King-Westwood Site Coordinator: Elissa Kerr
Elissa Kerr is finishing up her first year as CIS Site Coordinator at King-Westwood Elementary School. Her day is just about over as she sits at her corner desk completing paperwork. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was a high school student. And it's not just her youthful experience. She glows. She exudes a vibe about her, an anything-is-possible-if-you-just-believe vibe.
The CIS room is humming with movement. Robynn Miles, an AmeriCorps VISTA, and Kaitlin Post, a CIS intern through the WMU School of Social Work are working quietly. In the center of the room, two volunteers, Barb Goodwin and Laufet Morrison, are meeting with Publishing Center Coordinator, Helen Walls. Students are due to arrive any minute.
"The Publishing Center is our most popular Level One service here among the staff," Elissa explains. "Students accomplish their work in their classroom but then their teachers arrange for them to come here to work with the volunteers. It gives the students additional experience in the writing process."
Elissa loves how the community is focused on helping students succeed and take advantage of The Kalamazoo Promise®. "It's really inspiring to work with the volunteers and organizations who come into our school, like First Day Shoe Fund, Gryphon Place, Warm Kids, WMU Bronson School of Nursing, Westwood United Methodist Church, and others who are supportive of kids' success."
"The need is so great-I find myself wanting to be everything for everyone," she muses. "But the CIS Model of Integrated Student Services helps me focus. It allows us to target the students we can help the most."
Through her role as Site Coordinator, Elissa has become "hooked on nonprofits." With a degree in education, she had planned to continue her teaching career. She thought this CIS stuff was just a detour, but has discovered that it just might be the road she should be on. Elissa has just been accepted into WMU to pursue her non-profit leadership and administration certification.
Elissa Kerr's favorite words? Community. Believe.
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