Alumni Spotlight: Wolf Reese Finds His Path While Working With Students

Wolf Reese didn’t expect City Year to change the course of his life—but it did. From navigating culture shock at Cornell to discovering his passion for tech and education equity, Wolf’s journey is a powerful reminder of how one year of service can open unexpected doors and reveal new opportunities. Read on to learn how City Year helped shape his purpose—and his path.

Q: What Inspired You to Join City Year?
A: I was inspired to join City Year because of my experience navigating college. I grew up in East Cleveland, Ohio, and was fortunate to attend Cornell University—but transitioning from a low-income, inner-city background to an Ivy League campus was a real culture shock. I struggled academically and quickly saw how much more preparation and support many of my peers had access to.

I’d always been interested in computers, so I enrolled in an Intro to Computer Science course. But I felt discouraged right away when the professor said he’d skip material we “should’ve” learned in high school—I didn’t even know Computer Science was taught in high schools! (I got a D in that class—don’t tell my current job.) Moments like that repeated throughout my time there and fueled a passion in me to support students from similar backgrounds.

I began exploring programs focused on education equity and initially looked into Teach For America, but since I didn’t finish my degree, I wasn’t eligible. That’s when I found City Year—and honestly, it was a better fit. I was drawn to its emphasis on mentorship, relationship-building, and helping students thrive beyond the traditional classroom.

Q: What are some of your first memories of your City Year experience?
A: One of my first memories of City Year was honestly feeling a bit… caught off guard by the strong organizational culture we were thrown into at orientation. All the chants and bright yellow jackets in a big circle felt a little cultish at first—but it grew on me! I say this because, at first, I wasn’t sure City Year would be for me. So to anyone who feels that way early on: give it a chance :). Once we got into our schools and started doing the work, it all started to click. That’s when I really began to understand the purpose behind City Year’s vibrant culture.

Q: How did City Year influence your career path?
A: City Year couldn’t have been more critical in directly influencing my career path. I had always dreamed of working in tech, but without the opportunities City Year gave me—through both practical skills and networking—I honestly don’t know if I ever would have pursued that dream. I didn’t have exposure to computer science growing up, which made the traditional path into tech feel nearly impossible to break into without academic or professional experience.

During City Year, we taught a coding curriculum in our after-school STEM enrichment class. These were, of course, my favorite lessons to teach—both because of my personal interests and because I wanted to give our students the exposure to computer science that I didn’t have. I was inspired to start teaching myself to code so I could bring more back to my students. They especially loved a lesson I created where they made Roblox games!

These experiences became the key points on my resume that helped me land my very next position after City Year: working as a counselor at Apple headquarters for their summer engineering camp. After that summer ended, I started my first role as a Software Developer intern at SAP.

That opportunity came through a connection I made at the City Year gala the year I served. The honoree that year was the CEO of SAP, and since the staff knew I had an interest in tech, they introduced us. I spoke to him about how important City Year was—not just for the students we served, but for me personally—and how it motivated me to pursue my own passions. He forwarded my name along, and that ultimately got me the interview for the internship.

After that, I joined Google to teach computer science to high schoolers from high-need communities in their “Code Next” program. I met my future manager at City Year’s “18-Minute Networking” event for Corps members. She told me during the session that she was in the early stages of launching the program. When the time came to hire, she remembered me and ended up being my interviewer. The skills I brought into that role were a direct result of what I learned in our after-school classroom and from the technical experience City Year helped connect me to at SAP.

Q: How does the news of the defunding of AmeriCorps feel?
A: City Year reminded me how important it is to consider perspectives beyond your own when making decisions about whether—and how—a community should be supported. Even though I came from a similar economic background to many of my students, I still learned so much from them about their cultures and lived experiences.

Before serving in East San José, California, I hadn’t thought much about the remarkable ability of bilingual students to navigate multiple languages from a young age, or the unique challenges they might face with early reading and writing. City Year gave me the chance to walk alongside students whose shoes were different from mine—and that changed me.

I think when programs like City Year face a lack of support, it often stems from a lack of understanding about the day-to-day realities of the students they serve.

That’s why I was especially disheartened to read about the proposed AmeriCorps funding cuts. I’ve seen firsthand the difference these programs make—not only for the students, but for the Corps members as well. Our school had an incredible and dedicated staff, but it was still under-resourced in many ways. City Year helped fill in critical gaps and provided the added support students needed to thrive. I honestly can’t imagine what it would have been like without it.

Defunding feels completely backwards and misguided. Too often, decisions like this are made without listening to the voices of those most affected. And to me, it reflects a broader lack of empathy for the communities who rely on programs like AmeriCorps.

I sincerely hope AmeriCorps weathers this moment—and that our leaders choose to invest in, rather than abandon, the students and communities who need them most. I truly believe they’d change course if they spent even one day as a City Year Corps member and experienced firsthand the impact of this work.

Q: What was your favorite thing about your City Year experience?
A: My favorite thing about my City Year experience was being on the ground making a tangible impact, and the people I got to work with. The teammates that served alongside me at our school site, as well as other Corps members who served at different schools (like my roommates!), became real friends. Our school had amazing teachers and staff that we supported and that supported us. I also really appreciated everyone else across the organization from our site’s Executive Director to the teaching coaches and development team – all genuinely passionate about making a difference for both the students and Corps members.

Above all, working with the students themselves was my absolute favorite part. It was incredibly fulfilling to see their growth academically, behaviorally, in their overall confidence, etc first hand. Witnessing those breakthrough moments in tutoring, their excitement to learn during engaging after-school lessons, and even just playing games outside. I know it’s just how time works haha, but I often think about how wild it is that the 4th/5th grade students we had then are now adults! I’m confident that their experiences with City Year back then stayed with them and positively influenced their paths.

Q: What is your advice to someone considering a year of service with City Year?
A: My advice to young adults considering a year of service with City Year is simple: do it. It gave me the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of others, and changed my life too in the process. I love what I do now, but it still does not compare to how meaningful my work with City Year felt and how much it inspired me to continue advancing educational equity beyond my year of service.