Victoria Shea, Boston College PULSE CitySites Team Leader
Hi everyone! My name is Victoria Shea. I am currently a sophomore at Boston College and am originally from Santiago, Chile. I serve as Team Leader at St. Cecilia’s Virtual CitySite and as a student participant at the 2Life Learn to Zoom Virtual CitySite. At St. Cecilia’s I have facilitated a wide array of activities, such as Charades, Trivia, Jeopardy, Pictionary, Scattergories, Show and Tell, Spot the Difference, and Word Search, all of which have been a lot of fun! At the 2Life Learn to Zoom CitySite, I have helped residents learn more about Beginner Zoom features and other computer skills, and have also learned a lot myself.
Furthermore, this semester has taught me about the importance of being flexible and adaptable when planning programs because things don’t always turn out as one had hoped, especially in a virtual setting, and being prepared for any unexpected challenges or situations is key for creating a fun and relaxed environment for both participants and residents. Additionally, I have also learned about how important it is as both, Team Leader and participant, to be confident in one’s own leadership skills and capabilities. Believing in my own abilities has filled every CitySite this semester with positive energy, even when activities do not go as planned. Developing this skill helped me grow personally and professionally. Before serving at LBFE’s CitySites, I was very scared to be a Team Leader because, even though there were going to be other participants available for support, it was going to be ultimately up to me to facilitate and plan the weekly activities. With practice, I was able to become a strong Team Leader and am now capable of dealing with unexpected circumstances with confidence and a smile.
One of my favorite memories from the sites this past year was when we played Pictionary for the first time at St. Cecilia’s. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun we all had and, therefore, decided to repeat the activity a few weeks later. Another one of my favorite memories was when I helped one of the residents at 2Life’s Learn to Zoom site make the font of her computer screen larger so that she could easily read her emails. She was immensely grateful, which overwhelmed me with joy and reminded me of how important and impactful LBFE’s work is.
I am most proud of the connections that I was able to make with the Team Leaders, participants, and residents of my CitySites. Virtual settings can often feel alienating, but I was able to help create a positive, welcoming, and warm environment for everyone attending, which made space for all of the conversations, laughs, and connections that helped bring me closer to the incredible people on my screen.
I have truly fallen in love with my service at LBFE. Every week, I am excited to log on to the St. Cecilia’s site on Thursdays and to the 2Life Learn to Zoom site on Fridays. I feel very lucky for having had the chance to meet so many inspiring people, and am happy to, now, be more aware and knowledgeable about the realities, struggles, challenges, and experiences faced by low-income elders in Boston.
Don’t forget to check out next week’s blog to see who will be highlighted then!
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