Alysha Brock has been working for Citizens Bank for 11 years, mostly recent as a business analyst, but now she has a new assignment: She’s working with RiverzEdge Art Project, a Woonsocket-based nonprofit. It’s part of the Community Service Sabbatical program at Citizens, which allows selected employees to volunteer for a nonprofit for three months, on company time.
PBN: What’s the process of being selected for Citizens’ Community Service Sabbatical?
BROCK: The process of selection for the sabbatical program is simple. The only application requirement was that I needed to be a colleague for a minimum of three years. I completed a basic application which asked why I wanted to be considered for this opportunity, what prior volunteer experience I had, and what I could bring to a nonprofit organization. This application was reviewed by a committee, and then I had an interview with Citizens Senior Vice President of Community Investment Jeanne Cola. After meeting with Jeanne, I was selected as a finalist and was interviewed by our Rhode Island President Ned Handy, who made the final decision regarding selection.
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PBN: How was RiverzEdge Arts Project chosen as your sabbatical location?
BROCK: During the interview process, I mentioned that I wanted to work with children. Jeanne and I worked together to find a youth organization that had the capacity for a full-time volunteer. I wanted to be able to have a direct impact on the organization. When I met with RiverzEdge Arts Project Executive Director Bekah Greenwald, I knew instantly that this would be a great fit. I knew that during my time at RiverzEdge, I would be able to see, feel and touch exactly what the organization does – and this is just what I wanted.
PBN: Tell me a little bit about RiverzEdge.
BROCK:RiverzEdge is an out-of-school-time program, based in Woonsocket, that offers teens and young adults, aged 12-24, the opportunity to come to RiverzEdge for an in-depth learning experience. The participants are asked to commit a minimum of 10 hours per week during the school year and 20 hours per week during the summer. Many participants are in the program for an average of three years. They learn a skill in one out of four areas that RiverzEdge teaches: art, graphic art, digital photography or screen printing. They are taught not only the skill itself, but also real life skills such as accountability, working to meet a deadline, working with customers, and selling a product. These are skills that the participants might not otherwise be given the opportunity to learn. I have only been here a short while, and I can already tell you that the participants are amazing.
PBN: What experience from the bank can you bring to RiverzEdge?
BROCK: I started at the bank in 1998 and in the past 11 years, my career has afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow. I have worked in a few different areas of the bank. My project management experience is the first thing that comes to mind. Day to day in my job at Citizens, I manage multiple projects, as well as systems. In addition, my experience in working with a variety of people will enable me to work well with both the staff and students of RiverzEdge. I have a feeling that by the end of my sabbatical experience, the students will teach me just as much, if not more, than I will teach them.
PBN: Will the three-month experience benefit you in some way when you return to Citizens?
BROCK: Absolutely. Working at RiverzEdge will give me a new appreciation for my day to day life at Citizens. I think this experience will provide me with a new perspective as I look not only at projects, but at people. Working with young adults who are entrepreneurial and artistic in nature provides a unique insight. They look beyond the black and white – they tend to see things not how they are, but how they could be. I think this will be valuable for me not only professionally, but also personally. As the mother of two young daughters, this experience will provide me insight as they grow into young adults. Already, I realize how fortunate I am to have been selected by Citizens for this opportunity at RiverzEdge.
