Why City Year?

I love to listen to National Public Radio in the car. It soothes, informs and lacks those pesky ads that appear on private stations. That's not to say it is without advertisement completely; the plugs are simply more subtle. It was by hearing one of these plugs that I first heard about City Year.

The plug went something like, "support for NPR comes from City Year. City Year serves young people who dedicate a year of their lives to service helping urban communities. City Year: give a year, change the world." My first thought was that'd be cool. After all, I was a young person finishing a degree with no idea what to do afterwards. What could I lose by taking a year off to go serve in a big city somewhere? Then the light turned green, and I was off. City Year was forgotten.

I heard the plug several more times in the coming weeks, usually in between bouts of news containing words like Bear Stearns, meltdown and worst...since the Great Depression. Before long, an idea started to germinate: maybe, instead of worrying about a job, I could volunteer in a big city for a year. So I went to http://www.cityyear.org/. I found that City Year would not only be a great fit, it would fulfill everything I needed to move forward in my life.

Making a difference in the lives of children

I had experience working with children, though it was hard to tell if I was making much of a difference in their lives as a lowly substitute teacher. My degree was not in education, and subbing was a way of earning a paycheck while determining if teaching was for me. I'm still not sure that I want to be a teacher, but I know from experience that kids, especially those in Title I schools, need all the educated, motivated, patient and understanding mentors they can get. I am proud to be among those going to help those in need in Boston.

Moving to a big city and living on a stipend

I grew up and went to college in Florida, and I was ready for a change. CYB gave me the chance to finally be out on my own in a new environment. The thought of living in a big city on a low budget seemed challenging, frustrating and exciting all at once. Heck, if nothing else it was time to leave my parents' house to let some semblance of the real world kick me around a bit. The $4700 to pay back some of my student loans wouldn't hurt either.

Potential Job Opportunities

Working on a team and managing projects is great experience for the working world. I hope that City Year will afford the networking opportunities to get a nonprofit or education-related job when my year of service is over. I am not sure, especially in this economic climate, how successful I will be. I do hope that red jacket has to mean something to potential employers.

I can't think of more reasons someone might need to join City Year. As I write this, I am 16 days from leaving for Boston. The journey has barely begun.