“Being in AmeriCorps helped me to recognize my passion for working in the nonprofit sector and with young people in achieving their goals after high school.”

Maria Grande joined Sociedad Latina in 2015 as an AmeriCorps VISTA Program and Development Team Leader. She was apart of a small cohort of VISTAs called “ServiceWorks,” that was created in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation and Citi Foundation. In this role, Maria developed and facilitated trainings for opportunity youth ages 16-24 from across Boston.

“My time as an AmeriCorps VISTA was a really eye-opening experience into the education system in Boston. Coming from a small town in New York, I was unaware of how the public school system works in a city and I realized how limited resources are for young people living in more underserved communities.”

She was hired as VISTA right after graduating college and credits her time in AmeriCorps for helping her to build a community of friends in a city that was new to her.

“What I remember the most from my service year was the community of people that I got to know and became friends with during that year. I was new to Boston, having only graduated college a few months prior, and my cohort of VISTAs and supervisor made me feel like I had a family. Everyone was really supportive and understood the ups and downs of being a VISTA.”

After her service year, Maria was hired as a full-time employee at Sociedad Latina in the Development Department. She has been with the organization for four years and is currently the Senior Development Associate.

“If I wasn’t in AmeriCorps, I wouldn’t have found Sociedad Latina. This place has been my home for the last four years and I am so grateful for what I have learned in this time. You never know what surprises will come from doing a service year.”