When Mariana first stepped into the Resilience Corps (RC) program last August, she had no idea what to expect.
The Resilience Corps is a paid job training program administered by the San José Public Library and supported by the San José Public Library Foundation, the Youth Service Corps, and other philanthropic grants. The RC program is designed to provide young adults looking to explore different career paths with job experience and networking opportunities.
As a recent first generation college graduate, Mariana was in the midst of searching for a job when she was introduced to the RC program. “It wasn’t until my dad had shared a job opportunity with me through the SJPL Foundation that I felt like things were finally moving for me,” she said.
One after another, she completed her interview, then her training, then she began her work with the Resilience Corps (RC) at the Educational Park Library.
As a Resilience Corps Associate (RCA), she supported kids from K-8 in afterschool education and extracurriculars, while also learning professional skills such as program development, leadership, and presentation.
Through her job, she met with a diverse pool of learners and their households. “I met different families,” she said. “Families that wanted their kids to succeed in every way. Families that wanted their kids to have fun, and families that just wanted their kids to grow up appreciating educators and the education they are receiving.”
Mariana discovered that her role as a teacher encompassed being a mentor, friend, and supporter to her students. Not only could she feel the impact she had on her students, but also their families. “This experience changed so much for me,” Mariana shared. Through her time as an RCA, Marianna gained a “newfound appreciation for education outside of a school setting.”
The RC program additionally built a foundation for her to comfortably and confidently explore job opportunities to launch her career. “Becoming an RCA opened doors for me that I had no idea were even possible,” she said. “I was lucky enough to represent all the RCAs and speak with the mayor during a conference. I got to network with Apple and Apple educators to talk about their journeys into education, and I got to meet amazing people who have been nothing short of supportive.”
Her work in the library led her to ultimately return to school to get her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. “I would have not been able to come to this decision without being able to see firsthand what it was like to give back to my community through the library,” she said. “I hope that the next cohort enjoys it as much as I did.”
Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern