Celebrating a Successful Barclay Youth Safe Haven Launch

On Monday, GHCC staff joined Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Congressman Elijah Cummings, and representatives from Telesis Corporation and the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation to kick off the Barclay Youth Safe Haven program. The Safe Haven provides 50 students at Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School in Barclay with a safe place to go after dismissal, complete with mentoring and enrichment activities. The kick-off got some great press coverage this week, and we're delighted to spread the word about this great program! Check out the news stories below:

Mentoring and training programs to target Baltimore youth - The Baltimore Sun
Nonprofit announces Baltimore youth programs - The Afro-American

Photo: Congressman Elijah Cummings with GHCC Executive Director Karen Stokes and Barclay Youth Safe Haven Program Director Shekita Wilkins at Monday's kick-off event.

Check Out Our Podcast and YouthWorks Oral Histories!

Remember Jocelyn's post about the summer YouthWorks program here at GHCC? Well, we finally have the finished audio files ready for your ears! We're featuring them on the front page of our website, but wait! There's more! They're also available as a podcast from the iTunes store. 


This is such a great project, we've decided to keep it going by continuing to collect audio stories to supplement this blog. We'll be sure to let you know when a new audio file has been uploaded, but you can also subscribe to the podcast via the link above to receive new episodes automatically.

Reflecting on Summer YouthWorks

Submitted by Jocelyn Durkay

This was my second summer facilitating our YouthWorks program here at GHCC. YouthWorks, a program from the Mayor's Office on Employment Development, gives summer jobs to youth ages 14–24. 

Placement at a worksite, only contingent on submitting your application correctly and early enough, gives valuable job skills to teens with little or no experience. With youth employment at its lowest point in over half a century, this program gives 30 hour per week jobs to young people who likely would otherwise be unemployed. Unfortunately, for financial reasons this year YouthWorks was only able to hire 5,100 of the 9,000 applicants. I wish more of Baltimore's youth could have had this opportunity.

While I strongly believe in the fundamentals of the program, it comes with its unique challenges. In previous years, discipline, tardiness, and work attitudes resulted in headaches and firings. However, this crop of workers had fantastic work ethic. In fact, I think this has been one of the best years for YouthWorks at GHCC. After some trying incidents last year, I must admit that I had underestimated our Youth Workers. They proved to be bright, hard-working, prompt, and a lot of fun to be around.

This summer's program also had a lot more extra substance than previous years: workshops on college and careers, plus an oral history story collection project that provided me with the best experiences of the summer.

Youth Workers interviewing Dr. Jacqueline Waters-Scofield, Principal at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School in Charles Village.

For this project, our youth split into three groups to conduct interviews of Greater Homewood residents. The final product consisted of three audio files between 20 and 30 minutes long, but some groups recorded conversations up to an hour long before editing! While our intern, Zack, and I were present for the interviews, the youth were responsible for everything: choosing the questions to ask, following up to learn more, and final editing.

The interviews were powerful and memorable for me: hearing teenagers speak with older adults about their lives during segregation and changes to their neighborhoods and communities over the decades. I was most definitely amazed at the depth and quality of their questions and how fearlessly they jumped into what could easily be seen as an intimidating task. Even though my voice or name doesn't appear on the finished products, they are one of my proudest achievements from this year.

Edit 8/18/2010: GHCC has been a YouthWorks host work site for the past six years. This year, we hosted seven youth, all of whom participated in the oral history project.

A Look Inside Remington Homework Club

GHCC believes in strong faith-based partnerships, meaningful opportunities for youth, and neighborhood residents committed to making a difference.  This is why we're happy to share with you a little bit about the Remington Homework Club, a tutoring program that meets at Church of the Guardian Angel in Remington.

Submitted  by Rebekah Lin

The Remington Homework Club (HWC) was founded several years ago by the Church of the Guardian Angel on 27th and Huntingdon in Remington. The idea was to provide children and youth in the neighborhood with a place to go for homework help. We are funded by a grant from the Episcopal diocese, and over the years we've built up a base of volunteers and others who participate in a variety of ways. Currently, HWC meets from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. every Monday at the church. On any given week, we have about 20 students and 15 tutors.

