Reflecting on a WONDERFUL experience

"We want a society in which a sense of community is still alive...in which every individual is needed and every person has the opportunity to serve."
- John Gardner

And I have certainly had the opportunity to serve, especially here at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

For some folks, a narrative of my experience wouldn't be enough to really show you the impact of this fellowship experience on my life, my career trajectory, or my self esteem. It is not enough to say that the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship was my golden ticket, words are not enough to share my thanks for the colleagues, mentors, and friends who share in this experience with me and who have pushed me along the way. After all, I did not do this alone.

So, here is a recap in data format...numbers for you folks who like to quantify:

• Over 5 million Americans engaged in service nationwide, and over 50,000 national service members nationwide
• Over 10,000 MLK Day service projects logged and sorted
• Over 3,000 entries of stories of service logged and labeled (from people like you)
• Hundreds of emails written and received, and hundreds of pictures taken
• Over 50 briefing documents, runs-of-show, and talking points for various events (most of which were at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service)
• 10-15 Memos, thank you letters and correspondence to internal/external constituents drafted
• 5 press releases drafted
• 4 Days of Service/ Direct Service Opportunities: Make a Difference Day KaBOOM! Build, Veteran's Day, MLK Day, KaBOOM! Build in New Orleans
• 3 Board Retreats
• 2 Blog Posts (White House and Serve.gov)
• 2 Temporary blackberries (did I really want a permanent one? I think not :))
• 1 Strategic Plan
• 1 Social Innovation Fund Competition

I am certain that the hours I put in are in the thousands, and I know that most every hour was spent focusing on something bigger than me. I was focused on a mission, a brand, an idea that I one day hope everyone can experience and fully believe.

It doesn't have to be this agency, or even this administration that you support (although I strongly suggest you do because there are people working tirelessly for you), but please support and believe in the power of service.

Only you and other citizens can solve our nation's and community's problems. There is no problem that we cannot solve without innovation, the support of our government and other organizations (for profit and non profit). We have to be willing to fight for our cause, and go beyond what we think is "normal" to get there. Engage in public-private partnership, garner the support of everyone around you, use your networks- every talent is useful.

Be engaged in the political process, be vigilant of the policies your representative is fighting for, and for goodness sake, say something when you disagree. I believe that it is not just our right, but our obligation to speak when we have an opinion (speak with educated basis, and with sound evidence).

Your support and dedication to my success has been the extra push that has allowed me to move forward, speak strongly about my beliefs, and I thank you so much for it. Now, as I look toward the opportunities ahead of me, I am confident that I will be able to follow a course that will continue to serve others. I expect you all to hold me accountable, keep encouraging me to go the distance, and help me to relax and have fun.

Onward and upward, the next adventure awaits! Stay tuned...

Cesar Chavez - A Role Model for Service

By Christina Markle Editor's Note: This post was originally posted on the National Service Blog and on the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation Blog.

Cesar Chavez (1927 – 1993) was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. His birthday, March 31st, is a state holiday in California and a number of other states and is also celebrated by many as a day to promote service to the community in honor of his life and work.

Markita Fortune, a Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium AmeriCorps member from California, incorporated Cesar Chavez’s core values into the work she does with 5th graders at a school in Menlo Park, CA. Most of the youth are of African American and Latino descent and often experience bullying at school.

"I thought that teaching them about the Core Values of Cesar Chavez might help them realize that it is better to work together than against each other,” said Fortune. When asked if they knew of Chavez, a few of the 5th graders raised their hands but many simply shook their heads no. After taking a quiz and learning more about Cesar Chavez, the young people began to notice a connection between themselves and his work. “When they started going over the answers, the youth were really excited and asked lots of questions about the things that Cesar Chavez did for the community,” said Fortune.

“They realized that he worked in communities that were similar to theirs.” Fortune then introduced her students to Cesar Chavez’s core values. The group discussed how the values could be used in their after-school program and decided to focus on three values a week, beginning with Acceptance of All People, Celebrating Community, and Non-Violence. When asked why they selected those values, the youth conveyed a hope that these core values would help address the bullying problem. “I have definitely noticed a change in the youth since we began the Cesar Chavez curriculum,” noted Fortune. “They have become kinder to one another and have been helpful around the school. I am grateful that I have this as a tool to strengthen my youth development skills.”

