This Summer, Campus Compact achieved a tremendous milestone: we’ve built up our largest cohort of AmeriCorps VISTAs ever! To celebrate the success of the ‘24-’25 recruitment season, we reached out to a few of our VISTAs to ask them what inspired them to apply to Campus Compact and their host site, and learn what they are looking forward to most during their year of service:
Cat Hudson, VISTA Member at Washington and Lee University:
I was inspired to join Campus Compact at Washington and Lee because it is my alma mater. As a recent graduate, I am excited to give back to the university and community that gave me so much during and after my college career!
This year, I am most looking forward to getting outside and reconnecting with the mountains around Lexington, Virginia! Service-wise, I am most looking forward to getting feedback and information from students about how to better support them in volunteering opportunities.
Fabrice Uwihirwe, VISTA Member at Stanford University-Upward Scholars:
I was inspired to join Campus Compact/my host site because it gave me an opportunity to do work meaningful to me while being able to make a living. The stipend is not great, but I am able to sustain myself and serve marginalized communities, which is work I enjoy doing. The expectation coming right out of college is to get a job that will pay the bills, but through Campus Compact I am also able to do something I am passionate about.
During my service year I look forward to getting more experience in the nonprofit world and developing my capacity to serve others without doing so directly. I am used to volunteering and other means of direct service, so serving in a capacity building role is new and exciting.
Sam Frank, VISTA Member at the National Museum of the Pacific War:
After graduating college in the spring, I was interested in pursuing a career in public history. Specifically, I wanted to work in community engagement where I could combine my experience in public service with my passion for history. When I came across the listing for a Campus Compact position at the National Museum of the Pacific War, I knew it was a perfect match. My VISTA project allows me to complete meaningful service work while at the same time getting very practical experience in a field I want to be in.
I am most looking forward to getting my mobile education program into schools. My VISTA project is focused on creating "traveling trunks" for schools in the San Antonio Northside Independent School District. This means that I will be writing lesson plans, designing activities, and selecting artifacts to send to classrooms. Since my first couple of months will consist of research and development, I am really excited for the point in time when educators will make use of my materials and give me feedback I can use to improve the program going forward.
Chnoa Manso-Vargas, VISTA Member at University of Bridgeport:
What inspired me to join Campus Compact and my host site University of Bridgeport is due to my undergraduate and graduate experience. I felt I supported myself a lot through my social work education journey and knew I wanted to work within higher education to help people who may not have gotten as lucky as me during the process and figuring out higher education life.
What I am looking forward to in my service years is impacting my community and being able to build connections while implementing impact. My main goal is to make people feel inspired and energized and bright through interactions of myself and the work I do to help the community further thrive.
Life never stops and I think having examples like myself within the higher education setting allows students to see there is always room for growth, work, impact, and that there is no linear right way to go or feel in life. All you can do is try and keep moving forward! I just feel very inspired by my situation and want to do the best for my peers, coworkers, and community (really the world, but I have to think baby steps in the beginning!)
Campus Compact would like to send a hearty WELCOME to all new AmeriCorps VISTA Members. We are looking forward to this exciting year with you all! Be on the lookout for updates and projects that our Members will be contributing to throughout the service year.