Lorenzo Francis
 | “Believe in yourself, believe in the power of others, and success is sure to follow.”O. Lorenzo Francis, Corps Member
City Year Washington, DC |
Lorenzo Francis is a first year corps member currently serving on the Serve DC Whole School Whole Child literacy team at Turner at Green Elementary School in Southeast DC. This year, Lorenzo and his team provide in-class support and literacy tutoring for 4th grade students. In addition, Lorenzo runs an afterschool art and music club that exposes students to different media and genres, and he also assists them with their homework and school work. By the end of the year, Lorenzo and 44 other City Year corps members on Whole School Whole Child teams throughout DC schools will have helped more than 1,100 DC students increase their literacy and math competency, and they will have served as role models and mentors to positively impact their students’ lives.
Originally from New York City, Lorenzo moved to DC to attend college and experience a different kind of city life. After graduating from Georgetown University in the spring of 2008, Lorenzo joined City Year. Lorenzo joined City Year because he was looking for an opportunity to serve children and the DC community. He is considering the possibility of becoming a fulltime teacher and saw City Year as the perfect introduction to gain some in-class experience. Drawn to the chance to work in a school, participate in and lead afterschool programs, and engage parents and other involved community members in education are all aspects of City Year that fulfill his desire to change the educational experience of children.
When asked what inspires him to serve, Lorenzo said that his own experiences in public school instilled in him the power of education. By helping children to become better students, he feels that they will ultimately become more motivated and successful as adults. Through education he hopes to help the students help themselves, which is an ever-increasing necessity during these times of economic and educational crises.
Lorenzo encourages future corps members to approach all children with equal ambition and expectations, because all of them need your help. The most challenging part of his service has been trying to positively influence every student because not every child realizes the need for a strong education. He realized that one of the most important lessons to teach in a year of service is to help children become as passionate and inspired about learning as you are.
Lorenzo has learned that service is not easy but incredibly rewarding. He feels blessed to influence and connect with his students, and he feels that City Year has had a profound impact on his life.