Catherine and I are extremely excited to join the North Carolina Campus Compact VISTA family. We feel as if there has not been a moment to breathe! Moving, trying to get settled and getting oriented to our new positions all seemed to happen in a flash and before we knew it, we were packing to head to Dallas for VISTA Leader Pre-Service orientation.
Catherine and I both directly came into
this position from our VISTA year without taking a break, so we are still
pumped up with energy and all that we have experienced in the past year.
My service year was in Bridgeport, CT and Catherine's in Cincinnati, OH and you
can read our full bios on the VISTA Annex.
So Catherine and I were not able to be roommates and we were
assigned to different facilitators which meant we had the opportunity to
experience different styles of presentation and different groups of people
which was perfect. It was really interesting to meet so many different VISTA
Leaders from all walks of life: from Florida to Alaska, from six months into
their service to those who have barely started and Leaders in their 20's to
leaders in their 70's. I always encourage everyone to derive from the
experience of those around us. People are your best resource and just listening
to their stories can provide a whole different aspect to our viewpoint.
Over the three days, our facilitators
threw a ton of information at us. The days whizzed by talking about leadership,
connecting with members spread out over a large regional distance and serving
as a resource. Something I paid attention to this time around is not only the
content, but the style of facilitation as well. All of us at some point at a
conference often feel as if the information is not pertinent to us. I learned
that a lot can be gained from just watching these presenters. What did they do?
How did they create a safe space? How did they engage those who were less vocal
than others? These are all important cues I picked up that I hope we will be
able to deliver to all the VISTA members over the year.
One thing I learned that I will forever
utilize is the ability to look at the positives. Yes, it is important to
improve upon ourselves and our projects but we often forget to look at what is
going right and what can go right. We did several activities that asked us to
focus just on the positives and I realized how much I have to look forward to
this year.
Our theme for the training was to connect with the heart and lead
with the mind. We are all leaders, even if we don't realize it. At home for
younger siblings or other family members, among our friends or at school and
work- we all fulfill some kind of leadership role. A good leader is able to
inspire a shared vision and model the way for those they lead. We all can make
a difference and it is important to focus on not only the goals, but also the
people that are part of the process.
Catherine and I can go on for hours about
all the specific training on diversity, distance leadership, leadership models,
icebreakers and the countless conversations we had. We were also able to
connect with several other Campus Compact VISTA leaders and it was interesting
to see how similar we were in structure and function. We will put together a
resource folder with all that we learned for future reference. For now, we are
glad that we were able to attend this PSO and we know that this is only the
beginning of a knowledge packed year. I will leave you with these strong words
from Catherine, who has perfectly summarized our experience:
Last week at the VISTA Leader PSO I spent
4 days being inundated with information about my role as leader. Learning and
sharing experiences with my fellow VISTA leaders was a powerful lesson in the
creation of community. Almost instantly, a group of 60 strangers was united by
our passion for service and for ensuring our VISTAs have the best possible
experience.
I encourage all of you to find and create
communities during your service term, both personally and professionally. If
you’re looking to connect with other VISTAs in your area, use the VISTA map. Try using your college’s alumni network to
make local connections with your alma mater. Use websites like idealist.org and
meetup.com to find
events that interest you. Find communities that enrich your personal
life. For me, that’s finding a local book club, a knitting circle and a masters
swim team. Putting down roots in your community, whether you’re a native
North Carolinian or from out of state, will make your VISTA year more fulfilling.
Your VISTA term will fly by- you’re almost
half way done! The holiday break provides an excellent opportunity for
reflection. Reflect on the connections you’ve already made, the ones you want
to deepen, and the ones you have yet to make!-Catherine
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