On January 12, 1990, shortly before the MLK Day holiday, Cesar Chavez said, “My friends, today we honor a giant among men: today we honor the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a powerful figure of destiny, of courage, of sacrifice, and of vision. Few people in the long history of this nation can rival his accomplishment, his reason, or his selfless dedication to the cause of peace and social justice. Today we honor a wise teacher, an inspiring leader, and a true visionary, but to truly honor Dr. King we must do more than say words of praise. We must learn his lessons and put his views into practice, so that we may truly be free at last.”

You can serve on Cesar Chavez Day and honor Dr. King together, by making it part of the MLK 25 Challenge, an ongoing initiative to honor the 25th anniversary of the King Holiday.

Christina Markle is a former part-time AmeriCorps Bonner Leader and a current John Gardner fellow from UC Berkeley at the Corporation for National and Community Service

Senior Companion Program: Enriching Lives - and Saving Them

By Christina Markle The original blogpost can be found here. For Anita, the Senior Corps Senior Companions program was a life saver. Ninety-year-old Guadalupe "Lupita" Trujillo has participated in the Senior Companions program through Christian Senior Services for several years. During her hours of service she saved the life of 86-year-old Anita Avalos. On the morning of January 31, Lupita arrived at Anita’s senior home and found her in her wheelchair, eyes open but unable to speak or move. Lupita immediately went to the home’s main office and let them know about the problem. Anita had experienced a stroke. Without Lupita’s daily visits, she would have been left in her condition, unattended and untreated. As a result of Lupita’s actions, Anita was rushed to a nearby hospital and was treated. Anita is not the only one who has benefited from Senior Companions. Senior Companions is designed to foster civic and community engagement for older volunteers, as well as independence and the opportunity to spend some time in the company of people their age. For active seniors, it is a great way to stay alive and healthy. "I think it is important to be a part of Senior Companions, because the program offers many opportunities for us at a senior age to feel healthy and productive," says Lupita,"while also giving us some money to help, which allows us to pay for things we need.” All across the country, Senior Companions are making a difference by providing assistance and friendship to adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks such as grocery shopping and bill paying. They typically spend from 15 to 40 hours a week helping two to four adult clients live independently in their own homes. Senior Companions also often provide relief to primary caregivers and alert doctors and family members to potential problems. In 2010, more than 14,000 Senior Companion Program volunteers delivered 12.2 million hours of service in their communities and took care of the in-home needs of more than 66,000 older adults and others with physical or other limitations. Become a Senior Companion or learn more about the program by contacting a participating organization in your state. Christina Markle is a former part-time AmeriCorps Bonner Leader and a current John Gardner fellow from UC Berkeley at the Corporation for National and Community Service. The original story appeared in La Prensa.

MLK Day, Obama, and the Dreaded Budget- EEKS!

But, at least spring is right around the corner. Four months later, and everyone is asking— What have you been up to? Have they been working you too hard? And the other Gardner fellows? Are you even having any fun?

Everything…and yes, they have been working me too hard, but I love it!
- MLK Day, the Obamas, and Let Freedom Ring at the Kennedy Center
- Board Retreat
- The Strategic Plan
- National Mentoring Summit
- State Profiles and Government Relations
- The Social Innovation Fund
- MLK 25 Initiative
- Serve.gov and Stories of Service

The other Gardner fellows are doing very well…and our mid-year retreat was awesome!
- John Gardner Alumni Dinner
- Site Visits: WH, HHS, CNCS
- Reflection and looking forward
- New fellows- congrats!

Fun is definitely happening…but I am also ridiculously homesick.
- Christmas and New Years in Cali
- My sister visits! DC and NY!
- Lovely ladies from Berkeley visit!
- My brother visits! DC and NY once again!
- Volunteering with the Refugee Assistance Program (RAP)
- Preparing for Cali once again and Remembering Mark Markle with Relay for Life

And lastly, yes, I have applied for a job at CNCS. It’s quite possible that DC has lured me in…but stay tuned, it’s not over until the fat lady sings...

Whew! Now that I have outlined the crazy days of the last three-or-so months, let’s try to delve in a little deeper. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet, but just in case it’s not, I hope the pictures keep you engaged.

What have I been up to, you ask? Well, my dear friends and family, I have been organizing and managing events and event logistics, aggregating data to make the case for national service, respond to inquiries and maintaining external partnerships, and reading and logging what you have to say.

Have they been working me too hard? Yes, but I love it! I can’t wait to get into work in the morning, and I often lose track of time in the evening (I mostly remember to eat, :)).

