Erin (Mooney) Martin ’08
What involvement did/do you have with MOVE? What program did/do you volunteer with and/or lead? What years?
I went on an alternative spring break trip to Kentucky. It honestly changed my life.
What’s your MOVE story?
MOVE changed the trajectory of my life—no hyperbole, truly. When I was a junior at SMC, I went to Kentucky to complete a week of service during spring break. This trip was planned through the MOVE program. After that week, I knew I wanted to spend my years after graduation giving back to my community and areas of the country that needed help. MOVE had a catalog of volunteer opportunities for college graduates, and in a serendipitous moment, I opened the page to a teaching program in Chicago, IL. Though I had majored in education, the service part was what attracted me. I was accepted into the program, and shortly after graduating I bought a one-way ticket to Chicago. I taught in a K-8 school on the South Side for four years (two years outside of my contract) and fell in love with urban education. I am now in my 13th year of teaching, I just earned my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and have continued to work in high-poverty urban schools.
In what ways did/does MOVE impact you?
Doing service and giving back to those around me has always been important and my life changed because of MOVE.
If you are an alumni, what influence does MOVE continue to have on your life today?
I would not have the job I do or the passion for my career or a terminal degree if it were not for MOVE. That is how impactful that program was for my life.