ELEVATE & INFLUENCE

eLeVate & INFLUeNCe

Elevate &

Influence

Lacey Salazar, BB

Apha Sigma Alpha's vision is to eleveate the infl uence of women in the world. In each issue of the Phoenix Magazine, a member will be featured who is living out Alpha Sigma Alpha's vision, purpose and values in her everyday life.

I serve with ameriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) as a team teader of the alaska Focus team in the pacific Region. as a team leader I mentor, supervise, and coach a team of seven individuals as we serve and live together for eleven months in alaska. the team and I serve with a variety of organizations ranging from non-profits, government and tribal agencies in the area. the service we provide ranges from natural disaster relief and response, urban and rural development, environmental stewardship, energy conservation and infrastructure improvement. I chose to join ameriCorps NCCC because I was unsure of what I wanted to do after graduating college, and I thought this was a great opportunity for me to strengthen my skills, travel the United states and engage with a variety of communities.

I joined alpha sigma alpha my junior year of college, and was very thankful to be introduced to philanthropy. Volunteering my time was something that I really wanted to do, but I didn’t know how to do it. In addition to my high social anxiety, I had a lot of struggles reaching out. Joining alpha sigma alpha at the University of Northern Colorado allowed me to push my comfort level and reach out to various organizations with my sisters and volunteer my time. It made me realize my passion for helping and engaging with the community and the many organizations that do the same. the skills and experiences I gained from alpha sigma alpha helped me realize my passion for helping others, and strengthened my leadership skills.

throughout this year I have served with the alaska education Center Fund, Food Bank of alaska, Fur Rondy, re:Made anchorage and the tool Library. In addition, over the next few months the team and I will be serving with the Girls scouts of alaska and the Center for alaskan Coastal studies. with these sponsoring organizations, I have been able to engage with the community of alaska and understand the needs of the community. this experience as a team leader has enhanced my professional development skills and has helped me strengthen my leadership skills and communication skills as I prepare for my future.