A college senior’s worst nightmare is realizing that graduation is right around the corner. 

It’s a topic my family especially likes to bring up from time to time. So of course while I was home for Thanksgiving break, I not only ate tons of turkey and potatoes, but they got me thinking about my future. 

I knew I had options, but I did not know where to begin. Luckily, UVM holds a job fair each semester with more than 150 employers, and I signed up to attend. 

While reviewing the list of possibilities, I came across three that really interested me. 

One of these options was City Year, and when I arrived at the fair, I went to their table first. 

As soon as I made eye contact with the representative, I was welcomed to the table and began signing up for the application process. 

To me, it seemed effortless and comforting. At that point I knew I wanted to work with these people and this organization next year – I did not even go to the other two tables that had appealed to me earlier!

Afterward, I went back home and researched what City Year was all about. I found that City Year’s mission is to help address the issues that challenge our nation’s education system. 

The program, which is part of AmeriCorps, works in over 240 schools in 25 cities across the U.S., as well as in London, Birmingham and South Africa. 

City Year’s main goal is to ensure that 80 percent of the students in the schools that City Year serves reach 10th grade on time and are on track to graduate. 

City Year serves communities where the dropout challenge is most concentrated, ultimately serving in the cities that account for two-thirds of the nation’s urban dropouts. 

Members provide the students with extra academic, emotional and social support. 

They work as tutors, mentors and leaders by focusing on students’ ABC’s: attendance, behavior and course work. 

The idea of helping students definitely grabbed my attention, but what made me pursue City Year was learning that I would be working with a diverse group of college and high school graduates ranging from 18 to 25 years-old. 

Many think the people who work for City Year are only interested in becoming teachers or educators after their year of service, but City Year attracts a well-rounded group, many of whom continue on to work in many different career fields. 

Written by Lauren Schlanger, class of 2014