Welcoming Impact Manager Lily Rodriguez

Aug 20

What made you want to continue working at City Year?

My own experience as an AmeriCorps Member is a huge part of what made me want to continue working at City Year. I served with City Year during a time when I was still figuring out what I wanted my future to look like, and my service year ended up shaping me in ways I never expected.

I saw firsthand how powerful it can be for students to have someone in their corner who consistently shows up, believes in them, and makes school feel like a place where they belong.

City Year also gave me that same kind of community and investment as a young adult. Continuing with the organization gives me the opportunity to pay that forward—not only by supporting students and schools, but by helping AmeriCorps Members recognize how capable they are and how much impact they can have.

How does your experience as an ACM and Team Leader shape the way you approach your new role?

I bring the perspective of someone who has experienced City Year at multiple levels—as an ACM, Team Leader, and now Impact Manager.

Because my own ACM experience is still very recent, I understand both the excitement and the challenges that can come with a service year. I think that helps me lead with empathy while still holding high expectations.

Both of my service roles also taught me that leadership isn’t about having every answer. It’s about being consistent, being willing to listen, knowing when to step in and when to let someone grow, and creating an environment where people feel supported enough to challenge themselves.

Those are lessons I want to carry with me as an Impact Manager.

What are you most excited about in your new role?

I’m most excited to learn what it means to lead and develop others from a new perspective.

As a Team Leader, I was able to work closely alongside my team every day. Now, as an Impact Manager, I get to think more broadly about how I can support my Team Leaders and ACMs while also building strong partnerships with our schools.

I’m also excited to learn from City Year Bay Area. Coming from City Year New York, I know that every site and every school community has its own culture, strengths, and ways of doing things. I’m excited to bring what I learned in New York while also being open to learning from a completely new site and community.

What do you hope to bring to the teams you support?

I care a lot about building relationships and creating community. Whether I’m working with students, ACMs, school partners, or staff, I want people to feel seen, heard, and valued.

I believe some of the strongest teams are built when people know they can be themselves, make mistakes, grow, and still be held accountable to doing great work.

As someone who has recently been an ACM and Team Leader herself, Lily understands just how meaningful that kind of support can be—and she’s excited to help create it for the next generation of City Year AmeriCorps Members.