Maliah Mathis

What was your motivation for becoming a Serve Louisiana member?

I had just finished a year of service through City Year which motivated me to seek out other service focused careers while I figured out my "big girl" path. Prior to AmeriCorps, I actually had no idea what the nonprofit sphere was or that you could continue working in the community service realm after graduation.

Tell us about your experience — the good times and the challenges.

During my term, my supervisor - Kia Bickham - decided that I would be leading up the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council. At that time in my career, I was far more comfortable behind the scenes or playing a more supportive role for our different initiatives. She saw a spark in me that I wasn't quite ready for and through some gentle nudging...she started my career in the youth development sphere.

What did you gain from being a member?

My service year greatly impacted my work ethic and connected me to the community. Being housed at organizations that rely so heavily on community engagement and on networking from within provided me with the support to strengthen my knowledge of the city and fostered my skills to take the initiative to reach out and establish connections. I have also been very fortunate to have constantly been surrounded by such strong and impactful women throughout my career which played a role in my personal and professional development.