Grow As We Go
“I always say as part of my introduction to each session that we learn as much from each student as they think we are teaching them, and that has been true from the first class I ever interacted with.”
Mission: St. Louis is blessed to have some of the most dedicated, hardest-working volunteers in our city. These men and women embrace the call to service by sharing their time and insight with our students. In reflecting upon the incredible work of our volunteers, we wanted to share the story of one particularly passionate individual: Garrett Jackson.
Garrett has been a member of the M:STL volunteer family for 7 years, serving as a Job Coach most Mondays with the Beyond Jobs program. A lifelong Missourian, he is the proud alumnus of University of Missouri and Saint Louis University, where he started his career in healthcare law. While establishing himself as a celebrated healthcare attorney and shareholder with Polsinelli LLP, Garrett has never lost his passion for empowering others.
Garrett joined the Job & Leadership Training (JLT) program as a volunteer in 2013 back when we were off Manchester in The Grove. As the first night approached, he grew increasingly nervous and, admittedly, terrified with the same fears many of us have before any volunteer experience: “What if I don't have the right answers? Will I be judged for being inauthentic?” Within a few weeks, however, his fears were quickly replaced by another feeling: passion. “As soon as I did those first couple classes, met the amazing students and volunteers, you could say I was hooked.”
Garrett and Courtney Jackson
Garrett quickly jumped into a leadership role teaching the Monday night Job Training class. For the past several years he has guided the discussions to provide information on critical job skills while career advocates encourage insight from students. We asked him to share his insight on his experience by offering three pieces of advice for current and future volunteers. As you would expect, he was more than happy to oblige:
Jump in: There will never be a point where you feel like you have all the answers and are ready to be a volunteer. Nothing matters more than your willingness to give your time, and to be sincere about wanting the best for the students. So, if you're considering volunteering and something is holding you back, just take the plunge and know that by simply being there, you are making a huge difference. It doesn't matter where you are in your career (as I assumed early on), and you don't have to have all the answers.
Be authentic: Don't feel like you have to fill every second with questions or comments. The individuals we work with can see straight through you if you're being disingenuous or trying to act in a way that does not come naturally to you. We have amazing members of the staff that can engage with them, and commiserate based on common backgrounds. What the students need is someone willing to share with them, to provide practical guidance about their experience in the workforce.
Volunteering is tough: I've been doing this for seven years now, and having a student drop out or be dropped from the program never gets any easier. The feelings of discouragement and inadequacy are real and don't necessarily get easier with time. But, consider that if we graduate even just 1 or 2 people from each session, you could never imagine the downstream effects that one person may have in other people's lives.
I know it is easier said than done, and can come off as cliche, but going to the graduation and concentrating on all of the positive impacts of Mission St. Louis, can really help on days when discouragement tries to take over.”
We are grateful to Garrett for all that he has given to Mission: St. Louis. His knowledge and passion has empowered both students and volunteers to grow within themselves. As we transition into the new Beyond Jobs model, we look forward to more opportunities for Garrett to share his passion with the hardworking men and women of North St. Louis.
There are many opportunities to become involved with supporting the men and women of Beyond Jobs. Whether you are a (Wo)manhood Table Leader to Career Advocate, you have the power to make a positive impact in your community.
If you are considering becoming a volunteer or have questions regarding Beyond Jobs, please visit our new Volunteer Dashboard or contact the M:STL Volunteer Coordinator at patrick@missionstl.org. We would be happy to answer any questions that you have and to have you join our volunteer family.