As Virginia's AmeriCorps Ambassador for June 2018, Morgan is excited to share her story and show what it is like to serve as an AmeriCorps member. Morgan, an AmeriCorps member with CASA de Maryland - Edu-Futuro Moving Forward!, says she became extremely curious about the world of nonprofits during her senior year of college. She explains, "Prior to this point, I had volunteered for various organizations and wanted to make a bigger commitment to public service. Because I was raised by Jamaican immigrant parents, I felt passionate about serving others who were also a part of a underrepresented group in some capacity. When I found out about AmeriCorps, I decided to sign up as a chance to give back to my local community and to learn more about the ins and outs of a small nonprofit organization. I had no idea that this decision would completely change how I envisioned my future career goals for the better."

Morgan says being an AmeriCorps member has opened her eyes to the high need for resources for immigrant families in the Northern Virginia area. She says, "By serving at an organization that provides leadership and empowerment services to others,  I have been able to see the difference that these services make on an individual and a family. AmeriCorps has given me the opportunity to not only serve, but to allow others to give back by giving me the skills to recruit other passionate individuals to donate their time and energy to our clients."

"During my time at Edu-Futuro, I have obtained other transferable skills such as working with a diverse set of individuals, coordinating projects, and managing volunteers effectively. However, the biggest lesson that I have learned through my service year is that I now am confident that my purpose in life is to work for something greater than myself- by serving others who cannot yet fully provide for themselves. I hope through service, I am able to help empower others to become self-sufficient and inspire them to pay it forward by helping others in their community." 

On the Rewards of Service (#WhyIServe)

"After late nights in the library and ongoing battles with my mentees’ seniorities the wait is finally over! As of July 3, my seven high school seniors are officially college-bound! I will miss my weekly meetings with them, but I know that they’ll strive at their respected post-secondary institutions."

On Losing Track of Time at Volunteer Events (#VolunteeringIsFun)

"When you’re busy enjoying the face painting, moon bouncing, corn eating and bubble blowing at our 1^st Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day — time flies and suddenly you only have 30 minutes to #GetThingsDone and get all 72 guests out before the event reservation ends!" On Finding a Sense of Community (#ServiceBringsCommunitiesTogether) "One of my favorite memories of my AmeriCorps year was helping Edu-Futuro with their Annual Anniversary Celebration. Through this event, I heard inspiring stories about the students and families who have benefited from Edu-Futuro’s programs. One thing that stuck with me was that many of the people in attendance were community partners and volunteers. I found this event to be uplifting, as I met others who wanted to positively impact their community through service." Read more Volunteer Stories! Submit a Story!