Rachel Forlifer: See what she has been learning at her site and what she enjoys about Pittsburgh!

Was there a challenging moment at your site that you had to overcome? How'd you overcome it and what did you learn from it?
I taught Kids Cook lessons at one after school program and that was a very challenging experience for me. The students there were extremely unruly, even with the staff assisting me. At first, I had a lot of trouble with this and got anxious before each lesson. But despite the craziness at the beginning of each lesson, I decided to connect with students more on an individual level by talking one-on-one with them, while they were in their small groups. This personal interaction with individual students allowed me to overcome this challenge and connect with each student on a personal level, while teaching them how to cook. This taught me that the same strategy is not going to work for every group and being flexible is important.
 

What advice would you give to the incoming PHC members?
AmeriCorps/Pittsburgh Health Corps is what you make of it. The experience can be completely molded by you, your actions, and your outlook. If you are unhappy with the way your service term is going, do something about it! Start a project you are passionate about, talk to your mentor, or do outside hours at different community organizations. I was in control of my service term and I wouldn’t change a thing.
 

Being an out-of-state PHC member, what did you enjoy the most about the city of Pittsburgh?
As someone coming from a small town, I love how much there is to do in Pittsburgh! There is always something happening. Right now, the Three Rivers Arts Festival has FREE live music every night, which is held in Point State Park. I love trying different types of food and there are so many amazing restaurants in Pittsburgh where I can do just that!