Our stories
Read a collection of stories and learn from the perspectives and experiences of our City Year AmeriCorps members, students, partners and alums.
![](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Digital-Use-RGB_Red_Portrait_CHI_10.18_FromBelow_Breaks_ehaney_120-585x332.jpg)
When Lisa Owusu first moved to Jacksonville for a year of service with City Year, she never imagined that she…
Read the story![](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/V3-585x332.jpg)
As we celebrate a decade of service to the Jacksonville community, it’s impossible to overlook the significant contributions of Veronika…
Read the storyDestiny Harden, City Year Jacksonville AmeriCorps member, shares how she helped one of her fourth-grade students make significant progress in…
Read the story![AmeriCorps member in Jacksonville, Florida talking with a student.](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CYJax_ColbyStarfish-585x332.jpeg)
“I know what it felt like to get left behind,” says Colby, a Service Leader serving his second year with…
Read the storyCity Year Jacksonville alum Chelsea Sanders is now a teacher at the same school she served in. Read how she…
Read the story![](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Jax_MLK20_Markale-585x332.jpg)
Working in schools can push you to a breaking point, but there will be progress.
Read the story![City Year Alum, Emily Wasek, poses with her partner teacher at a Duval County Public School.](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/JAX-Emily-Wasek-Alum2-585x332.jpg)
City Year Jacksonville alum Emily Wasek shares when she knew that she was responsible for great change in her students’…
Read the story![AmeriCorps members stand in front of a colorful mural with their red jackets on.](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/JAX20_NSTeam-585x332.jpg)
City Year Jacksonville AmeriCorps member Ray Van Allen chose to serve to spend time after college and before graduate school…
Read the storyThe safety and well-being of our City Year AmeriCorps members, students, staff, partners and broader communities we serve is always…
Read the story![](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ACM-parade-585x332.png)
For three hours, City Year marched the streets of downtown Jacksonville calling out, “We get to serve today and every…
Read the story![A city year americorps member standing on story above and looking down at a school courtyard full of students](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CYLA-93rdStElem-05.18-EHaney-0069-585x332.jpg)
One of our guiding stories, “The Starfish Story,” is used to describe a student our AmeriCorps members know they made…
Read the story![](https://www.cityyear.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Allishia-Bauman-585x332.png)
As a native of Jacksonville, Allishia Bauman is City Year Jacksonville’s Chief of Staff and is involved in a number…
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