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Let me begin with honesty – I did not expect to serve��as an��AmeriCorps member with����ɫ��Ƶ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to my application,��I was looking forward to graduating with my undergraduate peers, was thriving in an academic and workspace, and was fostering new relationships. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit,��all��these areas were pretty much thrown out the window. Even though I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Classic Civilization, and Religious Studies (yes, I triple majored) with Honors Distinction,��I had to delay my transition into graduate school. I lost all my jobs March 13th��when we were declared on lockdown and tensions in my personal life were high.����

Being in AmeriCorps during these troubling times made me have a sense of purpose and allowed my time to be spent serving students in Milwaukee Public Schools where I am an alum. I felt that I was able to give back to a community that gave me so much when I was in the positions, outside and inside of school,��like the students we are serving.����

Serving has allowed me to gain more confidence in creating and maintaining boundaries that will avoid possible burnout which I plan on carrying over into my graduate pursuits. I have been exposed to various work support and views from my peers that I hope to maintain awareness of when moving forward with my career. But most importantly, I have learned and applied how to always think about the bigger picture when it comes to refocusing our service on our students. With��today’s��political and cultural tensions, the ones that I believe are forgotten��are our students,��and so helping them digest the information around them and support their academic and personal needs is vital to our unique service during��the pandemic.����

Do you know an 18-25 year old interested in doing a year of service with ��ɫ��Ƶ Milwaukee? Encourage them to��.

About the Author:

Kristen Leer is an AmeriCorps member serving at Harold S. Vincent High School.