Democracy Coach applications are up and running and we encourage you to apply right away! In recognition of application season, here is something from the archives – a piece written last spring by Lindsay Adler of Boston University:

“I am about to graduate as a sociology major, political science minor from Boston University. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had “going to law school” stamped on my forehead without much thought to other career paths. I have had no teacher training and it never bothered me because it wasn’t part of my plan. Then as some culmination of senioritis and panic about graduating, I decided to spend time my last semester volunteering with Generation Citizen. Their goals of helping get kids become more involved in democracy and achieve a sense of accomplishment through civic action seemed like a really great way to combine two things I had interest in; plus a more productive way to spend my last months in college.

The day before my first lesson, I was a nervous wreck- what if the students didn’t respond well to me, or even worse what if I had nothing to offer the students in way of information or guidance. I was flying blind. It was a slow first class as they tried to figure me out and I tried to remember why I had put myself in a position to be stared at by students barely younger than me. Somehow I made it through and after a couple of weeks mentoring, I genuinely love it. I wake up at an ungodly hour excited to hear the students speak passionately and loudly about issues facing their communities. They are insightful and opinionated and they respect me. I leave the school at the end of the class period feeling like I have tried my best to listen to them and vise versa. I hope my time with them has made a difference. I know it has for me.

I am now less sure about my law career. I have decided to take a year or two off and am hoping to teach. I would like to work with underrepresented students in places where they need teachers the most. Generation Citizen gave me the platform to realize that I can be a mentor to kids, no matter how different our lives may be. It is a thrill to see the students understand a topic or speak up to share their personal experiences. I didn’t know teaching was something I could do or would even like to do until I got the opportunity to try, and now I cannot get enough.”

~ Lindsay, Democracy Coach at Boston University