I have been involved with HWC since September 2007. I started as a tutor – I found a posting online calling for tutors, and the time and location worked well with my work schedule at the time. I had just graduated from JHU was working at a publishing company, but had a feeling I was more interested in working with kids/youth than I was in proofreading and correcting grammar. I have since switched jobs to a nonprofit that works with after-school programs. I don’t know if I have tangible reasons for staying so committed to HWC, but I know it gives me a chance to put into practice much of what I talk about at work, and a chance to see firsthand how volunteers from the community can truly have a positive impact on Baltimore’s youth (as corny as that may sound).

In January 2008, I became the Director, and have been ever since. My main responsibilities are to recruit tutors and to take care of the logistics of our Monday night meetings. Most of the tutors are young professionals who have heard about us in a variety of ways (mainly online or by word of mouth), but we also have a relationship with two student groups at Hopkins, which provides an additional five tutors. The logistics for our meetings include soliciting volunteers to donate dinner, setting up the space, purchasing needed supplies, setting the calendar, etc.

Most of the students at HWC come from within a few blocks of the church. The handful that don’t live within four or five blocks either used to, or have family that does. Our current grade range is second through tenth, so most of the students attend Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle. The older students attend high schools across the city, including Western, Digital Harbor, and Mergenthaler.

Two HWC high school students with award certificates.  HWC holds an awards ceremony every December and May.

Since I started with HWC, our attendance has doubled. Beyond this growth, my biggest goal has been to stress the importance of coming every week – to both students and tutors. As we’ve been able to have more and more consistent tutor/student pairs, nearly everything – from attendance to behavior to my stress levels – has improved. The pairs that have been together since the beginning of this school year, if not last school year, are absolutely the most successful. The importance of these relationships is the root of HWC’s biggest successes and biggest challenges. It is incredible to see students get excited every week to see their tutors. It is rewarding to see the relationships develop. And it is trying to see students disappointed when their tutor doesn’t come, or tutors struggling to form a relationship with a different student every week, because the students don’t come back.

Tutors and students help cook a snack at HWC.

Every week, at least one student tells me that HWC needs to meet every day, or at least more than once a week. This reminds me that the work we do matters and is appreciated, and also reminds me of the limits of our resources. Every week, I see more and more students becoming comfortable with their tutors as well as with me, more and more students getting older and more mature, and more and more tutors becoming invested in what HWC does.

HWC is always looking for additional volunteers as well as people willing to donate a dinner (we have a full dinner every week, from 6:00-6:30) or other needed supplies. To learn more, contact Rebekah at rlin10@gmail.com. 

GHCC Welcomes a New Face

If you follow GHCC's Twitter feed, you might have noticed a few extra tweets yesterday afternoon courtesy of our new intern, Armon Polk.  We're piloting a new internship program this week, and we asked Armon to tweet about his first hours at GHCC.  For a little more background on the internship, Greater Homewood Voices caught up with Tara McKenzie, the AmeriCorps*VISTA member who created the program; Tyson Smith, Armon's supervisor at GHCC; and Armon himself.

Tara McKenzie:

For many students of Success Academy, adverse social situations and stigmas could prove inhibitors to successful futures.  The "alternative" middle/high school population is, after all, comprised solely of students who have been expelled from mainstream schools due to behavioral issues.  However, under Principal Kevin Brooks' leadership, the Success Academy staff actively work to ensure the students are empowered, rather than marginalized.

One way I have worked to positively impact the lives of our students is through the establishment of an internship/mentorship program. I developed the program with several aims in mind.  The primary aim is to provide the students with  the opportunity to connect positively with community organizations/agencies/corporations, while gaining practical experience, developing respective educational and career trajectories, establishing networks, honing leadership skills, and getting a better understanding of the world of work.

Armon Polk:

Hello, my name is Armon Polk from Detroit, Michigan. I just started an internship here at Greater Homewood Community Corporation and I'm glad to be here. I am a senior in high school and I am going to try and go to college and study sociology. I play sports such as football, basketball, boxing, etc. The school I attend is Success Academy, but my original school  is Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship. I am good with my hands so I enjoy building things or putting up walls or ceilings. I am a respectful and thoughtful person.

