VISTA Spotlight: Michaela Mallory

Meet Michaela Mallory

Michaela Mallory is an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving at Berea College! Her area of focus is the CELTS program, which stands for the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service. Michaela shares how AmeriCorps has impacted her this past year in the following interview!

What was your favorite part of serving in AmeriCorps this past year?

In this past year my favorite part of serving in AmeriCorps was getting to be a part of the VISTA Committee and connect and make friends with other VISTAs as well as the opportunity to learn more about the AmeriCorps program itself.

What was your most favorite part about serving on your site?

 My favorite part about serving with my site was being able to reconnect with the same organization I worked with as a student and be able to provide my experiences as a previous student to the work that we do.

What project did you enjoy the most this past year?

A project I enjoyed this past year was when I got the chance to give a presentation on the erasure of black women in history. This topic is often overlooked and I enjoyed being able to shed some light on it.

What skills did you learn during your year of service? 

Skills that I learned during my year of service were setting appropriate boundaries, being adaptable, and being more confident in my skills and experiences.

Your proudest achievement? 

My proudest achievement has been being able to bring my perspective to multiple facets of my work and to the work of others and to be able to learn about the perspectives that other’s hold.

What do you want to do after serving? 

After serving, I would like to take steps to getting a master’s and eventually doctorate. AmeriCorps has given me the opportunity to hone skills in a safe environment that I can now use to pursue my education and career goals.

What do you want to impart to future VISTAs?

I want future VISTAs to remember that you cannot serve others well until you serve yourself. It can be hard to remember ourselves in our work, but your wellbeing makes a huge difference in everything you do. You deserve the kindness you share with others.

Favorite hobby? 

I like reading and playing video games.