As our Campus Compact AmeriCorps members near their final months of service, they engage in a series of trainings, workshops, and seminars to prepare them for Life After AmeriCorps or LAFTA. Each year, as a part of LAFTA, we invite our Campus Compact AmeriCorps Alumni to come back and speak to our current cohort of members on an Alumni Career Panel.
The panel features a range of alumni who have gone on to continue working in higher education, federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and more. This year’s panel featured nine alumnus, both those who have recently served as AmeriCorps members with Campus Compact and those who exited national service some time ago. No matter how long ago they have served, the panel highlights how service continues to impact our alumnus’ lives through the values and lessons learned during service that continue to show up in their current work today.
In the first hour of the panel, our alumni responded to guided questions from the cohort about skill development, career pathways, and ways service shaped their careers, followed by smaller breakout conversations that allowed for deeper connection and advice. Throughout the discussion, one central theme was the lasting impact of service.
Alumni emphasized the skills AmeriCorps helped them build, such as adaptability, project management, and cross-department communication. One reflection made by former Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Andrea Bell, highlighted that during their service experience, they learned how to act as a “translator between nonprofits and corporate spaces.” Others reflected on learning to be flexible, manage multiple priorities, and bridging diverse perspectives.
Andrea Bell Bio
Beyond skill building, Alumni emphasized the values of service that remain prevalent in their daily lives and work. Panelists spoke on the importance of relationship building in communities and the value in working in mission-oriented spaces, highlighting that after completing service, alumni strived for roles working towards the betterment of the world – attesting to the impact their service years had on their lives. For many, service not only shaped how they work, but why they work.
Several alumni shared how AmeriCorps significantly shifted their career paths – whether service sparked their interest in anti-poverty work, gave them connections to their next role, or showed them other common pathways after service, AmeriCorps gave them new opportunities and expanded their networks. As shared by Rashmi Mohan, who served with Campus Compact EnviroCorps, “AmeriCorps was my first real job out of college, and I’m still constantly referring to the skills and experiences I gained from my time with AmeriCorps.”
Rasmi Mohan Bio
In closing, the panelists gave final words of advice to the members, encouraging them to invest in their network, document the impact of their projects, and take any opportunity to confidently share their work. Despite many times in service coming soon to an end, each year the alumni panel highlights the impact that service has on shaping our communities and careers long after.
You can read more about our other alumni panelists in their bios below.