Tyson Smith:

Greater Homewood Community Corporation was delighted this week to take on a Success Academy intern, Armon Polk, to work for us as a Receptionist and Administrative Assistant.  Armon joined our staff for 15 hours a week, and will be working at the front desk of our 3503 N. Charles Street office from 11 - 2 every day for the next several weeks.

GHCC takes great pride in its ability to provide inexperienced new staff members, interns, or volunteers with essential business skills that will aid them now and in the future.  We feel that our office is an excellent place to learn the ropes of a professional environment, and as the his supervisor, I hope to give Armon the basic education he needs, and then to see him off to great things in the professional world.  So swing by and say hello, or give Armon an encouraging word at apolk@greaterhomewood.org starting Monday!

Baltimore Algebra Project Organizes Rally for Youth Opportunities

Spring is on the way!  How do we know? We're hearing about education advocates planning rallies, bus rides to Annapolis, and petitions to keep education funding cuts at bay as state lawmakers craft their budgets.  One such organization is the Baltimore Algebra Project, a student-run and -organized program founded to provide math tutoring to elementary and middle school students.  The group also advocates for public education funding and an end to the "school to prison pipeline."

Governor O'Malley has proposed to spend $280 million to construct three new detention facilities for youth tried as adults and women.  On Thursday, March 4, the Baltimore Algebra Project, Peer-to-Peer organizations, and several other advocacy and activist groups are organizing a rally to demand that $100 million be diverted youth employment opportunities.  This "March on Youth Jails" will occur from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Camden Yards.  For more information, visit the official Facebook group (Prison is the 13^th Grade) or event page (March on Youth Jails).  

Village Parents to Present Series of Five Discussions on Urban Education

Charles Village’s new parents’ organization, The Village Parents, is proud to present School Daze: Five Conversations on Urban Education in the Nation, in the City, and in the Neighborhood. The panel discussion series, co-sponsored by Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Loyola University’s School of Education, and Barclay and Margaret Brent Elementary Schools, will feature local education experts discussing the academic and social issues facing today's urban schools.

Please join us for the first event of the series, The State of Urban Education in America, on February 22, 7:00 p.m., at Barclay Elementary School.    Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Dean of Loyola University Maryland’s School of Education, together with professors Robert Simmons and Stephanie Flores-Koulish, will address the challenges and opportunities facing students and teachers in today’s city schools. They’ll discuss the implications of federal academic policies for both urban students and their suburban counterparts, and why city schools often suffer more from a perception problem than an actual content deficiency.  Refreshments will be served.

The series will continue with a second panel discussion on March 22 at Margaret Brent Elementary School. Former elementary school principals Gertrude Williams (Barclay Elementary School) and Mariale Hardiman (Roland Park Elementary School), along with Charles Village community leaders Jo Ann Robinson, Karen Cook and Dorris McElroy, will share how they worked to reverse the middle-class trend of rejecting neighborhood public schools in favor of private or charter schools. For details on these and the rest of the panel discussions, please visit the Village Parents website.

About the Village Parents

The Village Parents is a group of families working to enhance Charles Village’s family-friendly offerings. They're devoted to building a strong community among families by creating more children’s activities, investing in the local parks and playgrounds, and advocating for competitive, high-quality public schools. Please find them online atwww.charlesvillageparents.org and join their mailing list.

The Harlem Children’s Zone — Can it Happen in Baltimore?

Join the Greater Homewood Interfaith Alliance on January 21 at Bolton Street Synangogue for an evening of sprited discussion about the most comprehensive and revolutionary effort to end childhood poverty.

The discussion will be led by New York Times Magazine Editor and Author of Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America.

Whatever it Takes tells the true story of Geoffrey Canada, the creator of the Harlem Children’s Zone, an audacious attempt to increase opportunities for poor children by changing everything in their lives — their schools, their neighborhoods, and even the child-rearing practices of their parents.

Recently featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes and in Urbanite Magazine, Geoffrey Canada’s approach to fighting inner-city poverty has attracted attention and praise from policymakers and educators across the political spectrum—including President Obama, who has pledged federal funding to support the replication of Canada’s ideas through the creation of Promise Neighborhoods throughout the nation.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Doors open at 6:30 with opportunities to talk with representatives from Baltimore-area organizations working on poverty and education reform.

