AmeriCorps Alums in the White House!

Last week, we were afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  We were invited to attend a meeting at the White House!  When Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums, Ben Duda, sent an email a couple weeks ago offering a chance to RSVP to attend an all-day summit at the heart of national government, we were skeptical.  As incredible as it sounded, it sounded too unreal to be true.  I did not anticipate being chosen.

Much to our surprise, a couple weeks later, we were sent official word that we were, in fact, invited to the White House.  The excitement was palpable as we made plans to embark, a week later, on this incredible journey.

When we dug deeper into research about this opportunity, we learned that our meeting was part of a series hosted by the White House called Champions of Change.  The series honors everyday Americans who are doing great things and making positive change in their areas of expertise.  Our event was focused on alumni of AmeriCorps.  Around 150 of us were invited as participants, while 12 were honored directly as Champions.

Our morning started bright and early at 8:00am with a group photo in front of the White House.  My friend and I even saw what we were pretty sure was Bo, the Obamas’ family dog, run by across the yard!

From there, after receiving our badges from security, our group was led in to an auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office.  Only after this visit did I learn of the Eisenhower building.  Though the iconic White House serves as the home for the Presidential family and houses many important items of memorabilia, much of the work done by the administration happens in another building on the White House grounds: the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administrative Building.  It was here, at this hub of productivity, that we spent our day.

Once settled in the auditorium, we were greeted by Victoria McCullough, a staff member with the Office of Public Engagement, who guided us through our upcoming day.  Ben Duda, Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums, also welcomed us to the event.

From there, the formal morning programming began.  Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff, graced us with a brief welcome.  Mr. Lew told us how he had been involved in the initial talks about founding the Corporation, and was proud to say that now, AmeriCorps is “at the point of political recognition because AmeriCorps Alums are a bi-partisan, with both Democratic and Republican supporters.”  It was the beginning of a great series of reassurances that the members of this administration already believed in the value of AmeriCorps!

Next, Wendy Spencer, Executive Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service, spoke.  Ms Spencer’s relatively recent entrance to her position meant that her enthusiasm was glowing and contagious.  She spoke brightly of the work done by AmeriCorps members, and offered some impressive statistics.  Among others, she noted:

-          AmeriCorps members have served over one billion hours

-          There are now over 750,000 AmeriCorps alums

What exciting numbers!  After, Ms. Spencer proceeded to ask us in the audience for stories of how our AmeriCorps service time had been influential.  Many, many alums volunteered their experiences.  From a teacher who influenced a dropout child to go back to school, to a Kenyan man who applied his service knowledge back to his home in Kenya, to an NCCC alum who rebuilt some of the few structures on the Gulf to survive being pummeled by massive hurricanes, the stories we heard were heartfelt and inspiring.  

Jon Carson, White House Director of Public Engagement, who is himself a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, was also involved in early work with AmeriCorps.  He spoke about how “there’s a political debate right now about what role federal government should have with service” given the current economic climate.  In spite of this, he wanted to assure us that the federal government of this administration was on the side of service, which was an overarching theme for the day.  Mr. Carson was very interested in the perception of federal government in service, and solicited advice from the larger audience about how the federal government should be involved. 

We also heard from Macon Phillips, Director of Digital Strategy, who is himself an AmeriCorps Alum.  He proudly wore his old program shirt, which he told us his wife wouldn’t let him wear anymore.  Mr. Phillips’s talk was lively and entertaining.  His most poignant thought, we felt, was his opinion that the role of government, like the role of service, was to create capacity for others.  Further, we could all relate when he noted that AmeriCorps alums weren’t the kind of people who did their year of service, then decided to go back to being a jerk again.  We are of the informed and active citizenry, and this is a vital asset to our country. 

These talks were just the beginning.  Over lunch, we were invited to attend a variety of breakout sessions, ranging from topics as diverse as education, veterans affairs, and engaging young Americans.  The sessions were led by senior members of the various offices who were most directly involved with the various topics. 

Though I can only speak for the session I attended, the breakout session was perhaps the best part of the day.  Luke Tate, a policy maker at the White House, led a discussion called “Economic Opportunity: Alleviating Poverty and Community Development,” in which he asked the group what ideas we had for how the federal government could work to enhance the capacity of organizations, and how they could improve upon existing government programs. 

In addition to being an enlightening, interesting, and multi-sided conversation, what struck me the most was Mr. Tate’s sincere engagement with us.  After each person spoke, Mr. Tate replied thoughtfully and honestly to their main points, explaining programs that were already in place or were in planning stages that were addressing their concerns, or taking notes about issues that were yet unaddressed.  Throughout the conversation, it was evident that Mr. Tate was seeking out our advice, and that he really appreciated our ideas and concerns.  I left feeling extremely well-supported by the White House administration, and much more confident in our federal government’s good intentions. 

After lunch, we re-convened in the auditorium to hear more about the Champions of Change.  As mentioned, this program highlights everyday Americans who are doing extraordinary work in their fields.  We met the twelve recipients of the Champions of Change award through their time answering questions on a panel.  Many of the questions came from a moderator, but they also solicited audience advice.

The Champions came from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, but each was an Alum of an AmeriCorps program.  Many still work in the non-profit sector, often as a direct outgrowth from their term of service.  Others have found roles for themselves in the corporate world in which they incorporated service to their companies.  There was also an Olympic hopeful in the sport of Skeleton.

While all were replete with great advice, some of our favorite advice came from one of the ladies who worked in Corporate Social Responsibility.  When asked how to translate our AmeriCorps service into meaningful job experience on a resume, she offered three key pieces of advice:

1.       Spin translation: present your AmeriCorps service in the kind of terminology that matches what the employer is looking for.

2.       Find a mentor: learning how others have paved the way in similar circumstances can be tremendously helpful in carving out your own career path.

3.       Be quantitative: companies like to see measurable results of success, so any numbers you can offer to show your achievements are a good idea for a corporate resume.

They also reminded us that AmeriCorps is already taking the unconventional path, in the grand scheme of things, so don’t be afraid to continue taking the way of the unconventional.  If there isn’t a job out there for you, don’t be afraid to try to make one. 

After the panels, we also had a surprise speaker.  No, it was not who you think.  It was, however, an AmeriCorps Alum who is an Olympic medalist.  Tim Morehouse had only landed in the United States after the London games two days prior, where he competed with the men’s fencing team.  He joked that by referring to him as a “special guest” we had really been set up for disappointment.  However, his inspiring talk about how his AmeriCorps service had influenced his Olympic success was special.  Mr. Morehouse challenged us all to go out and recruit more AmeriCorps members.  He himself had already been talking up Teach for America, his alma mater of service, to the White House intern who had been helping us throughout the day. 

Though the entire day was inspiring and thought-provoking, by the end, I think we were all a little tired, so the last speech came at exactly the right time.  Ben Duda, Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums, energized everyone with his enthusiasm and calls to action.  He also shared his progress in his work to increase AmeriCorps reputability with an exciting announcement: for all Points of Light applications, there will be a specific question asking applicants to list all of their volunteer experience, including AmeriCorps experience.  It’s an exciting step in the right direction. 

We all left our nation’s capital early the next morning feeling re-energized in our commitment to service. It is not often we have the chance to meet so many influential people in our field in such an incredible setting, and we gained tremendous insight, inspiration, and confidence from the whole experience.  We hope to carry this passion and energy beyond the walls of the White House, and to continue to live out the AmeriCorps pledge to Get Things Done!    

(from left) Bevin Callan, Caitlin Closser, Meggan Runner