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Fatimah Abdulmateen takes service seriously.

Fatimah served two years with City Year as an AmeriCorps member, making her an alum twice over: City Year Buffalo ’22 and City Year Team Care Force ‘23.

During the 2021-2022 school year, she served in a Buffalo public charter school as a student success coach—a near-peer tutor, mentor and role model, who partners with classroom teachers to provide 91���� with critical academic, social and emotional support.

The following year, 2022-2023, Fatimah changed gears and joined City Year’s Team Care Force™, a civic engagement program that partners with corporate partners on large-scale volunteer projects that benefit communities.

And she still wasn’t done.

Last year, Fatimah began her service in Morocco with the , a U.S. agency that sends volunteers to developing countries to promote peace and friendships.

On October 22, City Year joins four other organizations launching the “”, an innovative pilot to create lifelong opportunities for putting passion for service into action at home and abroad.

In addition to City Year, the Peace Corps is teaming up with Public Allies, Teach for America, and Tilting Futures in a strategic partnership that’s the first of its kind for the agency. Through this partnership, the efforts of multiple organizations will be combined to address complex global challenges and connect a network of changemakers with ways to continue to serve and make lasting change.

City Year’s Director of Alumni Career Partnerships, Alison Thurner (City Year Seattle ‘05), recently spoke with Fatimah. Alison asked what fuels Fatimah’s passion for service and how her City Year and Peace Corps experiences connect to one another.

Their conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Allison Thurner (AL): Can you share what brought you to City Year in the first place?

Fatimah Abdulmateen (FA): It was really high school when I found that I really liked doing community service. Yes, it was a graduation requirement. But I went above and beyond and hit like 1,000 hours—we did not have to hit 1,000 hours! But I loved doing community service, whether that was helping out at the Turkey Trot, going to beach clean-up, or feeding the homeless. I loved everything about community service.

College graduation was coming up and I knew I didn’t want to go straight for my masters. Three months before I graduated, I learned about City Year.

AT: What was your first year of service like?

My first year was definitely a learning curve. There’s never enough preparation you can do when you work with children.

In the school I attended growing up, if there was an issue, there was someone I could talk to. There were people who looked like me. There were people there, adults, who I trusted. I saw the stark difference at the school in which I served in Buffalo, one of the most segregated cities in America. And it was just really humbling.

The experience with City Year showed me that I had a parent who was so invested in me succeeding. I had so much growing up, compared to some of my 91����. It had such a deep impact on me.

It helped me transform into someone the 91���� could trust, someone the 91���� were comfortable with. I liked being the person who could encourage them to become better.

AT: What was the most rewarding aspect of your service experience?

FA: Seeing 91���� who earlier refused to do essays and quizzes and starting to see them actually finish their work and start to write more and just become really strong learners. Seeing a student who struggles, and then blooms; it’s just amazing.

And for my second year of service with City Year, I joined Care Force and we worked on service projects—it was really hard work! But it gave me a chance to do something outside of the classroom that still helps 91���� because a lot of our projects were beautifying and improving schools and playgrounds. It was rewarding to see spaces transform.

AT: How do you think two years with City Year prepared you for the Peace Corps?

FA: City Year teaches you so much, like flexibility, adaptability, resilience. There’s so much that translates. You have to be quick to adapt. I learned how to be more patient. And service helped my communication skills. So, I’m really using a lot of the same skills in the Peace Corps.

AT: What aspects of City Year and the Peace Corps are the most similar?

FA: Both City Year and the Peace Corps had values that I wanted in my life. City Year has ubuntu (a South African term that means my humanity is tied to yours). The Peace Corps may not use that word, but it’s about walking a mile in other people’s shoes. That’s really what the Peace Corps is.

Sometimes, I feel like City Year and the Peace Corps are like two sides of the same coin. The Peace Corps is a good fit for City Year alums. A lot of what we go through is similar, whether that’s from relocating to a different state or country, or joining one straight out of college.

AT: As we wrap up, what advice would you give to someone who is considering serving with City Year or the Peace Corps?

FA: The first part of my advice would be, even if you’re afraid to submit that application, do it anyway. Because I was afraid, and I still did it. You can be scared and still do it.

And my second piece of advice is to jump in headfirst. You’ll always have other options. Grad school, jobs, they’ll always be there. But a chance to serve with City Year or the Peace Corps—those chances to serve don’t come around as often. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who tell me: I wish I had done the Peace Corps.

Just know that now is the perfect time. The Peace Corps is such an experience. You make new friends. You make new family. Do it! It’s great.

Learn more about the Peace Corps’ .

Learn more about serving with City Year.