MLK Day, the Obamas, and Let Freedom Ring at the Kennedy Center
Last I checked in, I explained some of the pieces of MLK Day that I was just starting to organize and work on. The Ambassador program was somewhat successful. I say this because I wasn’t satisfied (but I do expect a lot from myself) with the value-added of the program and I don’t feel that I was adequately prepared or supported as I tried to develop it. Nonetheless, we had 23 ambassadors, 5 of which served on MLK Day, and all of which promoted service on MLK Day. In addition to this, I organized and prepared three of our Board members for speaking roles and participation in MLK Day projects. One of our Board members was in Compton, Ca and two were in DC. Last, but certainly not least, I was spending hours updating project information (yes, excel skills are VERY useful), contacting project organizers and grantees, and connecting individuals and other agencies to projects. None of the work was a one person task; it took a whole team of us to make sure that we were reaching out to as many people as possible. I am very proud to say that we were more than successful- check out some of our highlights here.

AND, without ever expecting it, and with a stroke of luck, I happened to be at the site where the First Family was serving. What a pleasant surprise!




We painted murals and refurbished the middle school and it was a perfect ending to all of the hours I had put in months and especially weeks prior.

That evening, I also had the honor to attend the “Let Freedom Ring” concert at the Kennedy Center where they honored various civil rights leaders. The GW choir and Patti La Belle performed so it was absolutely fabulous!

[Insert Video here]

National Mentoring Summit
I sort of got pulled into this at the last minute, but it was a very pleasant surprise. Literally a week after shaking hands with the President and the First Lady, I was called into help out at the first National Mentoring Summit where the First Lady addressed the attendees and where our CEO sat on a panel to discuss the reasons why mentoring is so important. Mentees and their mentors sat on the stage and in the crowd and it was at a beautiful venue- the Library of Congress. So glad I got to be involved.



Board Retreat
As I mentioned before, one of the best parts about my job is meeting the Board Members, note-taking in some private meetings, and really understanding what role the board plays in shaping the mission of the agency. This time around, many of the Board Members knew who I was, and I could engage in some of the conversations. In addition, I worked with some senior staff members to prepare their presentations. I am especially interested in the work of the external relations committee. We are all looking forward to putting together a plan that will expand opportunities to serve for everyone.



The Strategic Plan
One of the most exciting parts of the retreat was when the board passed the strategic plan. As I mentioned in my last post, I was privileged to be a part of the work on the focus areas: Education + Veterans and Military Families. At the end of this arduous process, we had performance measures, other measurements tools, some baselines, and our work basically cut out for us for the next five years. I thought writing the plan was the hard part, but now well into March I am realizing that since the plan was passed, it has been the implementation and buy-in from our constituents that is the toughest. We are totally changing how we do business in order to prove the value of national service and measure that value for years to come. It is an exciting time, and I look forward to seeing where we go and how we get there.

State Profiles and Government Relations
So, as I previously mentioned, some people don’t know the value of national service. More specifically, various members of congress who have proposed to slash our budget and agency all together, really don’t know the impact it would have on their states or districts. Thus, I was pulled in by our communications team and government relations to put together state profiles. These state profiles are now available on our website and give you the breakdown, by number, dollar, percentage, etc. of national service impact through our programs. I really suggest you take a look at your state profile and talk to your representative about how important service is to communities and people all over the nation.

The Social Innovation Fund
Now this is hilarious. I am the voice of the SIF. How and why? No idea. Basically, when I was originally looking for placements for the fellowship I was extremely interested in the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Engagement in the White House. Later, I realized CNCS was the place for me, but I was always interested in the Social Innovation Fund and the premise behind it. Basically your tax dollar goes into a $30 M fund. We hold a competitive grantee competition and accept proposal from grant-making institutions (with evidence-based success). The grantees must match the funds we award them 1:1 and in cash, so your tax payer dollar turns into $2. Then, once SIF funds are awarded, the grantees (or intermediaries as we call them), must hold open competitive subgrantee competitions and the subgrantees that are selected must also match the funds 1:1 in cash, so your tax payer dollar turns into $3. Genius, right? So, what do I do? I am the voice machine for any and all questions and I respond to all inquiries that come to our innovation email inbox. It has been a ton of fun to provide nonprofits and potential grantees with information and to clarify questions. Hear my voice at (202) 606-3223.

