Alumni Spotlight: Q&A with Cristin Casanova

This month we sat down with City Year alum Cristian Casanova (2017-18) to catch up on what he’s been up to since graduation, and to hear some of his pretty moving reflections on his year of service. Cristian recently returned home from Geneva where he participated in the 2024 Global Shaper Summit at the World Economic Forum. Hear how his time with City Year set him on this changemaker path, and continues to inspire his work at Accenture.

Q: What made you want to sign up for City Year in the first place?
A: Service to my community has been important to me as far back as I can remember. When I graduated from college in Illinois, I was committed to finding the right service opportunity, with a particular interest in the Latino community or other such marginalized group. I considered the Peace Corps but was ineligible because I wasn’t a US citizen, and then I found City Year Silicon Valley. It ticked all the boxes for me! It meant I could relocate to a place with a vibrant Latino community, help kids through mentorship and tutoring, and be surrounded by fellow service-oriented young people.

Q: What are some of your first memories of your City Year experience?
A: My memories of the day I met my fellow ACMs will always stand out for me. My cohort was pretty big (approx. 130!) and very diverse so meeting them and learning about their varied backgrounds and experiences was wonderful. I also have very fond memories of meeting my  Ocala School partner teacher and 6th grade students for the first time. Figuring out how to be a helpful and effective partner in the classroom and in the after school program was very challenging but so worth it. I loved being there, and I like to think the kids loved having me and my fellow ACMs there too!

Q: During your time with City Year, what training or experiences prepared you for your career journey to come?
A: I learned so much during my year of service but if I had to identify the one thing that has served me the most I would say it’s been the importance of first building trust in the relationships you have with colleagues, clients, partners, really everyone. For me to have had success with the students I worked with, I first needed them to trust that I was there for them – both academically as well as emotionally – and that I truly cared about them, academically and in life. I’ve brought this to my career in how I place great value in building trust with my clients, my team, and even the members of the C-suite who I serve. It has made a huge difference, especially in consulting. It’s how I am successful at guiding people.

Q: What did you learn during your experience that was new or surprising to you?
A: So many things! One that stands out is how close I got to my students. Learning about their lives, needs, struggles, and triumphs helped me be an even more effective tutor and mentor. I’m still close to many of them and have enjoyed learning about their lives after 6th grade. I was also surprised by how much I learned while building lesson plans. The experience helped me be more creative and effective in how I planned, and that made a difference in the kids’ experience too. 

Q: What was your favorite thing about your City Year experience?
A: I really loved the camaraderie amongst our cohort. We all shared a deep connection to the City Year mission and a real dedication to each other and the students we worked with. It was a lot of work – social, emotional, and intellectual – but we all shared in the challenge and that felt great. Also, giving these kids a safe place built on trust felt great. I liked giving them space to be real and to be kids, and admittedly, I enjoyed being a kid too!

Q: What of your City Year experience made you want to continue to work in a career focused on service and impact?
A: Here in Silicon Valley, we sit at the center of so much innovation, creativity, and wealth, yet we have so many families with unmet needs. While I very much enjoyed my time working to address some of the unmet needs in education, I found myself even more motivated to address inequities in healthcare. When I was at City Year, I saw so many students whose families struggled to get the medical care they needed, or to be seen by physicians who understood their unique needs. I made it my mission to figure out how to pursue a career that harnessed technology for good which has landed me squarely at the intersection of AI, healthcare, and policymaking and I am really enjoying it! 

Q: What advice would you give to young adults considering a year of service with City Year?
A: I would encourage them to be open to uncomfortable situations. A few ACMs in my cohort quit early on because some elements of their experience were too much for them. I wish they would have hung in because I think they would have found that embracing the hard stuff and working through it enables you to really make a difference. Once you see the value of getting through it, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s about changing lives. Also, it feels a little thankless at times, but it’s not! It matters to these kids and their teachers. Some of my 6th graders went to college when they didn’t think it was possible, and I’m honored to have been part of their journey. 

Q: Is there anything else I didn’t ask you that you’d like to share? Particularly around how the experience gave you tools for the next phase of your life?
A: City Year is a stepping stone for a lot of people on their way to where they want to be. For me, the skills I gained there have definitely contributed to successes in my career. If I can talk to a troubled or disrespectful 11-year old and get him to trust me and listen to me, then I can take on a challenging CEO who is struggling with my counsel. It may not have felt like I was doing a lot or learning as much as I was, but I was! I’m proud of the impact I had and how I have applied all of the skills and experiences from my City Year time in the years since.