The Legacy of Service Learning
Guest Speakers Reflect on Arizona Serve’s Twenty-Year History and Continued Impact
During Prescott College’s 60th Anniversary celebration, a panel of guest speakers celebrated Arizona Serve and its AmeriCorps programs, which began in 2006 with the support of the college. Panelists discussed their service and career experiences with current AmeriCorps Members to encourage continued and meaningful community engagement.
One of the panelists, Evi Boston shared how her educational background in psychology, human development, and the natural world shaped her current work as a Care Coordinator at Child and Family Support Services who specializes in outdoor therapy programs. During her 2022 senior project at Prescott College, she participated in AmeriCorps through Arizona Serve where she developed curriculum for garden club programs and gained experience working with kids of various ages as they developed knowledge about food systems.
In her role as Compost Program Manager for the Prescott Farmers Market, Annie Baker focuses on waste reduction and diversion. Her AmeriCorps VISTA service role at the Sustainability Center at Prescott College helped pave the way to her current position. Annie spoke about how she cherishes natural and social biodiversity and is grateful to be part of a supportive, local community. She also shared how volunteer roles not only can provide experience and education, but also can lead to employment in a field someone is earnest about.
Celia Robidoux is also a former AmeriCorps member who went on to work for AmeriCorps through the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation in Phoenix before shifting to the nonprofit sector in Tucson. After joining Arizona Serve and moving through leadership roles where she built up the State Member side of the program, she spent several years as Executive Director. Celia spoke briefly about the importance of building the administration of an organization to fit the type of service. She continues to be a values‑driven leader rooted in social justice and community action at the Pima County Health Department where she oversees work in systems change.
Our fourth panelist, Lori Deutsch has over two decades of experience in leadership roles within state, county, and non-profit organizations. She has launched sustainable projects, such as Smoke Free Arizona, the Prescott Area Shelter Services, and MATFORCE, and has supported AmeriCorps and VISTA projects throughout Yavapai County. Lori has worked adjacent to Arizona Serve since its conception and now serves as Executive Director of a partner site, Wrapped in Love Diaper Bank. During the panel, she reflected on how impressive it was to see Arizona Serve’s AmeriCorps VISTA and State programs grow from just a few members to where they are now.
The team of Arizona Serve staff and members is over 150 strong and serves across Prescott, Phoenix, and Tucson. It is one of the largest and top-performing AmeriCorps projects in the state of Arizona.
If you want to hear more about Legacy in Action, check out a recent episode of This AmeriCorps Life, Arizona Serve’s podcast, which recently sat down with Sara Reveile, a Prescott College alum, to talk about her passion for public service.
