Ohio Campus Compact provides training and professional development opportunities to our AmeriCorps members. Eight members representing five campuses attended ServeOhio’s Conference on Service and Volunteerism earlier this month. Below is a reflection from our AmeriCorps members serving at the University of Mount Union.

Written by University of Mt. Union’s AmeriCorps SRC members:

We had the opportunity to attend the ServeOhio conference in Columbus, Ohio, along with our Site Supervisor and a few Mount Union Regula Scholar students. This conference was geared towards creating inspiration, making connections, and building skills that support the evolution of volunteerism and service in Ohio. We explored new ways to improve our service to students at Mount Union. We listened to Keynote Speaker, Tray Deadwyler, who is the Founder and Director of Think for Good. He was very engaging as he talked about ways to mitigate social division among volunteers and maximize community engagement efforts. The day proceeded with a variety of sessions in breakout rooms followed by a celebratory luncheon for the AmeriCorps 30th Anniversary. Our day concluded with the Networking Reception where we were able to connect with several leaders in Ohio. We even connected with a previous Mount Union alum who is now a leader for the American Red Cross! Below is a short biography from each of our AmeriCorps members discussing the impact this conference had on them!

Reflection by Jacob Buttar – My favorite breakout session that I was able to attend at the conference was “Leveraging Psychometric Assessments to Foster Team, Professional, and Personal Development” by Tikierra Thompson and Adrian Burns. My friend Greg convinced me to attend this session with him and I am glad I listened to him. The session provided a psychometric assessment for all in attendance to examine how different personality types and working styles can work together. The assessment, conducted through a program called HBDI, examined how you act when you are in a calm state of mind and how you tend to act when you are more stressed. I found out through my assessment that when I am calm, I am more of a people person while when stressed I like to focus on getting things done (which I believe to be accurate!). The presentation was very helpful in not only looking at myself but providing resources with helpful tips on how to communicate and work with others.

Reflection by Jessica Roberts – During the breakout session, I attended the “Supporting Youth Suicide Prevention as Trusted Adults and Volunteers” by Micha Morgan. This talk was very engaging and opened my eyes to an area I am not familiar with. While this is a sensitive topic, I think it is an important one to be aware of. This talk gave me a better understanding of youth depression and suicide prevention and how to help others who may be struggling to find the resources they need.

Reflection by Kaylee Adkins – My favorite breakout session was “AmeriCorps Looks Great on a Resume!”, which was presented by Allyssa Harris and Katie Rankin. This session provided current AmeriCorps members with the opportunity to learn how to find ways to make the most of their year of service. During this session, we also did a mock interview to prepare us for life after service. Attending these sessions and conferences allows me to grow and provide many talking points in future interviews.

Reflection by Sarah Conley – During the final breakout session, I attended “This Generation Hits Different: Supporting Gen Z Volunteers” by Rachel Scherzer. As a member of Gen Z who is active in community service on campus, I felt it was important to attend this session to gain insight into how to best support and engage my peers in projects on and around campus. The information provided helped me to better understand both the positive and negative life experiences that this generation has lived through, and how those experiences impact them, their attitudes toward certain topics, and their decision making.

Learn more about our AmeriCorps program and meet our members here.