Don’t worry about filling someone else’s shoes. Bring your own. -Monica Roberts

Meet Monica Roberts, Senior Vice President & Executive Director of City Year Greater Boston www.cityyear.org. A lifelong resident of Boston, Monica was raised in a home full of faith, rules, and love. She credits her mother for advocating for her and her siblings, reminding them about the value of a strong education. In this interview, Monica shares the story of her father, the son of a sharecropper from Mississippi who quit school at 12 to work in the fields and later completed his education. Monica’s father was a man of service who worked as a truck driver through the night, often distributing food to the needy and plowing his neighbor’s driveways during snow storms. As a preacher in their local church, her dad did not allow his daughters to wear makeup or go to the movie theater. A first-generation college graduate with degrees from Brandeis and Boston College, Monica comes to her position at City Year with extensive experience in public education, having served seven superintendents over a fifteen-year period. Before taking the reins at City Year Greater Boston, she worked at Peace First, a national non-profit, where she honed her leadership skills. For Monica, City Year is a life-changing opportunity for young men and women between the ages 18-25 who support the education of children enrolled in their partner schools. Originally founded in 1988 as a community-based service organization, the mission has expanded and City Year members are changing the lives of kids from kindergarten through high school every day. Grounded in the belief that young people can shape our world, City Year members are role models. Says Monica: “They connect with kids and cheer them on. The City Year red jacket symbolizes the deep investment we have made in the communities we serve.” @cityyear @cityyearboston #community