Celebrating Excellence in Service – Winter 2022

Each quarter, the Excellence in Service Award recognises an ACM, SL, and Staff member for their commitment to the ideals and demonstration of the City Year pledge. We’re delighted to celebrate our Winter awardees: AmeriCorps members Hannah Booth and Joe Hille; Service Leader Elinor Bragaw, and Impact Manager Jenna Carpenter! Read what their peers had to say about these outstanding individuals!

Hannah Booth

First-Year AmeriCorps Member
Bakersville Elementary School

“Hannah serves with an open heart and open mind. She is always ready/willing to jump in with whatever is needed and can always be counted on to rise to any occasion. Hannah strives to build a stronger community and goes out of her way to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone around her. In providing excellent service in school, Hannah is constantly looking for new and better ways to be there for the students in her class as well as the other 300+ students attending Bakersville Elementary. Being able to see the joy that Hannah provides to her students is so inspiring and pushes all those around her to find ways they can better support the students they work with. She has been able to form relationships with Bakersville staff in a way that allows the Bakersville team to have better communication and collaboration with school staff. On the team, Hannah has played a key role in advocating for herself and for others. Hannah is always there for the rest of the Bakersville team when they may need support and is an expert in finding ways of bringing joy into hard situations. She does her best to make a difference in the lives of others and is always striving to grow as much as she can every day. She is able to infuse fun into our work while not losing sight of the bigger picture and she is a crucial member of the team and entire CYNH corps!”

Joe Hille

First-Year AmeriCorps Member
Henry Wilson Elementary School

“Joe has cultivated a strong partnership with his teacher in supporting all of the students in his room. He strives to connect with each student to ensure that they feel a sense of belonging in the classroom. His academic interventions are high quality and responsive to what the students need. He has planned an engaging after school session around photojournalism, something that he is exceptionally passionate about and the students have loved it. Every day, he makes a difference in the lives of the students and staff alike. Joe embodies “providing excellent service”, and the pledge ‘to build a strong community, nation, and world for all of us.’”

Elinor Bragaw

Service Leader
Northwest Elementary School

“Elinor brings the CYNH community together. She is consistently positive and kind and rises to the occasion every time she shows up for service. It is rare to see someone provide such leadership, resolve, and vulnerability to those that she works with, and it is something that I am consistently impressed and inspired by. Always being quick to help and slow to judge, Elinor’s commitment to the well-being of her students and team has made a positive difference in the lives of so many individuals this year. Elinor demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice and to advocating for herself and others, especially individuals who hold historically oppressed identities. She also partnered with GLSEN to lead a lesson on supporting LGBTQIA+ students. As a corps member, Service Leader, and co-lead of the CYNH Pride Club, Elinor is someone who is looked up to by all those she works with. We are so lucky to have Elinor serve with CYNH!”

“Elinor goes above and beyond for our team. She is always checking in on us and making sure that we have everything that we need. She leads by example in working hard both in and out of the classroom. She goes out of her way to support students however they need it, regardless of if they are in her class or not. The success of our team would not be the same without her.”

Jenna Carpenter

Impact Manager
Bakersville Elementary School

“Jenna cares about the future of City Year. She honors what it stands for and advocates for growth when it comes to celebrating the diversity of people, ideas, and cultures around her. She is not afraid to speak up against injustice and she is forever trying to better herself, her team, and the entirety of CYNH. The City Year community is strong because Jenna always serves with an open heart and meets people and their needs of support where they are.”

“Jenna is always quick to help and always slow to judge those in need. In showing respect to all those she works with, Jenna is able to support those in City Year personally, emotionally, and professionally. In just a few minutes of conversation, Jenna is able to make you feel more comfortable and less alone in whatever it is you are struggling with. In my two years of working with her, Jenna has helped me immensely in my personal and professional growth, allowing me to better understand my strengths and how to be more confident in my self. I am grateful for Jenna’s leadership and friendship.”

Congratulations to all of our Winter Excellence in Service award winners!
Comments from peers have been edited for clarity and length

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