Please visit our website or Facebook event for more details.

Remembering Jack Yates

It is with heavy hearts that Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC) acknowledges the death of a Board Member, John Richard “Jack” Yates. Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to his family in this difficult time.

“Jack’s death in a cycling accident is a tragic loss for all citizens of Baltimore,” said Randy Knepper, GHCC’s board president. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for children and youth and, until his recent return to graduate school, as secretary to the board of GHCC where he served since March 2004.

Jack had the heart of a social worker and worked closely with at-risk youth before he retired from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. He also served as a mentor and facilitator for Baraka School alumni with the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) at Lake Clifton High School from 2001-2008. With funding from the Abell Foundation (where he acted as an Educational Consultant), he counseled disadvantaged young men from Baltimore City Public Schools when they returned from two years in a Kenyan boarding school to begin high school.

During this seven-year period, Jack worked tirelessly to help nearly all of the 89 Baraka alumni graduate from high school. While less than 35% of at-risk males typically graduate from City Schools, 55 Baraka alumni (62%) earned a high school diploma or GED thanks in part to Jack’s support.

EOP founder, Robert Bonnell, described Jack as “extraordinary with those youngsters” – something current Director, Shelton Skinner, echoes, remembering him as “fantastic.” Skinner points to Jack’s focused commitment, recalling how he often drove his students to and from almost every high school in Baltimore.

Closer to home, Jack served on GHCC’s Youth Development Initiative board committee and helped lead our efforts to offer quality opportunities for children and youth. Much like his colleagues here at GHCC, Jack believed that all children deserve a quality education, a vibrant neighborhood, and the access to enrichment programs that build skills for academic success.

GHCC will honor Jack’s memory by hosting our second annual cycling Tour de Greater Homewood this fall, with all of its proceeds designated to GHCC’s Youth Programs.

Velocipede Bike Project, in conjunction with Ghost Bikes – an international biking organization dedicated to memorializing fallen bicyclists – will remember Jack by placing a white bicycle with a small plaque on the corners of Lafayette and Maryland this Sunday, August 9th, at 6:00pm. All are welcome to attend.

Friends are invited to call at Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home Inc., 6500 York Rd., on Monday, August 10th from 7-9 p.m. The service will be on Tuesday, August 11th at 1:30 p.m.

Photo copyright Baltimore Sun.

YouthWorks Spotlight (Part III): Neil Davis

Hi, my name is Neil Davis and I am working here at Experience Corps for the summer. So far everything has been going well. I am now attending Lake Clifton High School and I am going into my junior year. I live around the Greenmount neighborhood. I like my neighborhood and have a lot to do around there. Sometimes in my spare time I like to play basketball. I am good at basketball, have played for recreation centers, and am trying out for my school’s basketball team next year so I can keep my skills in shape.

I also hope to take some of the skills I have learned over the summer back to school with me so I can use them over the year to become more successful. I am going into my last week here with Experience Corps – it has been fun and I will remember this place because it has taught me a lot of things. My birthday is August 2, and by the time my birthday comes I will be finished with the summer job. I like the experience that I had this year. This was my first summer job and I had a good time and I enjoyed it. I will always remember. Over this period of time I have done a lot of things, such as using a copy machine, filing papers, and packing and moving boxes. I also have been answering phone calls and using the computer.

I appreciate everyone for helping me and for their advice. I think that I might take up another summer job again sometime in the future or at least tell people about it and maybe they will try it. My mother really got on me to get a summer job because at first I did not want to do it, but I am glad I did it because it was better than I thought it was going to be.

YouthWorks Spotlight (Part II): Willie Hopkins

written by Willie L. Hopkins

All About Me
Hi, my name is Willie L. Hopkins. I’m sixteen years old and I want to be a mechanic. I’m attending W.E.B Dubois high school and going into the tenth grade. I want to go to college to learn the trade of working on vehicles. I will be the second person in my family who’s going to college. My oldest sister is attending college at Towson University. I like to do a lot of things like listen to music, play games, football, and draw when there is nothing around the house to do. I like GHCC because of how working here keeps me busy and gives me something to do. I also chose to work because I need money so I can buy things for myself.

