For Kiah, City Year was more than an opportunity to serve students. It was a chance to explore a different path, discover new strengths, and challenge what she believed was possible for herself.
Originally from Michigan, Kiah moved to the Bay Area to serve as an AmeriCorps Member in 2026. Drawn to the opportunity for adventure, service, and professional growth, she wanted a meaningful work experience that would allow her to support others while developing skills for her future.
Today, Kiah serves as Operations Manager at City Year Bay Area, bringing her experience as a Corps Member into a new role supporting the organization’s work. We caught up with Kiah to reflect on the students who shaped her service year, the confidence she found along the way, and why she believes the best next step is sometimes the one that asks us to take a leap of faith.
What first inspired you to serve with City Year?
What first drew me into City Year were the ideas of adventure and service. I wanted to experience working in education, and I knew that a traditional college-to-career trajectory was not right for me.
I was seeking a fulfilling work experience that allowed me to give my time to helping others while also developing professional and transferable skills.
Do you have any memorable or inspiring stories about your students?
One of my favorite mentoring experiences was practicing reading and learning words with a kindergartener who was struggling with sight-word and sound memorization in the classroom.
After developing lessons that incorporated kinesthetic movement and learning games, she became less hesitant and more excited to persevere through the discouragement she had been feeling about learning.
The experience taught me the importance of accommodating students’ different learning styles. It also helped me give myself grace for needing hands-on learning experiences and pursuing a nontraditional education path.
Seeing her become more confident reminded me that sometimes, finding a different way forward is all it takes to help someone recognize what they can do.
What experiences during your City Year service continue to shape your career?
The most transformative thing I gained from City Year was confidence in my ability to hold a full-time job and contribute to society.
Before my service year, I held a lot of negative beliefs about my own worth and abilities. City Year taught me that I am not only able to endure difficulty, but that persevering through hardship is often necessary to become who we're meant to be.
That shift in perspective has stayed with me. I learned to approach challenges with a greater sense of confidence and to recognize that growth often comes from doing things I might not have thought I was capable of doing.
Did your City Year experience shape your career or education choices?
City Year solidified for me that everybody has a unique path to follow, and that it was okay that my path didn't look like a typical college degree.
It also gave me firsthand experiences that helped me challenge false beliefs I had about myself. Before City Year, I thought, "I could never work an office job." Through City Year's learning and development opportunities, I realized, "This is something that I could be really good at and would be fun for me."
That realization opened up new possibilities. I began to see that I didn't have to follow a predetermined path to find meaningful work. I could explore different interests, develop new skills, and discover opportunities I hadn't previously considered.
Today, in my role as Operations Manager at City Year Bay Area, I have the opportunity to continue that growth while contributing to an organization whose mission I believe in.
What was your favorite part of your City Year experience?
My favorite thing about my City Year experience was the way it expanded my worldview: through the confidence I gained in myself, the knowledge I now have about education and nonprofits, and the faith I have in our students and humanity.
Service gave me a different perspective on what people are capable of when they have the right support and opportunities. It also challenged me to reconsider what I believed about myself.
That combination of personal growth and a deeper understanding of the world around me is something I continue to carry with me.
How hard is City Year? Looking back, would you change anything?
How hard is City Year? On a scale of one to ten: yes.
I've run a couple of marathons, and the process goes a little bit like this: "Wow, this is so exciting and fun! I can't believe the progress I am making. Uh oh, this is a lot of work. I'm going to have to slow down the pace if I'm going to finish the race. Oh no, this is really hard, and I don't know if I'm going to make it. Finally, I did it! Life is a miracle, and I can do anything in the world!"
I wouldn't change anything about it because I wouldn't change anything about who I've become.
Like running a marathon, service asks you to keep going even when the finish line feels far away. There are moments of excitement, moments of doubt, and moments when you realize just how much you've grown. Looking back, I'm grateful for all of it.
What would you tell someone considering a year of service?
For me, City Year has been the most transformative and dense period of learning and growth that I've had in my professional career. It was the wisest use of time and money that I have invested in my education.
My advice is to take the very next step that feels aligned and synchronized with the future that you want for your life and the world. Make moves of faith and not of fear.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes, you discover what you're capable of by giving yourself the opportunity to try something new.
Looking Ahead
Kiah's journey is a reminder that a meaningful career doesn't have to follow a traditional path. Sometimes, the experiences that shape us most are the ones we never would have planned for ourselves.
Through her service year, Kiah discovered a new confidence in her abilities, gained firsthand experience in education and nonprofit work, and began to see possibilities beyond the assumptions she had once held about her future. Now, as Operations Manager at City Year Bay Area, she continues to grow within the organization that helped her recognize those possibilities.
Her advice to others considering service is simple: take the next step that aligns with the future you want, even if you can't see the entire path ahead.
