Summer. Job. Two words that I dreaded in high school. A thing that I managed to avoid until college. And the best thing that I could have taken on.
I am working as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in the Springfield Promise Neighborhood for the summer, and I can honestly say that this summer has been full of endless rewards.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a program designed to fight poverty by immersing its members in a poverty relief program. The Springfield Promise Neighborhood in Springfield, Ohio, aims to help alleviate poverty by providing the students of Lincoln Elementary with enrichment to help them succeed academically and socially.
As an education major with an urban studies minor, the pairing of these two entities could not have been more appealing. Over the last six weeks, I have been able to hold my own classroom in an urban environment. I have made connections with my “students” and their parents. I have built a curriculum in which my children are making their own book and planning a book signing for their parents to attend. Working over the summer has given me invaluable experience for my future as a teacher.
While I have made strong connections with the students in the program, I have also made strong connections with my coworkers. I have come to know many people that I would have never known had I not taken this job; and I could not be more grateful for these people.
But, more importantly, I believe that my summer job has helped me to make a difference in this city that I now call home. I have been given the opportunity to work on a long term project to help the community, and I am excited to see how it plays out. I have seen my students grow to become writers and to love reading. I became a part of something much bigger than me, and I have found reason after reason to keep coming back to Promise.
The Springfield Promise Neighborhood has been making a difference in student's lives for several years, and from what I have seen, they continue to get better at it every year. Working in Promise has given me so much more than money. It has given me love, purpose, fun, humility, and experience but the list goes on.
I am so glad that I took a job over the summer. I have gained a lot more than just some extra cash.