MLK 25 Initiative
This was an awesome idea that some folks in our office thought of prior to MLK Day and it was launched on the day itself. Watch the video here. Essentially, we are encouraging Americans from all walks of life to complete 25 acts of service throughout the year to honor Dr. King and his work, and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his birthday as a national holiday. Check out serve.gov within the next couple of weeks to view our posts that will keep you updated on what people like you are doing to complete their 25 acts.



Serve.gov and Stories of Service
Yes, someone somewhere does read what you write to the federal government whether it is by email, mail, phone call or otherwise. That person may just be me, haha. So, from the over 5000 stories and posts people have submitted to serve.gov only about 5% are blog postable, 10% are snippets or short stories of people’s service, and the rest are people who need help, organizations looking to advertise or get volunteers, or useless. I read them, log them, and sort them. Then, and this is the fun part, I make recommendations and draft posts. When a few of my ideas get posted, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Sidenote: ever since the Oprah show where the First Lady came on the show to talk about Veterans and Military Families, she led them to serve.gov and many of the stories I have been reading have been about lack of VA attention, medical benefits, lack of support, and stories of service surrounding this topic. It has been a mind-blowing experience reading through these. All my love to active duty soldiers, veterans, and military families.

And the other Gardner fellows?
The other Gardner fellows are doing very well! … and our mid-year retreat was awesome.

Gardner Alumni Dinner
One of my favorite parts of the retreat was meeting other Gardner alums over a large dinner and talking about the dreaded “what next?” question. I have since had dinner with many of them, so this was a great part of the retreat!



Site Visits: WH, CNCS, HHS
As a group, we also had three visits in one day! Whew! We met Bobby’s supervisor at the White House, the fellows met a ton of folks I work with (and CNCS CEO surprised us all!), and Health and Human Services folks where Paras works! It was great to hear from people with varied career paths and interests. There were some great common threads though:
- Follow your passion and the rest will fall into place
- Talk to other about their work and you will learn more about your own work and what you love to do
- Focus on something
- Not taking credit is a good thing
- Always take the nobler risk
- Try different things, gain new perspectives and it will protect you against the “blond spots”
- Choose your battles, and make sure you love the relationships you’ve gained, even more (at times) than the work
- Be problem-focused as opposed to position-focused
- Be sure to always be in a position where you are learning
- Don’t go back to school until you really know why





Reflection and looking forward
So, as I look forward, and I know this is more of a journal entry than a blog post, but I see that I will be fine. I know I love to help people, but I am not sure in what focus area. I know I have skills that are useful such as organization, management, etc. and I know I want to develop those (hello business school??). I know I need to be in contact with direct service (hey, that is why I volunteer, right?). So the rest will fall into place, I think. I went into this retreat scared, worried, and anxious overall. I left with laughs, a relaxed and more free-flowing mind, and an open heart. I think I’ll be fine and do great things, and it’s only a matter of time until the world sees what I’m ready to change for the better.



In the end and as always, I am continuing to learn during my time here.

Lessons Learned:
- Don’t be afraid to reach out- people love talking about their work, so invite them!
- Step up, step back. Know when to carve your turf and when to let it go.
- Work hard enough, and you’ll be surprised at what rewards could be waiting around the corner.
- When you believe in something, the mission of your agency, for example, others will believe you too- you just have to prove it to them.
- It’s never to late to reflect (or write a blog post, just don’t put it off too long ;P)
- A good thank you is priceless, and people mostly enjoy cookies or special treats that come along with them.

Are you even having any fun? Fun is definitely happening…but I am also ridiculously homesick.

Christmas and New Years in Cali
The holidays in Cali were amazing (except for the ridiculous mugging at the end of the trip! Ugh! Yeah, ask me about it). I saw my beautiful family and friends, I worked (quite a lot on MLK actually), but I also slept, danced, played wii (amazing!), sang, and just hung out. I am always at peace when I am home, so this was the best three weeks ever. New Years in San Francisco was a blast, and I even got to see my friend from Australia who came out to celebrate.







VISITS: My sister: DC and NY! Lovely ladies from Berkeley! My brother: DC and NY once again!
Yes, in the midst of MLK Day madness and planning, my sister came to vist and we explored DC (though, I was a horrible sister and had her explore a lot by herself while I was working), went clubbing, saw the monuments, and more. Then, we even did a quick trip to New York and saw Avenue Q- fun! It was a ball and we even saw Jersey shore, lol. My ladies from Berkeley visited shortly after (but just for the weekend ), and we put a ton of activities in there too including dancing until 3 in the morning- eeks! Last, but not least, my amazing brother came and we saw a drag show, explored mom and pop shops in dc, and took our trip to NY to a whole other level- Seinfeld’s diner to creps mmm, to Broadway shops and central park looking like a scene from Twilight. Oh, joy!

