A lasting impact

Emma Carmichael, a Young Adult Volunteer from the USA describes the value and impact of her work in Dundee.

AS we would say at home, hey y’all! My name is Emma Carmichael, and I am currently serving with the Church of Scotland as part of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program.

I am originally from North Carolina, but I am excited to be placed in Dundee for the year and working at Fintry Church. As a YAV, I am expected to spend a year living and serving in intentional community, and for the past six months, I have done just that. At Fintry, I assist with children and youth work, such as Girls’ Brigade, toddler groups, and a teen youth group. I also help run our weekly food larder and accompanying café. In addition to these community programmes, I have been able to help with Sunday services by playing the guitar, reading, or leading children’s talks.

Through this work I have learned and experienced firsthand what it’s like to enter a new community and work alongside its members to enact meaningful, relevant, and community-driven change. I have been challenged to step outside of my comfort zone, not only in a new place, but also in a new role that has stretched and strengthened my ability to engage, lead, and build relationships with others.

While I have strived to give my best to the community I am serving this year, I could not have predicted all that they have given me in return. From the minute I arrived this past autumn, members of the church and community alike have welcomed me with open arms. Whether through invitations to meals, connections to fun opportunities, or simply kind words and interest in who I am as a person, these people have shown me what intentional community can and should look like.

“ I have been challenged to step outside of my comfort zone, not only in a new place, but also in a new role that has stretched and strengthened my ability to engage, lead, and build relationships with others.

One of the most common questions I am asked, sometimes more sceptically than others, is why I chose to come to Scotland and Dundee in the first place. In all honesty, the decision was probably made half on an appreciation for the work done here and half on a romanticised view of a beautiful country. Though it has been colder and rainier than a year spent in the warmth of the southern US would have been, I never once regretted my decision. I’ve found my new home to be both beautiful and friendly.

I’ve delighted in the culture and history of Scotland, learning new words, visiting the Highland Games, and taking the inevitable castle tours that we Americans just can’t get enough of.

As I look to this second half of my YAV year, I am excited to continue to explore the country as well as my community here in Dundee. I look forward to taking more ownership in and leadership of programmes at Fintry, and I hope that my efforts will make a lasting impact. I hope that I will continue to grow both personally and professionally, but more than anything, I look forward to continuing the relationships that have meant so much to me thus far.