Everyday Life For Me
I’m considered the weirdest child in the house because I show interest in things none of my other siblings show interest in. I’m Goth and like to be different. I chose to be different than others, and this is just one of my ways of being different. I don’t listen to rap because it’s pretty much the same thing with every artist. But with other genres of music you won’t ever hear the same tune being played the same. I don’t really get too many questions asked when I go out in public wearing my Goth clothing, because it’s what’s expected of me. But its pretty much the same thing being asked. Like: do I worship satan, and do I know spells. It’s kind of funny if you ask me, but its only so much I can say to make them understand that you don’t have to know spells and you don’t always have to be depressed. It’s what you make out of it.

Occupations
I like to skateboard and play guitar (electric). I’m getting good at it, though I just started playing it this year so I’m a little rusty. But other than that I like to meet new people and I’m friendly. I like to go out to the movies, go paint balling, laser tagging, and I love to go go-kart riding. I want to try sky diving one day -- it looks fun. I also want to try skiing.

Education
I’m dependable when it comes to work, I’m not a slacker. I work hard and I don’t give up. I get assigned a job and believe me, it will get done. I might not work as fast as others -- I work somewhat slow and focused, but the assignment will get done. I'm going to stay focused in school this year so I can have a good grade point average (GPA). I have no intentions on dropping out because I see how most people live when they don't want education, and when they throw it away. They look sad and most of them are on the corners. But little did they know that when you want a job it won’t be easy to get one, because you don’t have an education. You will need that most importantly. Your education is something you have to take seriously because when you don’t, you will see that it’s not easy living without it. So get your education and make the most out of it. It is something that will help you through life. Going to college is one of my greatest goals. I want to go to ITT TECH. That’s a good trade school and I could learn a lot there. I also want to own my own shop so I can own my dream car, a Shelby GT 500. It's a classic car with a lot of muscle.

YouthWorks Spotlight: Kendra Welborn

For six weeks each summer, GHCC welcomes several young people to our office through the YouthWorks program. This year, our Youth Workers have impressed us with their tireless efforts and, perhaps most importantly, prepared us for our impending office move/reorganization.

Meet Kendra, one of two Youth Workers assigned to perform general duties around the office at GHCC.

Hello everyone. My name is Kendra Welborn and I will be attending Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) in August, for dance, for my freshman year of high school. This will be an exciting journey for me because this is a really wonderful position I have been put in. Before I could even think about going to high school, I attended Leith Walk as my elementary school and Mt. Royal as my middle school. These two schools prepared me in the best way possible for everything.

Looking back on how far I have come, being put in these great positions comes from my attitude. My attitude is one where I won't give up. I'm very determined to achieve anything that I put my mind to. I work very hard and I try to finish the job no matter what. Having a friendly, nice, and caring attitude also contributed. I love going to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things, but when I move on to these new people and places, I don't want to forget about the old people and places. This is one thing I could never do.

For the summer this year I am working at Greater Homewood Community Corporation. I had been thinking about whether or not I would receive a summer job this year with the economy and all, but things worked out fine. I'm hoping to become more independent now that I am a high school student-to-be. Here at GHCC, I work on tasks that employees may assign me. These tasks can be filing papers, using the copy machine, or working on the computer. In the future I plan on being a computer engineer, so this is a great place to begin a first job.

I have a lot of things that I like to do in my spare time. I like to dance, listen to music, go to the park, swim, skate, and hang out with my family. The one thing I really like to do is skate. I like to roller skate and I usually go with my cousins. This way I can hang with my family and skate at the same time. I also love to dance. For me, dancing is a way to have fun and, at the same time, learn all about a craft I'm interested in. Dance can also tie in with skating, when you're rolling around the skating rink, dancing can make it so much more fun!

Since I'm an only child I love to spend most of my time with my family wherever I go, especially to the park. Here at the park everyone is happy. My little cousins can run around and play, while my older cousins can talk and mingle with each other. Seeing the family together is what I love the most.

