Some people may look for familiarity when searching for their first job but Halli Grunder is not one of them.
Halli will head to Boston after graduation to start work with City Year in July. Hailing from Lakewood, Ohio, she wanted to find a place she’d never been to start her career. “It’s a little risky,” Halli says, “but I’m really excited for it.”
While not knowing what career path she would take as she began her undergraduate studies at Heidelberg, she knew her future path would revolve around children. “No matter what it is I do, working with kids is my passion,” she says.
City Year members serve as tutors, mentors and role models to help students stay in school and on track to graduate high school ready for college. She will be assigned to a school in the Boston area with the intention of being a mentor to a small group of students. The program allows people like Halli to individually lesson plan and show a concentrated focus on specific topics that are causing students to struggle.
The role doesn’t end with classes either. City Year mentors help with extracurriculars for students to ensure they are keeping busy and out of potential trouble. “It’s really important for young people to have good role models so I try to be someone they can look up to,” she says. Halli will be one of several new members assigned to area schools throughout Boston.
The psychology major still plans on attending grad school, though not before taking a year off from her studies. Her eventual plans are to work in school psychology. “(City Year) is such a good opportunity because this allows me to get into the real world and a school setting at the same time.”
Her passion for psychology was realized after taking her first-ever psych course during her first year at Heidelberg. “I would get lost in my readings and forget what time it was.” she pauses before laughing. “You know, all sorts of lame, nerdy things like that.”
Professors like Dr. Virginia Gregg have kept her her encouraged along the way. “From the very start, I knew (Halli) was special,” Dr. Gregg said. “I have gotten to know her so much better over the years, but my view of her has only been reinforced.” The faculty/student pair kept in contact (even in the middle of the night) during her time studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. “I felt so connected even though I was in another country,” Halli recalls. “(Dr. Gregg) has been a wonderful, supportive mentor for me.”
As commencement quickly approaches, Halli has her sights set on Boston. Though not knowing where exactly she will be assigned, she is currently apartment hunting with other new members of City Year. Through all of her past and present journeys, she hasn’t lost appreciation for the school she will now call her Sweet Alma Home. “The relationships I’ve built have been tremendously helpful in forming who I am. I’m very grateful for my four years (at Heidelberg).”