Volunteering with the Refugee Assistance Program (RAP)
The refugee family (from Iran) that I have been teaching English to has done really well! They now have their own place, and I can begin to have a short conversation with them completely in English! In the meantime, I am learning Farsi. Fun!



Preparing for Cali once again and Remembering Mark Markle with Relay for Life
Here I am again, busy busy, but finally managed to pull this blog together for you before I leave for a two week trip to Cali. Those of you who know me personally know that I lost my father to cancer about two years ago (April 6, 2009). Last year, our family took our pain and energy and raised over $4,000 for the American Cancer Society through matching funds from my mother’s company (ESIS) and through our Relay for Life pages. This year, we are at it again.

If you would like your $5 to turn into $10, send a check to Sandra Markle (my mother) with “Cancer Society” in the memo. Send it to our permanent residence at 7731 McNulty Avenue, Winnetka, Ca, 91306. If you give us your email, we will update you on how much total is being matched and we will be sure to thank you for your gift. I have envelopes and stamps if you need them and I’ll gladly send them to you, or collect your check in whatever way is convenient for you.

My sister is running Relay for Life at SDSU on the weekend of April 16, and I am participating in the Relay for Life at Georgetown University on April 15-16. This relay is 24 hours, and costs $10 to participate in (but you get food and goodies for the full 24 hours). This year my goal is to be on my feet the ENTIRE time. Cancer never sleeps, so why should I? If you want to support me, walk with me, bring me water, I would love for you to be there. Click here to join my team or donate. Anyone who donates on this site will NOT be matched dollar for dollar, though, so feel free to do whatever makes you feel comfortable. AND…don’t forget to get checked for cancer, take care of yourself and your loved ones, and remember one out of two men, and one out of three women, will be diagnosed with cancer. That means every single person knows at least another who will be diagnosed with cancer. This also implies that everyone is affected by cancer, not just the person fighting it.

Hear my song- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvAV5vhB9Zc

AND! The next few weeks will be amazing back in California with my family and that sun I miss so much. I will be plenty busy, but stay tuned for the next update!

Thank you for all of your support- I am so grateful for all of you!

October in Review: Did you say that was due yesterday???

Well, hello, hello family and friends! I know it has been a long while since I have posted, but that should be extremely indicative of the complete 180 I have experienced here in DC. I am now almost fully assimilated: complete with a busy schedule, full workload, and almost zero free time!

I am also in what is considered the "honeymoon" phase. I love everything and everyone, I feel useful in the organization, and I am getting constructive and positive feedback for my work :) As I review the past month, I hope you can forgive my poor memory and enjoy the pictures I have been able to take.

Following my last blogpost, I attended a Latin American Festival celebrating the culture, costumes, and food of various countries only one of which are represented in this photo. It was a gorgeous day!




Work:

Board Public/Private Meetings & Board Engagement
One of the best parts about my job is meeting the Board Members, note-taking in some private meetings, and really understanding what role the board plays in shaping the mission of the agency. It was such a wonderful learning opportunity, and my notes played a role in the creation and implementation workplan and Next Steps following the Board retreat. There is also now a great emphasis on strategic calendaring (meaning making sure speaking engagements and other activities that the CEO/Board engage in are consistently presenting CNCS key messages in a strategic way). I am very lucky to hear how our agency is able to think about these sorts of issues.

MLK Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service has been a huge part of the Corporation’s tasks, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday so we are making it big. President Obama already doubled the number of participants through his call to serve last year, but this year we want to do even more. I will be managing the workplan and timeline of each working group (as there are many pieces to make this event successful), and I will be heading our ambassador program. The ambassador program is one where we reach out to folks who play a large role in their communities or who have many constituents/platforms to reach out to others (such as actor/actresses, comedians, authors, etc.), so this will be quite time-consuming but very interesting.

Service Events on Veteran’s Day
I have also simultaneously picked up tasks surrounding Veteran’s Day. I was tasking to find opportunities to serve, and thanks to ServiceNation, All for Good and other websites, it wasn’t too hard to find. My grandmother was in DC for this holiday so I was excited to show her what we do on the ground. I hope you all had a chance to get out there and serve our veterans and military families!

