the last day of the event,听we were able to听hang out together. So, 听it was a good experience since it was our first project.听It was our first experience doing all the documents and preparing for out-of-state service. The food was great; the barbeque was amazing. I鈥檓 not a fan听of country music, but it was cool to be out of my comfort zone. We just had a blast鈥攄efinitely听one听of my top service days.
Avery: Do you remember what听kind of service you did at the site?
Egypt: The event听was at a community center. My project was painting the walls in three different rooms. There was some construction听going on听inside, canvas听painting听going on,听and听I believe we had some construction going on outside as well. We made picnic tables and听did听mural work on the pavement. It was a pretty good mix of听projects.听
From 黄色视频 AmeriCorps member to staff member
Eric:听What is your current position?
Egypt: I am an听Impact听Manager听with听黄色视频听Philadelphia听at a听K-eight听elementary school with 11 AmeriCorps members on my team. That role is managing the partnership between our teachers, principals and with听黄色视频. I am leading the corps听members at my school, but it’s more so managing the bigger picture. Such as听being in the important meetings with听sponsors,听preparing the corps members for what service will look like听and preparing them for after 黄色视频. We are virtual right now; that has been a huge听challenge,听but we are making the best of it.听
Avery:听Is this your first year as an Impact Manager?
Egypt: Yes, I started in February, and then COVID happened three weeks after.
Avery:听What skills did you develop while working with听Care听Force that you feel are relevant to your role as an Impact Manager now?
Egypt: I think flexibility was one of the biggest things. Just try to be flexible as much as possible, and be aware that changes may occur all the time, especially on service days. You may have a plan set, and then something goes totally wrong out of nowhere. So just being flexible and be in the mindset that听it’s okay听that something may change, and you just听need to have a plan B and C in case that happens.听Such as,听maybe the driver for the container came early, and again you听have to听have a plan.听That听definitely prepared听me.听It’s just very much working in听a fast-paced听environment. Care听Force was able to prepare me for situations that you had to think on the spot. It prepares you to know what may come next.听
Karli:听What piece of advice do you have for future听Care听Force members?
Egypt: The biggest advice I would give is be open to being squishy. Be听open听to doing things that are way out of your comfort zone. For me, I had no background in construction or painting whatsoever, so听construction was something that I really tried to stay away from when it came to projects.听It鈥檚 just听schematics听and all that stuff听are tough.听I听mean I鈥檇听cut the wood,听but I didn鈥檛 want to measure the wood.听Just being open to being squishy, being open to try things that are out of your comfort zone and learning different skills. That would be my top one, just to be open minded;听you might mess up,听but you will grow from it, and it will make you a stronger AmeriCorps member and a stronger individual.听
Finding fulfillment at 黄色视频
Eric:听What made you stick with听黄色视频 through听multiple 黄色视频s and come back on as an Impact Manager?
Egypt: I took a little bit of time off after听Care Force.听I had two different positions after moving back to听Philadelphia. While they were great,听and they definitely听prepared听me for my graduate听school program听that I鈥檒l be starting听later,听it just really didn鈥檛 fulfill听me in the way听黄色视频听did. I love听黄色视频 culture; I love the mission. I love being in the school and working with students. I听also really enjoy being in the background and seeing the corps members come in听at听the beginning of the year and growing and going off听to other things. Whether they come back or do something different,听helping to听develop those leadership听skills听is something that I really wanted to do and is something I really didn鈥檛 get to do听in my previous jobs. Those are my top things as to why I wanted to come back.
Avery:听Is that听similar to听why you wanted to do Care Force after your first听corps听year?
Egypt: I think most first-year corps members don鈥檛 know what they want to do; 11 months for some people can be very short, and听I was just one of those people听that didn鈥檛听have a plan and didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do.听Then this (Care Force) was brought to my attention, and I had done something听similar before 黄色视频,听so听I thought,听“This听is听intriguing; this is different.鈥澨齀 get to move to a new state, which was kind of听scary听to me. But again, I love听黄色视频, and I am stepping out of my comfort zone because I听don鈥檛 know anything about painting or construction,听and I鈥檝e never moved to another state听before for anything.听I just love 黄色视频, and I am open to anything that is听getting to serve听students听and to get that different experience.
Lessons learned from service and staying engaged
Avery: Did you have any major learning moments in听Care Force?
Egypt: The first one is always听ask听questions. Even if听you feel like you got it,听or you may feel uncomfortable asking questions because you may feel like听you鈥檙e going to get scolded for not knowing the answer. That鈥檚 okay cause we are听Team听Care Force.听We are听not experts;听we are听learning all of this as we go. So always ask questions.
