Be A Hero: Consider Joining AmeriCorps

By Melissa Boyd

Last Friday, I presented at the 4th annual Southern Maine Council on Transition Youth Conference entitled “Be Your Own Superhero…the sky’s the limit!!” which was a professional conference for high school students with disabilities and others regarding employment and training options available after high school.

My presentation was about my experience as an AmeriCorps member and a person with learning disabilities. I wanted to tell my story about my AmeriCorps experience while encouraging these young people to consider becoming a member themselves.

As a student in elementary, middle and high school I was placed in special classes as I had trouble understanding what I was reading. My math and reading scores were extremely low and my grades were less than average. I can remember my high school guidance counselor telling me to just work at the local grocery store or stay in the field of hospitality and continue to waitress. Deep inside, I knew that I had always wanted to go to college even though my grades were poor. I was accepted into Berkshire Community College and after my first semester, one of my Professors, Karen Border pulled me aside after she had read one of my essays.

“I want to talk with you about something very important” she told me. She helped me understand that I was dyslexic.

I was so relived to find out that I had the ability to retain information. Over the next six months, I learned more about my learning disability and how to work with it. Even today almost twenty years after I was diagnosed, I still struggle at times.

This leads me to my first year of service with AmeriCorps. I was living in Portland at the time and my service placement was half in Portland at the Muskie School and half in Biddeford with Pathways a school for kids who were considered at risk for a variety of reasons, many because of learning disabilities. When I arrived at Pathways, part way by bus and at least ten miles on my bike, the students were amazed that I put in the effort to come every day rain or shine. Our small old parks and recreation building in Biddeford, lacked books, supplies and the resources normal classrooms enjoyed.

One thing that AmeriCorps has taught me is that creativity is indeed the mother of all invention. I worked with the two staff and assistants at the center and we came up with a plan. We needed to teach these students, who had been kicked out of classes, put down and given up on that learning was fun and they could achieve great things. This was no small task and our plan to educate them in a new way was nothing short of inspiring. Our little building sat below the Saco River and the head teacher had experience in boat building. We worked with the students and had them call Home Depot to get supplies for a boat donated and together we built a boat. The art of boat building requires reading, collaboration, math, science and a lot of hard work.

After we finished the boat we had University of New England Environmental students visit our center and teach the kids how to test the water on the Saco River. Our efforts garnered media and political attention. After one year, Pathways was upgraded with a new building, more supplies and more teachers and became a place where students wanted to learn in an alternative way.

I’m happy to report that I am finishing my Masters degree at the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine in May thanks to Professor Karen Border being my hero!

Service has taught me that everyone can be a hero in their own way. Our life experience not only shapes who we are, it shapes who we become. Consider joining AmeriCorps, a year of service can change your life and benefit others!

Melissa Boyd is a 2 year AmeriCorps Alum, Graduate Student, and Commissioner for the Maine Commission for Community Service.