NCCC Atlantic Region Class 18 Induction Ceremony Speech by Class 17 NCCC Alumna Kiera Westfall
Hello and welcome to the NCCC Atlantic region Class XVIII Induction ceremony. My name is Kiera Westfall. I am a proud alumna of the Atlantic Region's Class XVII Corps, specifically as a member of the Raven Five and Phoenix Three teams. Currently I am serving in Philadelphia as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger and the Deputy Director of the Mayor. I want to first thank the staff of this campus for bestowing upon me this honor today. By representing all of the past and current AmeriCorps members serving, I want to officially congratulate and welcome you into our service family. One year ago I sat in the same seat you are now. I had no idea what to expect. I was still feeling nervous around my new teammates. Mostly though I just remember the excitement I felt to finally begin the months of direct service that I had committed myself to. I wanted to experience new communities. I wanted to be a physical part of a larger force for change. I know
that many of you are thinking these things now. So today I will not recite my NCCC experience. My journey was my own, as yours will be. Each team's year will look very different. Instead I want to leave you with a list- the most important lessons I learned during my year. I hope they offer a bit of wisdom, something to consider as you depart and officially begin your year.
My first lesson: Don't just serve, live! Every community you visit this year will have its own set of characteristics and quirks. Take the time to explore each one. Support the economies of local businesses as much as you can. By exploring an area, you can discover the needs of the residents and the most effective ways to solve problems. It is also a wonderful opportunity to inform residents how your team is serving. The memories of your connection to a place and its people will outlast the project outcomes.
Secondly, understand that you may not change the world with every project. There will be assignments that are simply not self-sustaining. Most of the invasive species removal projects must be repeated annually but allow for native species to be reintroduced to an area. There are project sponsors who are unfamiliar with the amount of work that a team of ten eager AmeriCorps members will accomplish in a short amount of time. However even the most difficult projects have the ability to enhance a team's cohesiveness. These experiences will act as catalysts of personal and professional growth. Do not allow yourself to get discouraged with a difficult assignment. Expect a diverse year.
Third, balancing the living and working aspects of the relationships with your teammates over the next nine months. Take a moment and glance down the row you are sitting in. This group will become your family. Just like a family, you can't pick your team. Over the course of this year you will find yourself becoming friends with
people whose paths you previously would have never crossed. Your patience and ability to empathize will be tested daily. But after surviving nine months of successes and challenges, you will have enhanced your understanding of what it means to be a diverse family where every member is celebrated for what they can contribute. Because you will be spending so much of your time with your team, I stress the importance of having friends outside of this group for balance. After two months of an isolated existence, you will be desperate for a chance to talk to someone else. These friends will keep you grounded, while reminding you that whatever obstacle your team faces, you all will overcome together.
Today you become official AmeriCorps members. You are all now part of a network of people who understand what it means to give up many of life's luxuries to squeeze
your life into a red bag, live with your co-workers, and eat all of your meals on $4.75 a day. In nine months when you've graduated and gone home you'll realize how quickly the glazed look appears when you begin stories with, "In AmeriCorps‌" You will return to homes all over the country, but will remain connected because of this experience.
"Be the change you want to see in the world." Ghandhi's message here is a proactive charge, a challenge to arise and commit oneself to service in action. As AmeriCorps members every individual here has already made this initial commitment. Your months of active service are just beginning. But this message does not stop at the community level. It also calls for a personal investment. In order to be fully engaged in this experience you must allow for the change to penetrate your heart and mind. Begin by asking yourself,"Why do I want to serve?" "Where do I want to be in nine months? Who do I want to be?" Posing
these questions to yourself, searching yourself for the answers, that is the most important advice I can give you. You will undoubtedly leave this year changed. You will have met, befriended, lived, and worked with a very diverse group of 18-24 year olds. You will laugh, cry, yell at, fight with, and love many people in this room over the next nine months. As you overcome obstacles within difficult projects together, your team will become your family. Your TL will become your ally and your friend. And after living this wonderfully unpredictable and slightly insane AmeriCorps life, you will return home. I ask you these questions today because I want this year to become an opportunity to better yourself. Become more patient, develop your public speaking skills, challenge your perceptions about someone. Be your own source of change. Answering the question of "Who am I?" will shed the light on the "Why?" of your service. This knowledge will help you not only in the understanding of yourself but in knowing where to go from here.
Congratulations Class XVIII, it's your year. Now go get things done!