The Best Kind of Leader

“The best kind of leader: one who creates independence, not dependence.”
-Gloria Steinem

With Monday, June 13 as our last day with students, this quote feels especially poignant. This year I saw a 12-point average gain in Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test scores in my focus list students. I saw the students I worked with most makes gains of as many as 22 points. I saw 16 of my students reach proficiency on the WKCE when our first MAP test predicted only a few.

I’ve seen my students grow, and I’ve seen them improve. At the same time, it feels like there’s so much more to do. I don’t know if they’ll get the material if I am not there to help them. I don’t know what kind of decisions they’ll make without my advice. I don’t know what will happen in their lives between now and the day I hope they graduate.

Gloria Steinem’s quote hit me hard today. My leadership is very closely tied to them, but it’s time to let go. It’s time to let them apply the skills I’ve taught them in class. It’s time to give them the opportunity to learn from their own mistakes. It’s time to convince them that they can do this on their own.

I sincerely care about my students and will never forget them. This year I’ve been a tutor, mentor, role model, listener, guitar instructor and much more. For these last few days though, I need to give them independence. I need to forget about how difficult goodbye will be for me. I need to be a leader.

Photo by Andy Dean

Room 307

With only three months of service left in this corps year, it’s really begun to hit me that there will be a day that I walk out of Room 307 for the last time. There will be a day that I lead my last warm-up activity, tutor group and after-school homework club. There will be a day that I’ll say goodbye and won’t be back on Monday.

It may be difficult to know I can’t always be there to help them in class or to talk to them when they’re having a tough day. I can only give all of myself to them this year. I can only hope that my story will inspire someone to dedicate a year of their life to a group of students.

I joined City Year because I wanted to improve the opportunities of others. I joined because I was unwilling to accept the world simply as it is. I joined because I wanted to be someone who acted in a time and place of need. I joined for these reasons, but I serve for the kids in Room 307.

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Join us at our Open House on March 23 to answer your questions, mingle, and learn more about City Year culture. Connect face-to-face with City Year corps members and staff, and other people interested in joining City Year.

Our Open House is a great opportunity to get a real inside look at the what it takes to serve with City Year. Not only are you hearing the experience through the people who are in service now, it’s your chance to get in touch with the vibe, the environment and the people that make up City Year as an organization.

Founding

As a Founding Corps Member of City Year Milwaukee, I’ve found myself thinking lately about what “Founding” really means in our service this year. To me, it’s a state of creation and invention. It’s vision, initiative and follow-through. It’s constantly building, adapting and working to leave a strong legacy for future teams and corps members.

 

I’ve been inspired by the idea that our work today sets the tone for the future of City Year Milwaukee. It will be our work now that makes next year’s corps even stronger. It will be what we learn today that helps future corps members impact more students. It will be our progress now that grows our organization.

 

With that said, I challenge our corps and staff this year to really think about what “Founding” means in their service this year. Let’s create and invent. Let’s found with a vision, with initiative and with follow-through. Let’s build, adapt and work, and let’s pass on a strong legacy to next year’s corps.

 

Never Doubt (Repost)

I remember my first day. I walked into Basic Training Academy with nearly no idea of what to expect as a corps member. I remember my first “crazy team” circle, sitting on the floor getting to know one another through warm-ups and games. I remember our first service project with the Hunger Task Force, carrying huge pieces of furniture out of an abandoned Air Force building in the hot August sun.

I remember my second day. I felt overwhelmed by the City Year culture. I remember feeling worried that I wouldn’t be an effective corps member or tutor and mentor to students. I remember leaving that day feeling like maybe I shouldn’t come back the next day.

It’s been more than four months since that whirlwind first day of intros and service and that intimidating second day of City Year culture and reality, but I decided to stay.

In four months, I feel like I’ve grown more than I did in four years of college. In four months, I’ve begun to learn what it truly means to be both a teammate and a leader. In four months, I’ve seen the impact that national service and City Year can have on a community, city and school.

As I reflect on the first half of my corps year, I am now Mr. Michael of the seventh grade monolingual class at Rogers Street Academy. I am now one of the creators and leaders of our Young Writers after-school club. I am now a member of the City Year Social Media Crew, as well as the Civic Engagement Team.

I am now Michael Grochowski, City Year Milwaukee Founding Corps Member on the Rockwell Automation Team at Rogers Street Academy.

I haven’t missed one day, hour or minute since I left on that second day. The circles, warm-ups and culture of City Year are great. The service, students, corps members, staff and community members will change your life.

If you have the opportunity to apply, to interview and to hopefully serve with City Year, please take the chance. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Never doubt that you can be one of them.

Michael, sorting toys with Senior Corps Member, Emily

Thanksgiving Service

City Year Milwaukee helped the Salvation Army prepare for the holidays last Friday with a powerful day of service readying donations for distribution.

The Corps split into two groups with a common cause. One group sorted through various items of food, while the other sorted through cosmetics, clothes and jewelry. Both groups brought the positive energy and excitement of a morning Unity Rally to an afternoon of service.

 

Last Friday’s service was inspirational,” Jeni Foshey, City Year Milwaukee Operations Manager, said. “Not only were we able to support an amazing cause, but the Corps approached it with such great energy. There were points when the service looked like it was a choreographed show -boxes flying, people smiling, and everyone working together to get the job done.”

The aforementioned Salvation Army location is at 6000 W Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee. Prospective volunteers can contact Joy Alexander at 414-302-4300 ext 2163