During the month of May, City Year joins the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.

Corps members often demonstrate a level of cultural competency, lead in culturally sensitive ways, and develop authentic connections to the diverse group of students with whom they work in our most challenged U.S. public schools. City Year corps members – 7% of whom are Asian – are significant, but often overlooked leaders in the education arena. In this challenging social, political, and economic environment, we are called to continue our track record of ensuring a diverse corps.

We celebrate the work of two of our  dynamic corps members, Jessica Mah and David Chang. We caught up with them to learn more about what led them to City Year and why they think other young Asian Americans should consider a year of service.

What made you decide to serve with City Year?

JM: Every child deserves to not only dream big, but also to be provided the foundation and skills necessary to achieve those dreams. I believe that a solid foundation begins with a quality education that occurs both inside and outside the academic classroom. Today’s youth are the future of our world and as an adult I believe it is my responsibility to set our children up for success.

DC: I decided to serve with City Year because I’m aligned with the mission to address the national dropout crisis through the power of developing relationships to propel students to success. City Year provides the opportunity to serve students beyond the classroom and is an organization that infuses energy and optimism across the city of Boston.

What was the most rewarding experience you’ve had as a City Year corps member?

JM: My most rewarding experience was towards the end of my corps year when my most challenging student, who didn’t want to even pick up a pencil in the beginning of the year, started to show improvements in his academic performance and classroom behavior. This was not only a testament to my hard work throughout the year but most importantly I learned the value of patience, perseverance and never losing the human aspect of our work. Seeing my students succeed was an incredibly rewarding feeling, but I will be forever grateful for the impact they had on my life.

DC: The most rewarding experience has been watching the 7th graders I served as a corps member mature into young adults as 8th graders as I serve as a Team Leader. It has been exciting seeing them prepare for high school and beyond and take ownership over their education by using the skills I helped them develop during my corps year.

Did your family have any reservations about you deciding to serve? If so, how did you address them?

JM: Before I started my corps year, my family did have reservations about my decision to serve. However, once they fully understood City Year’s mission and realized how established the organization is, they were extremely supportive. They saw how happy I was serving with City Year and were proud of me for pursuing what I believed in.

DC: My family has always been very supportive of my time at City Year. I would not have been able to serve without them!

What is are your post City Year plans and how does your City Year experience fit in with your future career plans?

JM: I would love to stay with City Year and continue contributing to its success! I firmly believe in City Year’s mission and thoroughly enjoy its culture and values. I also want to continue investing in City Year because I benefited a lot from this organization during my corps and senior corps year. My corps experience has provided me numerous opportunities to step out of my comfort zone, develop personally and professionally and gain transferrable skills that are vital to my leadership development.

DC: My plan is to continue to be able to serve youth and close the education gap. My City Year experience has been the perfect way for me to be able to complement my past experiences and develop skills to lead teams dedicated to making a difference.

Would you encourage other young Asian Americans to serve, if so, why?

JM: I would whole-heartedly encourage young Asian Americans to serve! If one possesses the ability to serve and discovers a cause they are passionate about, why not serve? The development and opportunities one experiences while serving others are innumerable; it’s a win-win situation: you’re contributing to the successes of the community as well as your own.

DC: I believe everyone should consider the opportunity to give back in some shape or form. The more people partner as a community, the stronger the impact we can make in high need areas need areas.

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In honor of Eli J. Segal, City Year annually recognizes a corps member who most exemplifies the spirit of Eli: a social entrepreneur who is getting things done, by building bridges within their school and community that allow for significant impact and change to occur in a short amount of time.

This year, City Year recognized Gabby Fish, a team leader serving at DC Scholars Stanton Elementary School in Washington, D.C. School Director Caroline John described Gabby as “type of leader that all schools, organizations and teams need” and refers to her as “our superhero.”

We had the opportunity to speak with Gabby about this honor and to learn more about her service and future plans:

Why did you decide to join City Year?

I had an alternative spring break experience during college where I traveled to South Dakota and mentored middle school students on a Native American Reservation – on the reservation I had an overwhelming realization of poverty in our country as I saw how it affected the youth there. After I graduated, I worked for a non-profit called Bread and Water for Africa. While working for them I discovered City Year and fell in love with City Year’s mission. It was a perfect fit because I really wanted to work with youth directly and have a real impact.

