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Alum Spotlight – May 2026: Laura Colón-Rivera, Michigan Education Corps
Laura Colón-Rivera served as an AmeriCorps member with the Michigan Education Corps from 2023-2024. The Michigan Education Corps (MEC), administered by Hope Network, is a replication of the transformational Minnesota Reading Corps. AmeriCorps volunteers advance more than 3,000 students toward becoming proficient in reading and mathematics.
Colón-Rivera is originally from Puerto Rico and had an early interest in education, specifically teaching English as a second language. She came to Michigan to begin studying for a teaching certificate. Colón-Rivera knew experiential learning would be beneficial in her studies. To help her learn new skills and interact with different age levels most effectively, Colón-Rivera committed to a year of service with MEC.
During her service term, Colón-Rivera found an interest in teaching younger children in kindergarten through 3rd grades. Her service provided her the opportunity to work with lesson structures and plans that helped guide her as she worked with the students. According to Colón-Rivera, her service with Reading Corps “gave me the courage to do what I am doing now and gave me the flexibility to work on my teaching certification.”
Her experience in Michigan inspired her to pursue graduate studies at Eastern Michigan University, where she remains active as a graduate student, a graduate assistant at the Office of the Ombuds, and a part-time substitute teacher.
According to current member, Christine Merritt, Colón-Rivera “continues to volunteer where she tutors high school students as part of the Early College Alliance. She also continues to promote the importance of programming such as this.”
Although her term has ended, Colón-Rivera plans to return home with a strong toolbox of classroom strategies and leadership experience. Her arc—from Reading Corps to graduate school and beyond—highlights how AmeriCorps service can shape career paths and broaden opportunities for teachers of other languages.
Learn more about the Michigan Education Corps and other Michigan’s AmeriCorps programs making a positive impact in communities across Michigan. For more information about AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov.