Meet the After School Regional Leader: Sandra Hwang

Sandra Hwang, AmeriCorps After School Regional Leader

As the After School Regional Leader, Sandra Hwang is based in the CalSERVES NCOE – West Office and oversees all the school sites located in the Sonoma County division of the CalSERVES program; her job is to provide support, training, and guidance for each and every AmeriCorps member that is currently serving.

After graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Spanish Literature & Language and Elementary Education and deciding to defer becoming a full time teacher, Sandra applied to be a part of the CalSERVES program to not only help kids in their educational development but as a way to give back to the greater community before deciding on what to do as a career.

As the Regional Leader, Sandra hopes to gain meaningful experience during her time in the program. She wants to learn something new about herself through this experience and wants to learn all that she can from the people she works with every day. More importantly, Sandra hopes to inspire kids, parents, teachers, AmeriCorps members, staff, and the rest of the community through her optimism and enthusiasm. Through her position, Sandra wants to be able to shed light onto, and provide solutions for, any difficult situation that might arise at any of the school sites. She also wants to  encourage and support everyone with whom she interacts and works.

So far, Sandra has enjoyed going to the different school sites and getting to know everyone there. She states that every school site is so very different and that she loves watching how well everyone interacts with the students at each site. Sandra believes that there are a lot of wonderful and passionate people that are a part of CalSERVES that will positively contribute to the organization as a whole. Sandra says that she sees a lot of service scholars and team leaders at the various school sites who are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that their students feel well supported, which she believes will make a great team that supports one another and helps build each other up.

Sandra’s future goals include going to graduate school and traveling the world. Her biggest goal in life would be to start her own non-profit organization and to utilize her Spanish speaking abilities to either teach or help in situations where it is needed. Once her time at CalSERVES is up, Sandra is hoping to teach abroad for a short time before settling down to attend grad school. But Sandra’s main goal in life is to change someone's life in a way that is positive and meaningful.

As for advice for future Team Leaders or Service Scholars, Sandra wants them to know that, “You are a special person that brings something unique to this world and who has the ability to change the course of a child's life and help them to be the best that they can be. Keep an open mind and try to realize your full potential and how you can use that to better your experience with CalSERVES. Take every situation with great stride, don't regret your decisions, and stay optimistic!”

By: Jacquelene Bennett, AmeriCorps Content Leader
and Sandra Hwang, AmeriCorps After School Regional Leader