I currently live in the Harwood area. One thing I don't like about my neighborhood is the trash. Sometimes it's a lot of trash, then at other times it isn't. To improve this situation I think the neighbors could pitch in and help a little more. We could also come together as a group and have a block clean-up or add a trash can somewhere close where people could put their trash, and have the "No Littering" sign enforced a little more. We could also utilize the grassy lot that is closest to my neighborhood and make it more welcoming by adding some flowers or something to make it more attractive.

One thing that I do like is the convenience to the stores and bus lines. Not too far away from where I live, there is a bus line and a shopping center. My family also lives close to where I live. There are many pros and cons about where I live, but those are the main ones I think about. If I'm close to family and can find a couple of good things about my neighborhood, I'm okay.

Sign Up Today for Baltimore Tennis Patrons Summer Tennis Camp!

The Baltimore Tennis Patrons will once again host their popular six-week summer tennis camp program for children ages 6-16. All materials are supplied and the tennis camps are only $20 per individual for all six weeks, so download the registration materials from GHCC's web site and sign your child up today! Tennis classes are the perfect place for them to have fun, make new friends, and develop new skills.

Founded in 1975, the Baltimore Tennis Patrons aim to create positive outcomes for youth through learning the sport of tennis. Since their founding, the BTP have served over 100,000 people in the greater Baltimore area.

You're Invited! Stadium School Youth Dreamers Housewarming Party!

Written by the students in Youth Dreamer Project Class 2009

We’re the Youth Dreamers
We are a 501(c) 3,
We want to decrease the amount of violence
among youth in our community.

We are creating
a youth-run youth center,
open after school
all are welcome to enter.

We have a Board of Directors
and lots of friends,
that help us with our dream
and support us till the end.

There’s a whole lot
to our history,
we started in 2001
with $70,000 from Senator Mikulski.

We bought a house
and went through zoning,
we worked with an architect
who turned our dream into a drawing.

Now we’re in construction
and running programs after school,
it’s 2009
and soon our youth center will rule!

You’d be amazed
at what we’ve done
this year in Project Class
and it was fun!

We’ve been to My Sister’s Place
Shepherd’s Clinic, too,
had two huge service days
just to name a few.

Our after school programs
Modeling, Community Art,
Homework Club and Health Club
and that’s just to start!

From State Farm we got a grant
to fund our first real year,
we wrote it all together
It’s time to cheer!

This means a whole lot
for us and our community,
our youth center
will soon hold the key…

People will come
to work, play, and be,
to learn leadership skills
and more about the community.

We are so excited
to extend the YD’s history,
by moving into this house
it’s a brighter future for you and me!

We hope for our first year
to be busy and have fun,
with teenage employees
getting all the work done.

Adults volunteering and teaching
different classes going on,
playing on our new playground
and memberships lasting long.

We are having a Housewarming Party
and all are welcome to come,
On May 30th this year
to learn about us and have fun!


The Stadium School Youth Dreamers are a group of students in sixth grade through college who decided in 2001 that they wanted to open a youth-run youth center. They celebrate their success on May 30, 2009, with a housewarming party.

My VISTA Year at GHCC

by Sharena Hagins, Youth Coordinator VISTA, January 2008-January 2009

I began my AmeriCorps VISTA year as a youth coordinator at the end of January 2008. I remember my first day walking into GHCC being anxious, excited, and nervous all rolled into one. I had no idea what to expect and who I would meet. I was politely greeted by everyone I passed in the halls and immediately began to feel at ease. I was given a schedule of what I would be doing that week, my work plan and given a desk. I got settled very quickly and began tasks on my work plan right away.

There was so much for me to do, but I organized my work plan by priority. I was able to facilitate a variety of programs throughout the year such as the MICA/MACA art camp in Remington, Youth Works, and Remington Public Gardens. I was also heavily involved with youth advocacy issues including recreation center improvement and student bus ticket time extension. Everything I worked on this year was equally as important and I put much effort into each program. I feel once I am finished my service, the programs will continue and remain sustainable over the years.

I would recommend the AmeriCorps program to anyone who would like to gain experience in communities throughout the country. GHCC is a great place to serve your VISTA year, as Baltimore City is an incredible place to live and work. There are endless possibilities and so many new programs being developed each day! I am grateful to have had the experience of completing my VISTA year at GHCC because the programs I worked on were so unique. It was an experience I will never forget and will open up many opportunities for me in the future.