Marquisha Henderson- CM, Thomas Jefferson Ninth Grade Academy
THESE ARE MY BOOTS THAT I DESIGNED. SO I COULD NOT ONLY ‘TALK THE TALK’, BUT ALSO ‘WALK THE WALK’.
Beginning
My first taste of City Year was like nothing I had ever experienced. If I had to describe it I would say at times it was like a sweet nectar, fulfilling and so engaging, and at other times like lemon, a little tart and maybe even hard to swallow. But at the end of the day, my experience with City Year was definitely self-changing.
I still remember making the 12 hour drive to Cleveland thinking to myself “Did I really leave Memphis for Cleveland?” The obvious answer was yes, yes I did. You see, I was ready to become a part of something bigger than myself. I was ready to experience life outside of my original Tennessee perimeters. I knew absolutely nothing about Cleveland (besides that the weather was bipolar, the winters were harsh, and the high school drop-out rate was amongst one of the highest in the country). Yet, I arrived in Cleveland where it was 80 degrees Fahrenheit, (which is 15 degrees less than the average Memphis summer day) and I was ready to work.
Aug 1st was my first day with City Year. I spent the day filling out paperwork and meeting “the corps”, your typical new hire orientation/registration. I found myself pleased with the structure and organization of what I was imagining City Year to be. There were 49 other people in the room that were all different from me and anyone who knows me knows that I liked diversity. I guess you could say “I found what I was looking for.” City Year has a culture that’s distinctly its own (in uniform there is no jaywalking, no chewing gum, no earphones, and always using power courtesy).
My first few months, I walked. I walked and I walked. I walked and I rode the bus everywhere I needed to go. It was hot and I won’t forget to mention that my apartment had no air conditioning; I repeat NO AIR. I’m a southern girl and having no air felt like a death sentence. But at the end of it all, what I liked most was that City Year has Putting Idealism To Work. PITW#8 *bing* “City Year-ize” Everything. Literally, it was telling me to exemplify my City Year values, teachings, techniques, ideas and more in everything I do.
School Days
I received my assignment and was please that it was to Thomas Jefferson Ninth Grade Academy (TJ) along with 1 team leader and 9 other corps members. TJ is a 2 year old school located on the Westside of Cleveland. I took public transportation which in total was a 1 hour 20 minute commute from Cleveland Heights. In the beginning my team was good, and just like any team or group personalities and leadership styles began to clash. Personally, I was involved and experienced this for myself. I’m outgoing, ambitious, goal-oriented, creative, but most importantly I like to lead. Remember my claims to like diversity? Well, after the 1st month of being in the schools and working with my team, I felt like that way of thinking for me was beginning to fade.
Don’t get me wrong, I like my team, but I just wasn’t used to having others around me with having just as strong personalities. Yet, we were all full of energy, opinions, ideas, and different perspectives. Despite our personality clashes, we worked through it all and at the end of the day I believe it was for the better of our team. There were many days of exhaustion from students, City Year’s culture, and my own personal problems(because apparently life doesn’t stop during the City Year). Our summer was gone, the fall came and went, and before we knew it, it was winter. It was C-O-L-D (I mean 7 degrees cold), and we were still expected to do Physical Training (PT). I’ll be honest with you, after awhile…
City Year, why do we do PT?
Are you ready to perform Front-Side-Back-Side-Front?
Motivation Check, City Year!
Ten 3-Count Jumping Jacks, begin!
…had become tiring and overwhelming in the Cleveland winter.
December
Finally, winter break had arrived. It was finally time for me to go home and see my family. I was excited and anxious to come home. At times I really believed that I could smell Memphis air in the Cleveland winter air. During my 12-hour drive home I thought about everything I had experienced and learned during the past 5 months. I loved the relationship I had built with my students, I liked the friendships I made within the corps, but I couldn’t figure out why I felt beaten by City Year.
Of course it was a challenging program; I had anticipated that. It was that I had found myself with financial issues. This was the lemon of my year. Because of outside circumstances my stipend was no longer enough; therefore, I was forced to work a part-time job. So, in addition to my 45-50 hour week at school I was also working in a clothing store. I was physically tired and mentally exhausted, almost to the point of wanting to give up. Yet, as I drove all I could think about was “Why I Serve?” I dedicated my red jacket to hope, because I have a burning desire that when I wear my jacket I will make change. Indeed, I was making change, but I had lost focus of my initial motivation for serving. I questioned myself about what I needed to do to regain focus.
The only answer was to change the way I was thinking.
My thinking was screwed up. I allowed my financial issues to get in the way of my desires and more importantly, my hope. I realized that my team needed me more than I needed and wanted my financial issues to go away.
PITW#28: Build Every Relationship With “CIA”– Communication, Involvement, and Appreciation.
January
I was reenergized. I refocused and arrived with a new attitude. I was ready to continue making change. I was ready to see my students’ faces. The team that I had once viewed as good was now great. The team dynamic had reached an all-time high.
Our adrenaline was pumping, ideas were flying, and our visions were being put into action.
However, by the second week of January, it was official that I would be leaving City Year and returning to Memphis because of family issues that required my presence.
Because of this I experienced an array of emotions. I was upset and disappointed. I was going to have to face my team and the corps and give them the news. I prolonged the announcement as long as I could. Our team was already facing sadness due to our Program Manager leaving. When the time came for my announcement, I was nervous. All eyes were on me as I delivered the news: some sighed, some shook their heads, and others gave me a look (OMG Qui…really?). I felt as though I let my team down, as well as the entire corps.
Did I work hard for 6 months for it all to be wasted?
No. Everything I’ve done was for good. When I reflect over the past 6 months, I find joy. I learned things about myself that I wouldn’t have without City Year. I learned to find success in all things. I learned to look outside of myself and be the change that I wish to see. I learned to be more open. I learned skills that will advance me in my career. I learned event planning and execution. Sadly, I don’t have enough space to write everything that City Year has taught me. At the end of the day, however, City Year remains to taste sweet like nectar, joyful and fulfilling.
So to my City Year, I say thank you and goodbye. Thank you for your time and dedication to me. Although I may not be around, please, know that I will never forget the difference City Year has made in me.
Aristotle wrote “change in all things is sweet.”
City Year Cleveland 