August 19, 2024 | Kailey Truczinskas
From distance learning to a bustling office environment, William Cohen took on the role of Financial Literacy Support Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region – AmeriCorps. Will decided to join AmeriCorps because he wanted time to adjust to the workforce. He was curious to know how the skills he learned in the classroom would transfer into his professional life and felt doing an AmeriCorps program would give him that experience. Will studied Data Science at American University, thus steering his interest to the Financial Literacy Support Coordinator role. This role involves working with numbers, helping people improve their financial well-being, and is here in Charlotte – this aspect was important so he could stay close to his girlfriend while she finished her Master’s degree program. – not a bad benefit!
In his position, Will focuses on supporting the needs of Habitat Charlotte Region’s financial literacy course Money Matters. This course teaches people about budgeting, managing savings, and what the home-buying process looks like through both Habitat and traditional lenders. When he is not responding to emails, reviewing the class attendance sheets, or tending to spreadsheets, Will is in meetings with program and project stakeholders brainstorming ways to adjust the classes to help better meet people’s needs. When running the course, Will is in charge of checking people in and ensuring all materials are ready to go.
“Attention to detail has been key to success in this position,” said Will.
With any job, there are challenges, and Will has identified the growth of the classes as his biggest hurdle. “It is a problem you want to have; I would rather there be too much growth than none at all,” said Will. Despite navigating how to properly manage more people effectively and utilize new tools/resources, Will stays in good spirits. By the end of his term, he hopes he will have made more connections that will benefit his future work endeavors and have a better idea of what types of jobs he wants to pursue down the line.
“I was unsure how my skills learned in the classroom would transfer over to my role as an AmeriCorps, but with exposure to different tasks and the support and guidance from my supervisor and coworkers, I have gained more confidence in my abilities,” said Will.
Find out more about what you can gain from experiencing an AmeriCorps term at Habitat Charlotte Region!
