Rosa is currently serving as a FIRST^® AmeriCorps VISTA supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives at FIRST^®. She works on projects like the FIRST Youth Advisory Committee, a diverse group of 22 youth participants involved in FIRST^® Tech Challenge and FIRST^® Robotics Competition. The committee shares ideas on how to build more racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ inclusivity into FIRST programs. A big accomplishment for the group was the creation of the “Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Youth Training,” which allows youth to view topics centered around race and equity through their voices. She also supports collaborations with partner organizations such as Kids Included Together that provide resources around disability inclusion.

This is Rosa’s second year serving with AmeriCorps. In 2018-19, she volunteered with City Year New Hampshire in a local elementary school tutoring and building social-emotional skills for youth ages 9-10. Her favorite memory is coaching FIRST^® LEGO^® League at her after-school club and piloting the CITY SHAPER^SM season! The students felt excited and motivated to experiment with the robots. Choosing to become a FIRST AmeriCorps VISTA was the perfect decision for Rosa to make after volunteering with City Year. She felt anxious about joining the professional working world, and joining FIRST as a VISTA gave her the confidence and skills needed to succeed in the workplace. She has been able to receive training, attend cross-departmental meetings at FIRST, help impact communities, and build networking opportunities with other organizations and nonprofits.

Fun Fact: Rosa loves collecting vinyl records and things from days gone by. She finds history fascinating!

If you are interested in changing up your year and want to learn more about the FIRST AmeriCorps VISTA program, visit: https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/americorps-vista-program