One of the best ways to volunteer is to do what you do best, and for Alexis Collins, that is dance. Alexis serves as the Sho Me Sho Stopper Hip Hop dance teacher for the Armory Sports and Community Center, choreographing moves for the boys and girls to perform at events and for friends and family. The class is offered through Columbia Parks & Recreation.
“I saw this as an opportunity to give back to a community that had once embraced me as a child, by going there to teach children what I do best,” Alexis says. “This is by far one of the best decisions that I have made.”
Alexis approaches her job as an outlet for the students she teaches, allowing them to express themselves and their emotions. She says if a student had a low day, this openness gives them a support group that can encourage and help the students grow.
“There is no better feeling than that of giving back to your community,” Alexis says. “Their excitement when they get to learn new choreography, their smiles, their laughter, and even their stubbornness makes me want to keep coming back. They are the most intelligent and hilarious group of children. I feel a sense of fulfillment when we huddle up and the end of each class, knowing that they took something different away each class. They have changed my life.”
Written by volunteer Abby Holman
53°F