VISTA ALUMNI NETWORK
there's a seat for you in the VAN!
October 13, 2015




NC Campus Compact VISTA Alum joins the team as the new VISTA Program Coordinator!
 
On July 1, 2015, we welcomed Carolyn Byrne as our new VISTA program coordinator! Byrne brings a bevy of public service and higher education experience to the role. She served two terms as an NC Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA in UNC's APPLES Service-Learning Program (2009-2011); worked as a student services specialist at UNC's Carolina Center for Public Service; and recently completed a Masters in counseling at UNC Greensboro. As VISTA program coordinator, Byrne will support a cohort of 17 full-time VISTA members building campus-community partnerships at 12 campus and community sites.

Chad Fogleman, who has managed the Compact's VISTA program since 2012, will remain with the organization in the expanded role of assistant director, overseeing communications, network events, awards, and other programs. 

Read More.

50th Anniversary of VISTA celebrated in Greensboro!

This year, NC Campus Compact served on the planning committee for the VISTA 50th Anniversary celebration in North Carolina. Over 60 VISTAs, alums and friends gathered at the Lifespan Creative Campus in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 20th for a day of service, reflection, and fellowship. 

The day comprised of a service project, luncheon and remarks from our keynote speaker, former NC Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti, who served as VISTA in Charlotte, NC from 1976-1977. We also heard from a current VISTA and an alum, both of whom emphasized the importance of national service for not only the communities served but for those who serve as well.

The celebration was organized by the NC state office of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Read more about the day.

Photo: From left to right, NC Campus Compact VISTA alum Rodney O'Neal (2009-2011), Asst. Director Chad Fogleman, and VISTA Leaders Catherine Casteel and Perdita Das.
In This Issue
Blast From the Past!

Each issue, we'll pull some one of our favorite photos from the NC Campus Compact VISTA archive. In this photo, VISTA Alum Camille Smith (2013-2014) poses at the Raleigh College Center. 
Something Old, Something New
 
August was a month of goodbyes and welcomes. After an eventful year, the 2014-15 cohort of VISTAs completed their service on August 7th, 2015. The very same day, our new cohort of members began their year of service. 

We celebrated the end of the year on Friday, July 24th at Elon University serving at a local community garden, with lots of fun games and food, and reflecting on the year. Collectively, our VISTAS served 37,274 HOURS over the course of their service year, building capacity in their communities, leveraging higher education resources, and supporting sustainable solutions.


After an intensive pre-service orientation in Atlanta, GA, our new members hit the ground running at their service sites. We have twelve new members, who were selected from over a pool of over 85 candidates, and we also have five returning members from last year's team. We asked our VISTAs to share a little more about themselves including what motivated them to become a NC Campus Compact VISTA, what they are looking forward to most this year and their favorite free time activities! Read their mini-biographies here. 

Our VISTAs have already started making impacts at their host and community partner sites. Read more about the highlights of their first month of service here.

Photos: Left- 2014-15 VISTAs at the end-of-year celebration. Right- New VISTAs at pre-service orientation in Atlanta.
VISTA Alums share their experiences at member orientation in Elon!

This year, for the first time, NC Campus Compact hosted our VISTAs for a two-day training at Elon, August 27th to 28th. The two days were filled with workshops of different topics presented by both staff and guest speakers. Among many distinguished speakers and presenters, we also welcomed back three VISTA alums, Sara Acosta (2010-12), Derald Dryman (2010-13), and Mariel Steinbeiser (2010-11), to join us for lunch on August 27th. The alums networked with the members, talked about their service years and how their experiences as a VISTA influenced their career choices. It was wonderful reconnecting with them and we look forward to having more of our VISTA alumni at future events. 

The goals of having an intense two-day orientation were to allow the members ample opportunity to bond with each other as a cohort, learn more about specific topics and tools that they will need to succeed in their year, and also hear from experts in the field. Each carefully planned session was made better by the eager participation, great questions, and thoughtful reflections from all the VISTAs. 


