LeBrandt is a senior at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, graduating in May! He is majoring in Illustration. LeBrandt is interested in character design, concept art, and world building. In his free time, LeBrandt likes to play video games and watch anime. LeBrandt was an AmeriCorps member in 2021 and 2022, a Summer Program Manager in 2023, and will be returning as a manager this summer (2024)!
Summer 2023 Wrapped:
LeBrandt has served the Roxbury site for the past 3 years. In the summer of 2023, he managed a group of 9 Summer Enrichment Coordinators, and a group of about 45-50 youth in total. He focused on supporting SECs who served the 10 and under group!
What was the highlight of your service?
Being a manager for the first time was a major highlight, I was really excited to be able to serve the community at a higher level than I did previously. Instead of only working with a small group of counselors, I had the opportunity to work with all of Roxbury and be more deeply involved. I gained a lot of new experiences and made a lot of mistakes, but we worked out the kinks and learned so much more which means I’ll be able to serve even better when I’m in the role again.
I also loved seeing so many returning youth! All of the children came back from the previous summer, getting to see those kids grow and mature and find themselves over time has been so special.
What were the challenges you experienced?
A major challenge is just the combination of kids being kids and also having a hard time listening. At the beginning of summer, new staff have to build relationships with the kids to earn their respect, and sometimes don’t quite know how to handle those situations. There were times when I struggled to keep things organized and on track with the schedule - admittedly, stepping into that manager role was tough, as I tend to be more of a supporter when on a team. Becoming the person who the staff looks to for support is challenging, because there aren’t always clear cut answers and that’s a difficult spot to sit in; especially since programming can be unpredictable.
How would you describe your DREAM experience in a phrase or a few words?
It was exciting, unpredictable, and magical!