Sarah McKee is joining our recruitment team as a Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist! She’s deeply familiar with AmeriCorps already: she served with the Emergency Response Initiative (ERI) in 2021 and also worked on our Development team before transferring to this role. She has a background in writing and marketing, which she’ll use in this role, along with her experiences with AmeriCorps!
As our Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Sarah will be helping people interested in AmeriCorps explore our AmeriCorps programs. Fill out our contact form to chat with her or another member of our team!
You’re an AmeriCorps alum! What initially brought you to AmeriCorps?
I had graduated college and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. Someone recommended AmeriCorps to me. In the midst of a pandemic it seemed like a great opportunity to help out my community and take time to explore.
What program did you serve with and what did you do?
I served in the Emergency Response Initiative at Humboldt High School in the summer of 2021. I helped coordinate summer programming for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The first half of the summer we hosted a sports-related program with math, science, and english lessons all relating to different sports – the students loved this!
The second half of the summer we hosted an “around the world” program where students learned all about different countries and cultures and had the chance to share traditions from their own cultures with their peers! We learned how to sing songs in different languages, learned dances, practiced geography, and much more.
What did you learn from serving with AmeriCorps?
I think the biggest thing I learned about myself was my passion for working with children and others in a community setting. In college I had been on the teacher track until I had decided a classroom setting was not for me. So I was excited to work with students in a different kind of setting! I exited AmeriCorps with a desire to keep volunteering and involving myself in my community which ultimately led me to a career at a nonprofit. Serving with AmeriCorps was such a great opportunity for me to explore myself and where I wanted my professional career to go.
What were some of your favorite memories of your service?
On the last day of the sports program we put together a day where family and friends could watch students compete in races, obstacle courses, cheer offs, etc. The students I worked with spent all summer coming up with a chant that rhymed and had a dance with it. Seeing them perform it in front of everyone with such excitement was definitely one of my favorite memories while serving.
What are you most excited about doing in your new role as Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist?
I am excited to connect with potential AmeriCorps members and share my experience with them. I want to connect people to programs that they are not only interested in but will have the most meaningful experience in!
We also asked Sarah some get-to-know you questions – answers below!
Hometown? Woodbury, MN
Favorite snack? Hummus (Specifically from Waterstreet Deli in Eau Claire, WI!)
Do you have pets? I have the cutest cat named Winnie
Favorite summer activity? Picnics with friends at White Sand Beach or Boom Island
Favorite band in middle school? One Direction/Jonas Brothers
What kind of music do you like? Any kind of R&B especially early 2000’s R&B
Favorite Twin Cities restaurant? Young Joni
Hobbies outside of work? Trivia, thrifting, hiking, having creative time with friends (painting, collaging, crafts, etc.), hosting fun themed dinners and parties
Dream vacation spot? I like to sight-see when I travel, so anywhere with good hikes and museums, art galleries, or landmarks to check out! There are a few hikes in Austria and Switzerland I would love to complete some day! I have a national parks bucket list so anywhere with a national park is high up on my places I would like to travel to!
Interested in chatting with our team about AmeriCorps service? Reach out to us about which program might be a good fit for you.
