How Attending NYLT Shaped My Career

I’m often asked, “Why did you decide to become a teacher?” To answer this question, I instantly think back to my first service-learning experience at the National Youth Leadership Training when I was seventeen years old. Little did I know that this would be instrumental in shaping who I am as a person and leading me to a career path in education.

For my “Pursuit of Excellence” project during NYLT, I learned about the dangers of lead poisoning in older homes and distributed toxin prevention information to residents living in the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis. Coming from a small, rural town, this was my first time in an urban community. It was definitely an eye-opening experience! Walking from house to house on Franklin Avenue, I instantly became aware of the diverse and culturally-rich neighborhoods in Minneapolis and the many problems affecting urban areas. Service-learning developed my cultural and social awareness, and most importantly, helped me realize that young people have the power to create change and better their communities. I will never forget the sense of energy we felt at the end of the day. It was an invaluable learning experience and encouraged me to seek similar opportunities to make a difference.   
 
Service definitely became a part of my college experience while attending the University of Minnesota. I volunteered teaching English to recent Somali immigrants, worked with afterschool programs in St. Paul, and became highly involved in student government. With every opportunity I learned more about my community and myself. After college I continued my work with service and coordinated the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows with the MN Alliance With Youth. Through my involvement in various service activities, I was fortunate to meet amazing people and become part of a community that values youth as change-makers.        

My passion for service-learning has led me to my career as a middle school teacher. I continue to draw upon my experiences from NYLT and utilize service-learning as a teaching strategy within my own classroom. Teaching social studies has given me a myriad of social issues to tackle with my students. From global hunger to the water crisis, I am always seeking out new ways to incorporate service into my curriculum. It’s amazing to see students become passionate about the world, develop critical thinking skills, and take action in their community. It transforms learning and I am always eager to share my enthusiasm for service-learning with fellow teachers. 

I believe service-learning helps students realize that they have the potential and ability to make a difference. I became a teacher to instill this in my students every day, just as service-learning did in me at NYLT.

Connect with other teachers utilizing service-learning by becoming a member of the Generator School Network at gsn.nylc.org. Membership is free.