It occurs to me that I have not taken the time to introduce my new (well...since September) Americorps member, Fernanda*.
She is not a pre-med competitive swimmer but she is a runner, an honors graduate, tri-lingual, and her parents let her go backpacking to South America when she was a freshman in college. She got as far as Peru, volunteered with an earthquake recovery agency there, and wound up spending six months running their volunteer program.
Her very first week on the job was the airport crash drill (that's her in the second photo, applying moulage to a victim). I asked her to put together folders for the exercise evaluators. She cross-referenced and color-coded them.
In January I assigned her the job of putting on a family preparedness day at the local Home Depot. The manager was so impressed with Fernanda's ideas for children's preparedness games that she forwarded them to corporate.
I am giving my annual guest lecture to the global public health class at That Other University and I asked her to meet with me and brainstorm some ideas. She arrived in my office with an outline, a Powerpoint, and an interactive decision-making roleplay for the students.
I really like the kid, but it's hell trying to live up to her.
She will go far, somewhere else. he he. For now, enjoy her get up and go.
ReplyDeleteAlas, she's already got her sights on a university fellowship in sociology.
ReplyDeleteLucky you to have a real gem and the opportunity to give her a boost up the ladder. Some day, you'll be one of the people she remembers as helping her 'back when.' Meanwhile, it must be a joy to have someone hardworking and competent to work with - but tiring.
ReplyDeleteHow life has changed. It used to be that clever young women like this were considered pushy people who didn't know their proper place. All that barrier smashing seems to have done us all good.