Staff spotlight

Hello DP-ers,

Happy January! For those who don’t know me yet, I’m Amrita Heer, the program support coordinator for the Dream Project. My main role is to support our team of 47 college and career readiness assistants and coordinators that are out in 36 middle and high schools in the Road Map Region.

My journey in the Dream Project has been an interesting one, for sure. With some encouragement of friends, I joined the program and started to mentor at Federal Way High School in fall of 2011, my senior year. It didn’t take long to fall in love with the Dream Project—I met people who would soon become my best friends and amazing mentors. The next quarter, I started to mentor at Renton High School along with Federal Way, and by the end of Winter Quarter, I was getting involved in leadership by being one of the event leads for Spring BBQ. I love Dream Project events, but I especially love Spring BBQ; it was one of the most challenging and exciting experiences I’ve ever had. As graduation was approaching, I knew that my time with the Dream Project couldn’t be over. I applied to be an AmeriCorps volunteer, and I got it!

For those of us that have been Dream Project AmeriCorps volunteers, we know there aren’t enough words to properly describe the year. It was incredible, but as it came to an end I had the same feeling that my time with the program couldn’t be over. Then, in the spring of 2013, the Road Map Region learned that we received a Race to the Top grant! Through this grant, the Dream Project would be able to hire paid student employees to work in schools 10–15 hours a week. Supporting this group would require a staff member, so a couple months after my term ended, I applied for the position, and I got it!

I’m now in my second year as a staff member for the Dream Project. I’ve loved experiencing such different roles every year and having the chance to see Dream Project from so many different perspectives. I stay in the Dream Project for the same reasons why you all continue to support and stay invested in this program. For one, this community is unlike any other. The different people I get to meet and work with make every day so wonderful; they are passionate, hard-working and a lot of fun! Secondly, the work we do is great. It’s inspiring to see all that our high school students, mentors, leaders and CCRAs do on a daily basis. I’m from Renton, and I wish I'd had the support from mentors and CCRAs when I was going through the college application process. It’s great to know that I can be a part of this program in my own community.

As I mentioned earlier, I now work with all of the college and career readiness assistants who work in middle- and high schools to support students in postsecondary access and success. Check out the CCRA update in this newsletter for more information or feel free to contact me with any questions about the program. I love this program, and I’m really grateful to be a part of this staff. It’s exciting to see all the great things Dream Project mentors and CCRAs do on a daily basis, and I can’t wait for what this quarter will bring!