Every year, College Possible Minnesota recognizes two AmeriCorps members who’ve gone above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to College Possible’s core values through their work and dedication to our mission and their service to the community. This year, AmeriCorps coaches and College Possible leadership team members selected one first-year coach and one second-year coach to be recognized for their outstanding work.
We are thrilled to announce this year’s recipients of the College Possible Minnesota AmeriCorps Member of the Year Awards: Katie Allard and Safiya Mohamed. In their own words, here’s why their peers selected them for this prestigious honor.
Celebrating Katie’s second year of service to College Possible students
Katie is high energy and is the reason why we have social events. She is also a great coach and does a lot of good work.
Katie dedicates herself fully to College Possible along with providing support to the students she serves and College Possible coaches. She takes extra time to lead the Returner’s Counsel and build out the curriculum for students. She is always creating something new and exciting to drive engagement.
Katie has been hoping for this award since the beginning of her first year and this year it has really shown. She helped lead the Returner Council, finding events for coaches to attend together in hopes of supporting coaches to get more hours and build community. She has also volunteered to support many different opportunities throughout the entire year. She led a community builder during Welcome Weeks, was present at most in-office FAFSA events, attended a weekend campus visit, and is now assisting with testing academic release forms.
I think Katie exemplifies what it means to be a team player when it comes to students and as an AmeriCorps colleague! She is always very friendly to all of those serving with her and goes out of her way to include people in conversations. I’ve seen the passion she has when it comes to working with others. Katie has truly shaped my experience in the office. I value her insight, and she has given me good advice throughout my term of service.
Katie brings energy to everything and makes Fridays so much fun. She also carries that energy and passion to students; she plans fun activities to get students engaged and have fun with College Possible. Katie has a genuine passion for what she does and has been a great example of what an AmeriCorps coach should be. She goes above and beyond for students and will work long hours to ensure their needs are met. She makes a great team member; students are truly lucky to have her as their coach, and Humboldt is lucky to have her in their school.
Katie’s effort and energy into making College Possible better for coaches is evident in everything she does. I say this as someone who tends to be more reserved in group settings, and whether or not I am able to attend, it is so admirable that someone puts in extra time and energy for her peers.
Without Katie, I wouldn’t have connections with other coaches. She is really good at planning community events. The positive energy and the awesome vibes she gives is what makes her stand out. As a returner, she is also very knowledgeable and helps others when needed.
Katie takes on many leadership roles in the office and is always advocating for the AmeriCorps coaches. She plans and hosts many events for us coaches to get together and build community. Her hard work never goes unnoticed, and her energy is always so positive. Like I always joke with her, she “does too much.” She is so deserving of this award.
Katie is a dedicated and passionate coach. She is excited about what she does and challenges students to be their best. Katie encourages community and is a great support for her fellow coaches.
Katie goes above and beyond to create a welcoming and engaging environment for students and fellow coaches. Spearheading this year’s Returner Coach Council, Katie seeks community growth at every turn. No returner quite exemplifies what it means to be a part of College Possible like Katie does. Without a doubt, from the moment you meet her, you know, she embodies the spirit of College Possible. I admire her dedication greatly.
Katie has demonstrated commitment to students and to the team through her leadership on the returner council.
Everybody knows Katie! She is a leader within her cohort, College Possible, and Humboldt. There is a reason that Humboldt has been an incredibly engaged cohort in recent years, and Katie is that reason.
Congratulating Safiya on an impactful AmeriCorps service year
Safiya has put in hours like no other in the pursuit to do the best she can for students to succeed when applying to their 2-year or 4-year school. Safiya Mohamed is not only an amazing coach but has built very strong relationships with students that I have observed by personally visiting her site. I have been able to observe the amount of trust and respectSafiya gives to students. In addition she took on a role as one of the advisors for Pan-African student union at her site adding to an already packed 40-hour work week. Others have commented that Safiya puts in a lot of work into her position and I believe it’s because she truly cares deeply about the students she’s built relationships with. Working alongside her co-coach they have built curriculums that have helped all sites achieve true efficiency as well as recruitment strategies have come to benefit all.
Safiya puts in extra time and dedication to care and show up for students. Safiya is a great role model to her students and peers at College Possible. She met the students where they are at and is able to hold space for them very early on. When they asked her to be the Pan African Student Union advisor, she agreed right away and took many extra hours after school to help them start up the club again. She always shows up to student events and shows.
Safiya has been a great coach from start to finish! From taking on a larger caseload, managing a higher number of early action applications, engaging with the school community and staff, proactively preparing recruitment efforts, following through on tasks and staying organized, and ensuring every student feels safe and supported, Safiya has been a stellar coach and role model at College Possible!
Safiya demonstrates many core values of College Possible. She consistently demonstrates teamwork in her willingness to collaborate and support others, dedication to students in her commitment to challenge students to stretch to their full potential, and impact in her willingness to continuously seek feedback and new opportunities to improve the student experience in College Possible.
If committing to a year of AmeriCorps service at College Possible to help empower the dreams of students in your community sounds like time well spent, explore our open positions today!
