AmeriCorps: A Life-Changing Experience!

Greetings! My name is Alex Gossage and I am an AmeriCorps*VISTA Program Manager for the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (CIL) and a VISTA alum. I have been a part of AmeriCorps*VISTA in some capacity over the last seven years, and during that time I witnessed life changing moments and even had a few of my own.

My service began at the Ann Arbor CIL in November of 2004. I was a recent college graduate with a notion and a need that I just couldn’t shake. I was at a point in my life where I was ready to become more comfortable with my own disability and I thought that the best way to do that was to work in the disability community. Life, being what it is, gave me the opportunity to discover Centers for Independent Living and Ann Arbor’s own Ann Arbor CIL. After volunteering there for a brief time, I was presented with the idea of becoming an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. I applied and was accepted shortly thereafter.

During my two years of service, I assisted with program research and development. I gained skills in proposal writing, research, and program evaluation. I learned how to work in groups effectively and how to pace my own work and complete projects within short timeframes. As my service progressed I took on more responsibilities, coordinating the work of other service members, attending community meetings as a CIL representative, and presenting in front of both small and large audiences.

Through my work, I saw how our organization helped people every day. Whether it was navigating through a maze of public benefit applications, helping an individual with a disability start their own business, or giving a child with a disability the chance to swing a tennis racket for the first time, the Ann Arbor CIL was there to help. And the great thing about my VISTA position was that I got to see all of these things happen because I was involved with the development and improvement of these programs.

After two years of hard work (service!), the skills I learned and the relationships I made helped me find a place at the Ann Arbor CIL as a staff member. I was hired to continue my work in program development and assist with the overall coordination of our VISTA program. Without AmeriCorps*VISTA, I would not be the employee I am today; I would have missed out on a great opportunity to improve myself professionally; and I would not have had the opportunity to see other people with disabilities grow as members themselves. This alone gives me a sense of indebtedness to the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, but in my eyes it is not the greatest way in which I have benefited.

As an AmeriCorps*VISTA member I developed a meaningful connection with the Ann Arbor CIL and, in turn, the disability community. More than anything, socializing with other individuals with disabilities, participating in recreation activities with individuals with disabilities, and developing pride in being an individual with a disability helped me become comfortable with who I am and not focus so much on what I am not. Finally, my VISTA service set the stage for me to have a family of my own… During my service I got the chance to get to know one of my co-workers better. She became the love of my life and she eventually agreed to be my wife.