Who’s New in the Crew: Community Engagement

Introduction

 Just like the seasons, La Puente is going through some changes. There are new faces in some of the programs and familiar faces in new positions. These individuals share their La Puente origin story and how they ended up working in their current programs. This section is going to include the latest position updates at Community Engagement.

Who is Laura?

Laura Fierce is the Director of Community Engagement. In this position, they help spread the message, mission, and values of La Puente. Community Engagement collaborates with other services in the network to host 30+ events every year. Her department creates and hosts different fundraisers, curates a quarterly newsletter, coordinates the La Puente website and social media, and connects with donors through publications. Not only that, but the department members also volunteer their time to other programs whenever an extra hand is needed.

Originally from Downers Grove, Illinois, Laura applied to serve under La Puente after seeing two AmeriCorps representatives speak in a college class on service. What set La Puente apart from other programs was the aid they provided to help the transition of moving to Alamosa. Laura began serving with AmeriCorps in the La Puente Community Engagement Program, which allowed her to see what La Puente was all about. After completing their service, Laura applied for the Assistant Director position in the Community Engagement office. The following year, Laura found herself in the interview process again and received her current position as the director.

Before joining the La Puente team, Laura gained experience working summer camps as a counselor and director. This experience helped expose them to kids of different ages, abilities, backgrounds, and home lives. With prior experience working with children, it is no wonder Laura is eager for this year’s Halloween Parade! The creative nature of Halloween also ties into Laura’s interest in the arts. They have an interest in tattoos and enjoy singing at the Alamosa Presbyterian Church. 

Laura wants to build more community relationships with new folks. She says, “I feel like if we are not expanding and just talking to the same five people, are we making any progress on any of the social issues?” With a timeline like Laura’s – from AmeriCorps Member to Director in just three years – they know what it’s like to step into a new position. When asked for a word of advice for new employees and AmeriCorps members, they said, “Give yourself some grace. You’re learning and so is everyone else. They’re getting to know you, so things are going to have some hiccups but it all ends up working out great.”

Who is Caroline?

Caroline Burkhardt is the Assistant Director of Community Engagement. Though she started less than two weeks ago, she’s ready to educate those about the mission of La Puente and invite others to partake in programming. The Nicholasville, Kentucky native has had prior experience working with Latinx and immigrant communities, which opened her eyes to various vulnerable sub-populations. Formerly, she taught English as a Foreign Language in Mexico, Chile, China, and the United States. While teaching, she faced others’ prejudiced misconceptions about immigrants and international students. Building relationships with her students motivated her to use her privilege, experience, and education to advocate for English language learners.

Caroline’s introduction to La Puente was through the book Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders At America’s Edge by Ted Conover. In this book, Conover explains how those in the San Luis Valley (SLV) are often skeptical about organizations and systems due to prior negative experiences. However, when he mentions La Puente’s name to community members, he is met with a sigh of relief. Through the nonfiction narrative, Caroline learned more about the impact and good standing with the community La Puente has.

While being interviewed by Lance, the company’s Executive Director, Caroline became excited about the message and purpose of La Puente. What set La Puente apart from her past nonprofit work was its push to represent its clients with dignity. She was immediately impressed by the magnitude of La Puente’s network and how dispersed they are in the SLV. Caroline hopes that, in her time here, she can establish connections and build relationships with people in the community. Moreover, she hopes to see La Puente expand their services to reach more of the local immigrant population.

When asked to advise those starting a position or job, she said, “I think knowing the big picture can help motivate you even in mundane tasks. So get to know the big picture and get to know the people.”

Contacts

Laura Fierce, Director of Community Engagement: community.edu@lapuente.net

Caroline Burkhardt, Assistant Director of Community Engagement: community.engagement@lapuente.net