I am completing a second year of service, this time as an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader. I work for Campus Compact of New York and Pennsylvania as one of two VISTA Leaders for a cohort of 30+ VISTAs serving at higher education institutions throughout New York and Pennsylvania. I provide project and professional development support to the cohort. I assist with the planning and executing of various retreats, workshops and regional meetings. I oversee and organize a monthly blog, our VISTA buddy program, and publish our monthly VISTA newsletter.

I completed a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with Pennsylvania Campus Compact, serving at Shippensburg University (SU). I worked out of the Career and Community Engagement Center at SU and focused the majority of my work on two local nonprofits, Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition and Shippensburg Produce and Outreach. I co-wrote grants, researched potential funding sources, chaired a fundraising planning committee, recruited volunteers, created promotional information and promoted events through social media, and oversaw the management of a weekend backpack feeding program that served approximately 70 students each week. I also supervised an MSW intern for the duration of the fall and spring semester and assisted with several events hosted by the Career and Community Engagement Center.

I worked on four different research projects for PCAR providing data analysis both quantitative and qualitative, and wrote up results for approximately 50 PCAR funded centers. I completed one project independently and then worked for three years as part of team that coded and analyzed data from all of their funded rape crisis centers.

As the only employee of this nonprofit, I was responsible for a variety of tasks. I managed a nearly $100,000 county grant each year. I wrote additional grants, implemented prevention programming in multiple school districts for students elementary through high school, planned and executed various community events, completed all reporting requirements and budget information, supervised volunteers (including BSW interns), and collaborated with community partners to maximize our limited resources.

I ensured the hygienists and doctors stayed on schedule, a minimum of four patients per hour, by managing instrument sterilization, taking dental x-rays, charting oral health, and communicating treatment plans with parents.

This was my field placement during my MSW program, which consisted of 270 hours during the fall semester and 230 hours during the spring semester. While interning at the NSVRC, I created and implemented a self-care group for staff. I was an active member of various workgroups to prevent sexual violence including the diversity and language access workgroups. There was a heavy focus on campus sexual violence and the intersections of oppression and discrimination with sexual violence. I attended multiple webinars, conferences, and was part of conversations on effective prevention. I assisted with staff trainings and responded to technical assistance requests from constituents.

I assisted 10 social work facility members with numerous tasks for a variety of research projects, from information gathering to writing literature reviews, to data entry.

This BSW internship placement was 450 hours, Tuesday through Friday for the spring semester. During this internship I helped plan, execute, and evaluate various community events. One of those events was Ladies Night Out, which focuses on women's health and served nearly 600 women. I collaborated with diverse groups and multiple agencies that were located within the human services center including the food pantry, juvenile and adult probation, department of aging, children and youth services and so on. I also created and co-presented a bullying prevention session to approximately 30 local children.

I ensured the hygienists and doctors stayed on schedule, a minimum of four patients per hour, by managing instrument sterilization, taking dental x-rays, charting oral health, and communicating treatment plans with parents.

As a head cook, I supervised 2-3 kitchen assistants and provided oversight of meal preparation, serving, and clean-up for 100+ guests. As the summer craft instructor, I was responsible for planning and leading crafts for all campers toddler through adult each week. I also managed a small budget for craft supplies.