be_ixf;ym_202403 d_29; ct_150 YES! I want to make a difference TODAY!

The good within a hard year

This past year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for all involved. It is easy to look back and only remember the struggles we faced. But I challenge and encourage everyone, like I challenged myself, to find the good in the trials and tribulations.

The skills I have gained and sharpened throughout the last 10 months are endless, but I want to focus on a select few. As a first-year AmeriCorps member, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my service year being virtual or what my role would look like day-to-day. What I can tell you is that each day was a new experience and that is why my first skill I will focus on is flexibility.

It’s important to have a flexible mindset

Showing up every day with a flexible and open mindset has made this journey all the more enjoyable. Whether it is technology issues, a substitute teacher unfamiliar with how our class runs or anything else that has come up, being open and almost expecting things to change daily helped me stay positive. I was able to let go of the frustration I may have had if I was upset “things weren’t going the way they were supposed to.” I know that life doesn’t always go to plan, even if I am an avid planner. With having things out of not only mine, but most peoples’ control allowed me to practice a flexible mindset which in the past has not come easy to me. As I like to say, “Practice makes permanent.” I am so thankful for my new outlook and will carry this competence into everything I do moving forward.

The common comparison to our service year has been to be building a plane while we are in the air and it cannot feel more accurate.

My service year helped me practice problem-solving

The next two skills go hand in hand because I could not have successfully problem solved anything this entire service year without collaboration with my team. Serving virtually has been such a new experience for all involved and with new experiences come new challenges to overcome. To my benefit, I have so many great thought partners at my disposal. My partner teacher, Impact Manager and Team Leader have been instrumental in working with me to use out-of-the-box ideas this entire year. These strong relationships allow these conversations to happen easily and create a safe space for me to think outside of the box without feeling judged.

Collaboration is key

My team and I have also been working as a whole this entire time to figure out how to best serve our scholars during a difficult year. Whether it has been brainstorming ways to get more social connection through a virtual game room or starting an attendance initiative to encourage students to attend classes, we have used our communication and judgement-free attitudes to let ideas flow and thankfully this is where it has led us.

I imagine a typical service year brings so many wonderful opportunities to learn or sharpen a skill, what I couldn’t imagine was serving virtually during a pandemic. This new normal is not something I want to stick around forever, but I am glad that when I look back at my time in City Year, I will be thankful for the grace and patience I was given by my coworkers and students on top of my well-mastered skills of flexibility, problem-solving and collaboration.
About the author: Casey Kleeman is honored to serve on the Northwestern Mutual Team at Clarke Street School and is a proud alum of Marquette University. When asked to reflect on her year of service, Casey said, “The community of Milwaukee has filled my heart so full, and I am so grateful to be able to support and feed into our future leaders of our city and the world. If everyone has a champion in their corner, they will feel unstoppable, and that is what I want for all of my scholars.”

Related stories

Black History Month Programming at City Year Milwaukee   This February, we are honoring Black history, resilience, and achievement both...

Read more about Celebrating Black History Month at City Year Milwaukee 

“The men and women who rode the freedom buses through Alabama, who walked in Montgomery, who knelt in prayer in...

Read more about City Year Milwaukee MLK Day: The Art of Change

On November 8, 2021, City Year Milwaukee hosted our annual Impact and Eggs event. Read the remarks delivered by our...

Read more about Impact and Eggs 2021

Check out the incredible ways our 2020-2021 City Year Milwaukee AmeriCorps members plan to make an impact as alums. 

Read more about Making an impact after City Year
National Strategic Partners
National Partners