Strategic Plan: Education + Veterans and Military Families
So, every agency must put together a strategic plan that acts as a guide and informs the work of the agency. CNCS has been working diligently on its strategic plan and even has its very own strategy office with extremely talented people heading the whole process. I am very lucky to be able to work with them. More specifically, I am the strategy office lead for the education focus area and the veterans and military families focus area. This means I am working on a broad strategy that will inform how our programs (AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve) will focus on measurable outcomes within education, and veterans and military families.

Diversity Month + Halloween Party!
This is quite random, but I decided to put this here because I wanted to brag about how awesome CNCS is. Diversity month has been filled with wonderful performances, food events, and other miscellaneous activities (I was dancing salsa, listening to great panels, and just having fun!). The Halloween party was a wonderful ending to the month!




Other fun events I attended:

NATs game
Outside of the work environment, life has been a bit crazy! I went to a NATs baseball game (I know, shame on me…), but I am still proud of the Giants ;)




AIDs Run fundraiser + VA Winery
For a friend’s birthday, we ran approx 3.5 miles in 35 minutes for an AIDs benefit, and we went to a winery in Virginia! This was fabulous and we even got some free wine for singing her happy birthday. The best part was meeting the owner and hearing about his philanthropic efforts with Habitat for Humanity. I am definitely hoping to go back here.




Hiking in Shenandoah
Wow, so basically Shenandoah is awesome! We did a 5 mile hike, took tons of pictures (courtesy of my roomate) and I drove the whole way there and back. I am so ready to make a weekend trip and camp out there. We even saw a REAL black bear!




Mt. Vernon Bike Trip
Meanwhile, I also completed about a 35 mile bike trail with a friend of mine. This was AMAZING! And, to top it all off, we saw George Washington’s estate! It was a perfect day, and we enjoyed Alexandria that evening.





Hair! At the Kennedy Center
As if my month wasn’t already fun-filled, I saw the musical Hair! At the Kennedy Center. It brought be back to the olden days when I used to be in musicals and man was it good. Let the Sun Shine was the best song because the cast invited us on stage and I got a beautiful daisy to take home with me.




The 2010-2011 Gardner Fellows: Happy Bday Kevan! + other outings
The Gardner Fellows have definitely been hanging out whenever we can. From dinners to birthday celebrations to coffee, we have been having a ball when we aren’t working our 8-12 hour days. Yes, you better believe it. In catching up with many of them, it seems like some agencies require a lot more time than others. We often ask ourselves, when do people eat lunch? But, it is really important to keep that work/life balance and we have definitely taken opportunities to make sure we go out and have fun. I love our group!




The White House:

White House Gardens Tour
I was very lucky to go to the WH gardens tour and it was so exciting to see the vegetable and rose gardens! First Lady Obama has really done a great job with their organic vegetables :) The White House is so beautiful- the pictures say enough, no?




WHF Leadership Conference
This section may need a little bit of context. The White House Fellowship was something started by President Lindon B. Johnson and John Gardner (then Secretary) for professionals (normally already into their careers and over 25) to understand and work in government for a year. They go through a rigorous application and interview process and they are basically superstars. Twenty five years later, John Gardner started the John Gardner Fellowship for graduating UC Berkeley and Stanford students (what I have). So, a few years ago, the White House Fellows Association began inviting John Gardner Fellows to the WHF Conference, a 2-3 day event complete with very exciting speakers (this year General Colin Powell and Justice Sotomayor were highlights!). I took both days off work to attend the whole event and it was wonderful! I made some great contacts and hope to learn more from these leaders as time passes. There was also a service day culminating the experience – coincidentally, my agency among others (DOE, DOT) were also represented (see below).

Make a Difference Day with KaBOOM!
On Saturday, Sept 23, it was make a Difference Day. To hear more about what we did and check out the video, see our blog post: http://www.serve.gov/stories_detail.asp?tbl_servestories_id=436

I was literally in the dumpster a good portion of the time (trying to sort out the piles of thorny vines, leaves, trees, etc. It was so fun! And I can’t wait to build a playground again.





In the end and as always, I am continuing to learn during my time here.