Read more about the orientation here.
Join us at our mid-year retreat in December!

Looking for Alumni volunteers! As we plan the annual 
mid-year VISTA retreat we are looking for ways to incorporate our amazing alumni.  If you would be interested in sharing a meal, talking about VISTA transition, or translating VISTA service to future employment please email Carolyn at cbyrne3@elon.edu. 
Where are they now?

Anna Mahathey (2013-2015, pictured on the left) is living in Boston and going to graduate school at Brandeis University for a dual Masters in Public Policy and Women's and Gender Studies, with a concentration in poverty alleviation. She is also doing grant writing for West End Ministries where she served as a VISTA last year. 

Derald "Banjo" Dryman (2010-2013) is currently working as a Social Media Specialist at Modern Automotive in Winston-Salem, NC.

Mariel Steinbeiser (2010-2011) is a Volunteer Coordinator at Wake Technical Community College where she had served as a VISTA.

Our Current VISTAs in the News...

High Point University News features VISTAs Shannon Barr, Victoria Binder and Erin Karpovich. 

News pieces featuring the groundbreaking of Bountiful Harvest community garden featuring VISTA alum Anna Mahathey in High Point.

VISTA Allison Plitman serving at UNCG was featured on her community partner's website.

Second year VISTA Natasha Vos serving at Wake Forest University was interviewed on WFDD.

Do you have an update for us or news to share? Reply and share.
NC Campus Compact Updates
Presidents Forum 2015: Making the case for a #ServiceYear



Retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal headlined a North Carolina Campus Compact Presidents Forum for the state's top education leaders focused on the concept of creating a year-of-service experience for young adults. More than 90 presidents, chancellors, foundation, and business leaders gathered at Elon University on September 30th to discuss the why and how of expanding #ServiceYear opportunities for young people in North Carolina. 
 
PACE Call for Workshop Proposals


NC Campus Compact's 2016 PACE Conference will be February 10, 2016, at High Point University. Proposals are sought for presentations that will inform or advance the research and practice of community engagement through research findings, innovative program design and partnership models, proven community/institutional impacts, effective curriculum or co-curricular models, institutional capacity building and institutionalization, or successful community engagement practices.

Who Should Submit a Proposal?
Individuals, teams, and collaborators including:
  • University and college faculty and staff involved in the study, research, and/or practice of community engagement, the implementation of engagement programs, or service-learning, social entrepreneurism, community-based research or other community-engaged pedagogies
  • Community partners working with colleges and universities
  • Higher education adminstrators who foster institutional support for students, faculty, and staff to engage with communities thorugh scholarships and evidence-based practice
  • Graduate students studying the impacts of community engagement
Proposals deadline: November 9, 2015 (5:00 p.m.)

Food Pantry Provides Support for Durham Tech Students!

Congratulations to our friends at member school Durham Technical Community College for receiving a "Great Pantry Make-over" from Food Lion last week. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle nominated DTCC's Campus Harvest Food Pantry for the make-over program. We are excited to see this service grow, especially since DTCC's pantry was supported in its early years by NC Campus Compact VISTA, Sally Parlier (2011-2013). 

Civic Engagement Jobs
Looking for a new challenge?

You can learn about many other non-profit and higher education jobs by following the NC Campus Compact Jobs Blog. As an AmeriCorps VISTA alum, you can also check out the VISTA Campus Jobs Board and the AmeriCorps Alums Career Center (log-in required). 
More ways to stay connected...

Email Leslie Garvin to receive our bi-monthly Digest!

Bookmark our VISTA VIEW Blog to get your VISTA fix.

Visit our website for campus-community engagement news, resources, and upcoming events!

Join AmeriCorps Alums. It's free! 

Join our group on LinkedIn group! Log your LinkedIn account, type "North Carolina Campus Compact" in the search bar, then request to join!