What was your most memorable service experience?

Just recently my team took 16 fifth grade students on a retreat to reward them for their peer leadership throughout the school year. It was called the “Send off to Sixth Retreat.” It was a beautiful experience – we did appreciation activities and teambuilding. It was the first time a lot of them had been to the wilderness, and was a phenomenal culminating project for my team and our students.

What did this honor mean to you?

It was really a testament to not just me, but to the teams I have served with. It’s really about Stanton and the progress that has happened there. I don’t see this recognition as me doing the work myself – it also belongs to the administration and the teachers there that have supported us tremendously.

What are your post City Year plans?

Next year I will be serving as a Teach for America corps member at DC Scholars Stanton Elementary School. I will be working as a special education teacher, which is very special to me because I really connected with those students and wanted to be able to focus on them. Eventually I  want to get involved in education reform within the DC public school district, specifically focusing on creating sustainable turnaround models. I have learned so much about how to successfully restructure and turn around a school over the past two years at Stanton, and after four years I will have a wealth of knowledge to share with other struggling schools.

What advice do you have for someone who is considering applying to City Year?

If you’re interested in applying to City Year, come into the experience with an open mind, ready and willing to “moccasin” other people’s experiences. Constantly empathize with those around you – both your students and your teammates. You have to have an open mind with this job to have an effective team and successful corps year. I also recommend visiting schools and sites – you will have a much greater understanding of what City Year is if you do so.

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Collective Impact: A discussion on education #cysummit

May 15, 2012

As part of our National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Jon Schnur of America Achieves moderated a panel of leaders in education. The final question asked was: “Ten years from now, what would you want to be able to be announcing?” Here is what they had to say: “In every city that City Year exists, [...]

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#DecisionDay: Celebrating the decision to serve

May 1, 2012

This guest post is written by Melanie Brennand Mueller, Senior Director of Recruitment, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs at City Year HQ Every morning when I walk into City Year Headquarters, I read one of my favorite quotes prominently displayed on the wall: “Never doubt that a group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.  [...]

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Math Tutoring: Making it Count

April 23, 2012

This guest post is written by Melissa Rowker, National Manager of Math Initatives at City Year HQ Every day, City Year corps members across the country are supporting math learning through classroom assistance, individualized or small group tutoring, homework assistance, events, recognitions, and afterschool activities. In fact, this year alone, City Year corps members have provided math [...]

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When we talk about service, who are we serving?

April 18, 2012

This guest post is written by Darell Hammond, CEO & Founder of KaBOOM! Service is commonly touted as a “feel-good” activity that can help young people develop leadership skills and learn the importance of civic engagement. This is certainly true. But in the absence of meaningful impact, it becomes merely self-service. So how do we [...]

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#ArtofIdealism: Announcing the Grand Prize Winner

April 18, 2012

Congratulations to Diane Joo and Christina Pesavento, ’10 alums of City Year Miami! Their piece, “Cathedral Building” is the grand prize winner of the Art of Idealism art competition! This painting is based on the City Year Founding Story Cathedral Building. Diane is currently abroad in Korea while Christina is serving as a Project Leader of Civic [...]

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#ArtofIdealism: Announcing the Runner Up

April 17, 2012

Congratulations to Brandon Mclaughlin and Kristan Bate, corps members serving in City Year LA at The Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools! Their piece, “A Ripple” is the overal runner up of the Art of Idealism art competition! Based on the City Year Founding Story Ripples, this artwork has a special place in the hearts of [...]

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Announcing the #ArtofIdealism Winners

April 16, 2012

The Art of Idealism art competition has come to a close. The votes have been counted, the final judging has taken place, and below, you can see all 24 winners! Since launching the competition, we received about 400 pieces from all corners of the City Year community, and the Art of Idealism website has been visited more [...]

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City Year South Africa: Celebrating a New Year of Service

April 13, 2012

Today marks the Opening Day celebration for our brothers and sisters serving in Johannesburg, South Africa. This year, 120 City Year South Africa service leaders will be serving in 10 primary schools, delivering important afterschool programs and providing teacher support for math, literacy and life-orientation classes as well as engaging the larger community in physical service. Since [...]

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