Every day this week we will celebrate one of our awesome Program Associates! Our office here is small, with 11 full time staff total…and 6 of them are National Service members! We all feel incredibly lucky to have found these fellows. They are 100% dedicated to our soccer players, and bring so much life to work!
Travis Moore-Murray is a 2nd year AmeriCorps member, and our Program Associate at 3 partner schools: Bethune, Lloyd and Nobel. Prior to Urban Initiatives, Coach Travis was a Public Ally working at the YMCA, supporting people transitioning out of homelessness to develop social skills and get good jobs.
Born and raised on Chicago’s west side, Travis represents a great role model for students struggling to envision their possible future paths. When asked why he chose to become an AmeriCorps member, Travis says that he wanted a job that brought work and volunteering together. “I didn’t want to just do volunteering in my free time,” he says, “I wanted to make service my full-time profession.”
During his time at Urban Initiatives, Travis has had the opportunity to learn about the administrative aspect of running a successful non-profit. In this small office, our AmeriCorps members are asked for input on everything! I think we can all agree, though, that the most rewarding part of working at Urban Initiatives is being with our soccer players. “My favorite memory from this year so far was when a boy from Nobel faked me out with his sweet soccer moves. I’ve been with these kids since the fall when their ball-handling skills were awkward at best. It’s really fun to watch them get better to the point where they surprise you!”
In addition to being an awesome coach, Travis is the crooner in our office. He loves Harry Chapin, and during this interview he hummed along to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Travis is also known for drinking soy milk out of 4oz dixie cups. We love you, Coach Travis.