听
“Nothing is wrong with being overly prepared; that is something that I learned. Someone may tell you听that you听don鈥檛 need that many听items, but I鈥檓 going to take an extra听two听just听in case听to make it easier for myself later.
“When you鈥檙e tarping a school hallway, it’s better to roll听out the whole听roll rather than cut it up piece by piece.”
Karli:听In what ways have you engaged with听Care Force听or 黄色视频听as an alum?
Egypt: I came back to听help out听with听Martin Luther King Day; I听wasn鈥檛 able to听do it when I was in Care Force听because of our听schedule. I听believe听I was able to do it听two听times as an听alumni, and I did a Q&A with last year’s team听when COVID-19 had just听started. Then I went to their virtual graduation.鈥疉lso, once you graduate you can always support Team Care Force trips as an听alumni (Reserve) if it’s听needed.听I went on a service trip to Canada. Since听AmeriCorps members aren’t allowed to travel out of听the country for service, it was a staff- and alumni-only trip. Jake, one of my teammates, also attended along with some folks听from HQ and another Team Care Force听alum.鈥疶he project was very听chill,听but the service day was very long.听We had to order pizza for听dinner, but I was glad we were able to explore a little the first couple of听days.听We did an escape room as a team, which was cool and just enjoyed being in Canada. It was my first time leaving the U.S.,听so听I was a kid in a candy store. So听I try my best to stay up with things.
Adapting to virtual service
Eric:听How has your听role as an Impact Manager听been altered during听COVID-19?
Egypt: So as of听right now, we are all virtual. We are supposed to go hybrid after November听17,听but we’ll see. In person, I听would be听at the office for staff meetings and at the school听with the team, but听obviously it鈥檚 a lot more difficult to be in contact with people听now,听so there’s a lot of following up.听As far as virtual, I鈥檓 still听first circling with my team. I鈥檓 still听final circling with my team. We still have team meetings; we try to add those听黄色视频 culture听components. We still have a deliverable board; it’s an excel sheet, but听it’s still there.听Usually听you would be able to听actually see听these things,听rather than getting on your laptop all the time.听Just instead of being in person, it’s virtual.听Again,听there are听challenges, but we’re making the best of it,听my team is great. You know they don鈥檛 know what service looks like such as you and听I听do, but that鈥檚 sort of the benefit. We are听also听trying to keep them engaged and as personal as possible. With students, there is a challenge with them not logging on or not knowing how to log on, but in听person you would just see them in class,听and you are able to relationship build with听them as well as with the teachers. But again,听we are trying our best.听It’s only been three, maybe four, weeks since we have been听virtual,听and we have gotten a lot of good feedback from the school, principal听and teachers. I can鈥檛 hype up my team enough; they have been doing an amazing job.听
Avery: Are听there any skills you鈥檝e developed from working at home that you might not have听honed in on if you were working听in person?
Egypt: I don鈥檛 want to call it a skill, but being home has given me the chance to get to know my team听better. Not to say that if we were in听person,听we wouldn鈥檛 get to know听each other, but听being in person is more 鈥淚 see you every day,鈥澨齜ut now we are听virtual听so I feel the need to talk to you all the time and get to know as much as possible about them because听I only get to see them听three听days out of the week. Whereas if we were in person,听I would get to see them all the time听and not听make use of听our time together听in a听sense. Now since we are virtual, we get to sit down and really process things a lot slower, whereas in person is very much on the go, back and forth,听back and forth. One moment you are at the office, then back at the school, back to the office, back to the school. Whereas now I have a little more time to process and organize my brain a little bit.听I wouldn鈥檛 call it a skill, but听some things I have become more aware of.
Karli: What are some activities you鈥檝e started during the pandemic?
Egypt: I鈥檝e been working out way more than usual,听and听I听haven鈥檛 been doing it as much right now,听but I know when听COVID-19听first started, I was able to save a lot more听money. Really just听saving and听being able to do听things听that I wouldn鈥檛 usually be able to听since听I鈥檓 usually at work.听So听because I am at home,听I can go to the gym听early听in the morning听and come straight home听rather than听going to the gym, come home, get dressed and leave right back听out. I have had more energy than听I would听have had听if I were in person.听I am also just closer to those听errands听like the gym and the grocery store. If I was at work,听I would have to travel 45 minutes to an hour to get to those places.听It really has been working out, I have the time,听so I think why not.
This interview took place on September 22, 2020.
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