By Jack Korpob, Comcast Team, serving at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School

Kayla working hard preparing materials for the Burke Team

Last year, Kayla Faust was a corps member at the Young Achievers Science and Math K-8 Pilot School which was then a brand-new City Year Boston partnership. Kayla and the rest of the YA team had the opportunity to cultivate the thriving community that currently exists. This year, Kayla is back as a senior corps member serving as one of two Team Leaders for the Burke Team.

Kayla really feels that building the partnership at the Burke High School is similar to her experience last year, but very different at the same time.

“I think that it’s awesome that I get to experience establishing new partnerships from a different perspective this year. First-year partnerships are always the most challenging, but I think that I bring experience to my team. When they feel like they aren’t seeing the impact of their service directly, I can provide that perspective.”

After reflecting, Kayla really feels proud to be part of another new partnership. This year’s Burke High School Team is the very first high school team for City Year Boston, so strong leadership is needed to support each corps member. Being a TL of a path paving team like the Burke Team is truly a leadership development experience that both challenges and defines Kayla’s leadership style.

Some goals that Kayla has set forth for herself and the team is to really take in the opportunity to work with the 9th Grade Freshmen Academy, especially in breaking stereotypes and stigmas that surround the Burke. It is with great pride that she envisions the entire team planting seeds for civic leadership for both the Grove Hall community and the Burke community.

Tying her YA experience to the Burke experience so far, Kayla has one ultimate goal for the team: “By the end of the year, I want the team to feel as if they did more than just impact the students they are directly serving, but feel they helped the entire Freshmen Academy and the entire Burke High School.”