Meet the six Up2Us Summer VISTA program Cohort Leaders, Olivia, Jayla, Kayla, Maria and Tan. They dedicated their time and energy this summer to leading and supporting nearly 200 Summer VISTAs throughout the country. 

The Up2Us Summer Cohort Leaders come from different backgrounds, professional experiences and bring different strengths to the role. On the east coast, Jayla and Kayla are student-athletes at the University of Maryland and Olivia recently relocated to New York City to pursue a new career path.

On the west coast, Tan and Tyree are recent graduates of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), while Maria is heading into her senior year at CSUN on the water polo team. The Cohort Leaders create events, content and check in with their cohort to support them.

Q: How did you hear about the position?

A - Maria: One of my friends, Gilbert, sent us the Instagram post that said Up2Us Sports was hiring. He told us he had fun working here, so I decided to apply in order to gain leadership experience and meet people this summer.

A - Tan: I heard about the opportunity from Gilbert, a current VISTA working with Up2Us Sports at the Los Angeles office.

A - Olivia: I found AmeriCorps through applying for jobs on Indeed! Then I applied to a position through Up2Us Sports and through the interview process I was offered the Summer Cohort position.

A - Jayla: My coach knew someone within the organization and then when they reached out to him, he let my teammate and I know about the opportunity.

A - Kayla: I heard about this great opportunity through my track and field coach who goes way back with Kim (Chinn, Assistant National Director, Up2Us VISTA). An email was forwarded to me and I was asked if I was interested and I immediately said yes.

Q: What have you learned as a Summer VISTA Cohort Leader?

A - Maria: So far I've definitely learned to be very patient. Not everything is going to be easy or go my way, and it's been tough having to count on other people to do things such as respond to emails or go to meetings. I've also gotten to talk to a lot of cool people and have had the chance to learn about their experiences and how they got to where they are now. I've also become more of a people-person. I have to interact with a lot of people I may not know very well, and I feel like that's given me the chance to work on my social anxiety as well as my social skills. It's also helped my organizational skills. I've always been pretty organized, but I liked having a set schedule and a set list of tasks that I had to complete, it helped me stay organized and on top of it.

A - Olivia: I have learned a lot about myself as a leader and what the nonprofit space truly looks like. I have enjoyed the connections I have made and I will take my skills that I have learned with me. Overall, this experience has made me a stronger, more well-rounded leader and worker.

A - Jayla: I’ve learned patience and understanding for the most part. My organizational skills and time management have been things I’ve been able to work on since being a part of the team here. I want to hopefully one day enter the nonprofit realm and the things I have learned in the program are very helpful.

A - Tyree: I've learned more organization and communication skills

A - Tan: As a cohort leader, I learned how to navigate working with other leaders through a virtual setting as well as managing a whole cohort in a different time zone. My experience also sharpened my alertness because of the time difference as well as the need to stay in constant communication in order to accomplish tasks on my own time

A - Kayla: I have learned how to take charge and be more of a leader. Over time, I always looked for people who are above me for answers and directions. Being a cohort leader showed me I am capable to lead, help, and inform many people at a time. Another thing I learned was how to make my emails look more tidy and professional, especially with a lot of information that has to be given. Lastly, I have learned how to set up check-in calls with VISTAs to inform them but also help them in any way possible.

Q: What are your next steps after your summer service term?

A - Tyree: I'm going to complete school and hopefully find a job that I enjoy.

A - Maria: After this, I'll continue doing everything I was doing previously. I'll continue lifeguarding until it gets chilly in LA again. At the end of August, I'll start my last year of college, and we'll start training for water polo season in the spring. I'll also continue working as a Social Media Intern at CSUN when all the Fall sports begin again.

A - Olivia: I am looking for another AmeriCorps year - long term or short term contract position!

A - Jayla: I will be resuming school at Maryland as an athlete while applying into doctorate programs in Clinical Psychology.

A - Tan: My next steps are to update my resume and look into similar positions where I can work with a team of like-minded leaders. I also want to further my creative skill set and offer services to local businesses in my community to support the growth of myself and others.

A - Kayla: My next step is to finish my last year of college. I will be career searching and job seeking.

Q: What advice would you give to your Summer Cohort members?

A - Tyree: Stay current with your emails and always double check everything.

A - Maria: I would say take advantage of all the people in your Cohort that are willing to share their experiences. Again, it's cool to see how these people got to this point, and it never hurts to make connections and talk to people. I'd also say to stay on top of checking emails. It can get overwhelming if you let the emails pile up, so always try to stay organized.

A - Olivia: Always put your best foot forward and take the additional opportunities that Up2Us Sports offers! The experience you get is the opportunities that you look for.

A - Jayla: Some advice I would give is to enjoy the network you are building within the organization and be able to separate from work!

A - Tan: Give yourself more time than you think to set boundaries so you don’t overwork yourself!

A - Kayla: Don’t be scared, you can do whatever you put your mind to. You will never be alone on this journey. Manage your time throughout the day. Get your work done ASAP and you will have more downtime.

Q: Can you tell us your favorite summer activity?

A - Tyree: Hanging out with my friends.

A - Maria: My favorite summer activity is just being outside. I love the heat and I always want to take advantage of it. I love driving around with the windows down, especially down PCH. I also love swimming and being in cold water as well as tanning. Lastly, I love going jet skiing and paddle boarding.

A - Olivia: Swimming!

A - Jayla: Sleeping.

A - Tan: I like playing soccer but summer in SoCal can get too hot to play. I also enjoy going on vacation with my family once every year that usually takes place in the summer. This year we’ll be going to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time!

A - Kayla: To travel and see many different things. I am also a foodie so being able to finally travel to different food places.

Our Up2Us Sports Summer VISTA Cohort Leaders serve from June - August 2023 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.