Lessons Learned:
- Your work will be rewarded if you take the time and effort to make it your best; don't be afraid to express your ideas.
- Your ideas are worth something; just make sure you present them in a way that makes sense and is not obnoxious.
- When you are sick, bring a lot of tissues ;)
- Congratulate yourself (treat yourself), even if no one else does. AND, when they do thank you or congratulate you for your work, tell them how appreciative you are of that.
- STOP! STEP BACK! Never get so comfortable that you interrupt others; wait for the opportune moment to give your opinion, or just don't give it, or give it offline to a staff member. YOU ARE NOT as qualified as everyone around you- you have to earn it.
- Don't forget to reflect!
- Wow, in the places you thought the least, you can find a really connected/important person (Kaboom Event)
- Respond with thank you’s to all business cards (re: WHF Conference)

AND! This weekend I went home to celebrate my birthday- and it was the best ever! Because my grandmother is visiting me for this week, I will be plenty busy, but stay tuned for the next update!

Thank you for all of your support- I am so grateful for all of you!

First Two Weeks in Review: Special Events and Little Work

“Life isn’t a mountain that has a summit. Nor is it—as some suppose—a riddle that has an answer. Nor a game that has a final score.

Life is an endless unfolding, and if we wish to be, an endless process of self-discovery, an endless and unpredictable dialogue between our own potentialities and the life situations in which we find ourselves. By potentialities I mean not just intellectual gifts but the full range of one’s capacities for learning, sensing, wondering, understanding, loving and aspiring.”

John Gardner
Commencement Address, Sidwell Friends School
Washington, DC
June 13th, 1986

First and foremost, I would like to preface the remaining blog entries with a very important note: My blog does not represent the views of CNCS or any other government agency or the current administration. In order to protect confidentiality rights, I will not mention names or details of my work assignments.

September 11: Day of Service and Rememberance
Before my first day at CNCS began, I decided to participate in the September 11th Day of Service by volunteering with a group of people at a church in Alexandria. It was a bit far, but it was the only service opportunity that wasn’t filled up! We collected food items from church goers and sorted them into boxes. After three hours of this, we took the truck load of boxes to the local food bank and stored them to be given out to the needy later that month.




The First Lady and President Obama, as well as the CNCS CEO were serving as well in Virginia (I think), so it was a great way to prepare me for my first week at work.

The first day
My first day was a little awkward because my supervisor had to be at jury duty (last minute!). So, I had to introduce myself to people and find my way on my own. She of course prepared me very well by giving me detailed instructions and telling me who to see and what to read while I was settling in. I was in a new employee orientation for the first half of my day, and I spent the second half reading, completing online training workshops, getting my name tag, and calling about securing my email address and phone. Highlights included taking an oath (led by the CEO) to protect the United States, and meeting the CEO briefly.

***It really was a good idea to send an email to my supervisor ahead of time because she had so much prepared for me. In the email I told her how excited I was to be there and asked her if there was anything I needed for my first day.




Two weeks later
As I reflect on the past two weeks, I have to say that I am slightly disappointed because I have oftentimes spent the whole day without tasks. I have taken it upon myself to read the Kennedy Act legislation, any and all online resources, and articles about my agency, but my tasks have included only small things like packaging materials to fedex, preparing letters, researching small items.

The reason for this, however, makes sense because everyone in the office is super stressed and preparing for the big Board retreat and public Board meeting fast approaching this Tuesday and Wednesday. By January 2011, the Board and CNCS will have to have a strategic plan completed to be approved by OMB, CNCS Board, and Senate that will ultimately affect at least the next five years if not more. So, each Board call and Board meeting is extremely important. This stress has caused both my mentor and other Office of CEO staff to be pretty busy. I expect and hope that after the Board meeting I will be able to have a sit down meeting with my mentor and supervisor to talk about the activities I would like to be involved in to reach my learning goals for this fellowship.

Positive notes
I do have one larger task which involved creating a monthly memo for the Board with current happenings (“the buzz” so to speak) about service and what CNCS is doing. I have been happy with this assignment but I cannot get into it as much until the beginning of October because I need information from different departments.

I have also had the opportunity to attend various events. In my first week I attended “Service Works” at the Capitol building and heard from various leaders and representatives in congress that support service as a solution, and the expansion of service opportunities for Americans.




I also attended “Big Citizenship” which was a dialogue held with the author of Big Citizenship, founder of City Year, and founder and CEO of Service Nation. I bought his book and I am almost done! He is amazing, and I hope to be a social entrepreneur as successful as he has been.



This past week I have been able to attend two meetings related to the strategic planning process. While I cannot go into detail on this process, imagine if you will, being able to sit at the table where all of the top decision makers sit. There, they discuss, argue, and challenge each other to look at how the agency is structured and how the agency will change to make the greatest impact to our whole country through service. They look at everything from measurable outcomes, to stakeholders and grantees, to disaster services, and education.

