Michaela

Michaela
Hometown: Florence, MA
Previous School: Northampton High SchoolInternship(s): Regional Environmental Council,  Neighbor to Neighbor, New Street Glass Works
Career Interests:Human service, law, politics, art

On Why I Chose Dynamy:
I was a straight-A student and a dedicated athlete throughout high school. I worked extremely hard, and by the time I got to senior year, the last thing I wanted to think about was another 4 years in school. College has always been part of my plans, but I also realized that I have a lot of life to live. I wanted to take a year off but also wanted to continue learning, so I decided to take the Hands-On Learning route; it brought me straight to Dynamy.

On My Internship Experience:
My first internship was with Neighbor to Neighbor, a small grassroots organization. I worked with another Dynamy student, and we had the great opportunity of working on the Massachusetts campaign for governor. We spent nine weeks making phone calls and talking to voters about the Democratic candidates Deval Patrick and Tim Murray. We took on a new area of voters that had not been contacted or organized by Neighbor to Neighbor campaigns in years. We ended up helping to turn out 1,000 voters from an area that previously had a very low voter turnout. In addition, our candidates won, and we attended the victory party that night to celebrate! We really felt like we had become part of something really important. It was an awesome feeling to be part of a victorious campaign. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. My current internship is with the Regional Environmental Council. I became the core organizer for the Spring Garden Forum, which is an annual event that kicks off the gardening season in Worcester. My responsibility for the first part of my internship was to organize this large event. I did everything from making the fliers, contacting the press, doing outreach to community gardeners, organizing volunteers and setting up and breaking down on event day. I was in charge of a lot and it was stressful at times but it most definitely paid off. The event was incredibly successful! The weather was beautiful and a couple hundred people showed up for the event. I was so proud. It was probably one of the biggest highlights of my time at Dynamy. Through my internships I learned that I love doing grassroots organizing. I've always had an interest in politics and organizing but I wanted to try a couple different things before deciding on college or a major. At Dynamy I was able to work at grassroots organizations but also try out other things. In the end I found that nothing brings me as much satisfaction as organizing. I am a natural born leader and I found that being in leadership positions and organizing is what really makes me happy.

On Apartment Life:
I love living in the Dynamy apartments with the other interns. We’re a small community, and I've made a lot of close friends. This is the first time I've lived away from home, and it has been quite the experience. I've learned a lot about personal responsibility and accountability. Since there are no parents here to pick up after me or to wake me up when I sleep through my alarm clock, I've learned to be even more responsible for myself.

On Life in Worcester:
I love that Worcester is so culturally diverse! There are so many different ethnic groups living here--it’s quite the melting pot. I love that I can get all different kinds of ethnic foods in the city; just last night I dined at a Vietnamese restaurant for the first time and ate some delicious food that I had never tried before! Coming from a small town and moving to a place like Worcester was pretty hard. I have never lived in a big city before, and it was almost a culture shock. Suddenly, I found myself clutching my purse and glancing behind me all the time to make sure I wasn't being followed. At first I was really worried about violence and crime in the city. It took a little bit of practice to get used to city living, but I caught on quickly. I learned that I just have to take extra safety precautions and make smart decisions in order to be safe. I feel comfortable in Worcester and really like living in the city now.

On Adventure Challenge:
The adventure challenge was an incredible time for me. I fell in love with backpacking and exploring the back country. I enjoyed it so much that I even considered a career in outdoor education. Three weeks in the woods transformed me; I was brought back to my core values. By the end of the trip I felt like I gained inner balance and an incredible mount of clarity. I quit smoking and got a gym membership and continued to work out on my own and maintain a healthy lifestyle.I learned that I have a great love of the outdoors and that sometimes you just have to get away and reflect to really gain a better understanding of life and where you are headed. I look forward to my next trip into the woods!

On Community Service:
One of the community service opportunities I had was to help start a city youth council in Worcester. I was the chairperson for the Youth Commission in my hometown during high school, so it was an honor to be part of Worcester’s first commission. Through Dynamy’s connections, I had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the local Worcester youth who were enthusiastic about forming a city youth council. I was able to offer a lot of advice from my past experiences and help make some of the first outlines for the council. It was a lot of fun, and I hope that I can continue to get involved in other youth organizing activities in the future.

On My Dynamy Experience:
The opportunities at Dynamy are endless. Dynamy is a really good place to gain a lot of different experiences in the workplace and with volunteer opportunities. I would say that Dynamy is best when it comes to the opportunities that it offers to students. The program is designed so that you can explore any career that you find interesting. If, by chance, there is not an internship in the area of your interest, the Dynamy staff is really helpful and tries to work something out to create a new internship that fits your interests. The Dynamy staff has a lot of experience with local businesses and organizations in Worcester, so they're very helpful when it comes to looking for an internship that interests you. If it weren't for some of the advisors, I wouldn't have found the great internship that I am at now. Dynamy is a great program, but it is not for everyone. Dynamy is a place for self-motivated individuals who want a taste of independent living and some experience in the workforce. It is a good program for people who want to learn more about themselves and who will take the initiative to make it happen. Dynamy is not a place for kids who want to take a year off to hang out with their friends. The program is meant to create an environment where you can learn to be more independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. Part of the Internship Year experience is learning to live on your own in a new community and learning to get along with the people around you. If you're not up for that challenge, then Dynamy is not the place for you.

On My Plans for the Future:
I plan on going to college sometime, but it is not the place that I want to be just yet. I am looking at a lot of different options and am considering going to Guatemala to study in a Spanish school, and then maybe I'll travel in Central America for a bit. I've also given some thought to the Willing Workers On Organic Farms opportunities. Through this program I can work on an organic farm in any country of my choosing. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I think I want to look more into it. I am also looking at Americorps. I want to do something meaningful with my time off from school, and I think that Americorps might be a great experience. I'm still throwing around ideas and talking with my advisor about other options; no plans are final yet. Dynamy helped me to gain the confidence to take another year off and explore myself and the world around me. I am now confident that I can live on my own, take care of myself, and create a life for myself wherever I go. Before Dynamy I was still a kid. I consider myself an adult now because I am much more responsible for myself.