It was a moment in this meeting that I was truly connected to policy in a way I thought I never could be. The decisions these people make will affect non profits and volunteers and communities all over the country, and they are taking every precaution to make the strategic plan the best it can possible be with the limited resources they have. AND! I took notes, typed them up and offered them to my supervisor and she was very impressed with this gesture. As a result, I may be able to sit in and take notes during the private Board conversations next week! Yay!

Exploring my surroundings
I have also taken the time to go to events like the Adams Morgan Day festival, biking through rock creek, biking on a full mood ride with a local bike association, and happy hour with coworkers.







A couple of reflection points I want to note:
- Take every opportunity to learn
- Be grateful for the opportunities you have
- Meeting people can be awkward, and may involve moments of silence. Always smile and you can always say how excited you are to learn more about X,Y,Z. Or say how interested you are to hear about what that person does in the agency
- Always say yes to every task, no matter how small it is (at the beginning...)
- When attending special events, do not be afraid to talk to the speakers or event heads. People love to share what they are doing or why they are there.
- Think before doing things, use your intuition, and trust that you are more than capable of figuring things out. If you don’t, others can read that on you.
- Establish yourself as your own person- whatever relationship your supervisor/coworkers have with others does not have to be the relationship you have with others. What kind of a person do you want to be?

Upcoming…

Latino Festival
Board private retreat
Board public meeting
NATs game
2010-2011 Gardner Fellows meet at my place for dinner

Finding Housing in DC: EEK!

You can say that again! EEK! Weeks before I arrived in DC, I went through various methods for finding housing: former Gardner fellows, friends of friends (who were on housing listservs), facebook, and even craigslist. I made a little blurb about myself and sent it out to these networks because I wanted a group house experience (5-6 young professionals living in one house). Part of the reason I wanted this was because of a former fellow whose house I stayed in when I interviewed in DC. I am a huge family person, so it made me really comfortable to live in a place with many people and a family-like community. I also loved the Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights neighborhood. But even though I sent out my blurb to over 15 posts, I got one or two responses which led me to a very sad predicament.

Crestwood House:
To my surprise, I received an email about a group who wanted to turn in an application for a house in the Crestwood area (just north of Columbia Heights). That same day, while I was dropping off my sister in San Diego, I faxed an application in along with three other young professionals applying for the house. Two days later, I was flying to DC with my mom, excited for the opportunity to live in a great house. They were still processing our applications when my mother and I arrived, so there was no rush to stay in DC.

Mom and I took a week drive to Atlantic City, Boston, West Haven, Niagara Falls, and a couple of towns in between. During this time, our application was still in progress! There were many more complications than I expected.

LESSON #1: When explaining to your house/apt. that you are paid for by a fellowship (not taxable), you need to provide them with the name and number of the Gardner Fellowship Administrator, and you need to provide an offer letter from your employment (or letter of acceptance into the program). This can be confusing to them so make it clear up front.

Long story short, they took too long to process this application so one of our expected roommates found another living situation which broke up the group application.

Fort Totten Apartments:
At this point (September 2nd), I was more than annoyed with the whole process, and just wanted a place to call home early enough before my start day to settle in. I went on the hunt with my mother and we walked at least ten miles from metro to apartment to find a place. When I finally came across an apartment within my price range, all was good. We (a friend and I) filled out and turned in an application in hopes that it would go through by September 7th and so it did!

Our apartment is pretty awesome, ~$1650 + $?? utilities (1 bedroom, 1 den, kitchen, bathroom, washer/dryer, carpet, new appliances, etc!). Other amenities are included: state of the art fitness room, BBQ and gas for grilling, business room with free internet and free printing, pool, lounge area with foosball table, pool table, large TV, and free parking.

LESSON #2: Know what you want and have a back-up plan.

In conclusion, finding housing sucks! But, if you stick to what you want, you are bound to find something that fits your needs. Keep at it, and use your networks as much as you can. My roommate was awesome at finding cheap/free furniture for our apartment and we are now comfortable and able to focus on our work and having fun in DC.

And this is what we have in the end :)


Driving a large Budget truck for the first time!


Moving in…(by the way, we had to move that couch- which has a pull out queen bed in it- from the truck to the elevator, up two flights of stairs down the hall to our room)


When it is all said and done, our place is simple, but great!


Our kitchen is ready for cooking!


My room (all furniture free!)