From Service to Career

Alexis Powers (middle left) with fellow NDMV Atlanta service members

By Cora Davis, Communications Director

“I have flourished as a person because of a series of events in my life, starting with NDMV—I’m happier, more confident, more generous.”

Alexis Powers’s journey with NDMV began in September 2021, when she started her year of service at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Clarkston, Georgia, as a Workforce Training Associate. Having grown up just minutes from Clarkston, in a diverse, immigrant-rich community, Alexis already felt a deep connection to both the IRC’s and NDMV’s missions.

Alexis credits NDMV with paving the way for her career. She went from being an NDMV volunteer at the International Rescue Committee to becoming an employee. Today, she serves as the Program Officer for the Economic Development Technical Unit at IRC Headquarters. “I wouldn’t be here without NDMV,” she said confidently.

She began her first year of service in 2021, having just completed her second master’s degree, yet she was still unsure how to break into the world of immigrant and refugee services. NDMV became the bridge she needed. “I had been applying for years and never got past the interview stage. Without NDMV, I wouldn’t be at the IRC,” she explained.

During her service, Alexis helped grow the Workforce Development program from a one-person operation to a three-person team by creating standardized intake processes, improving data quality, and supervising interns. She thrived on building deep relationships with clients, guiding them through training, résumé writing, and interview preparation. The impact was significant: “The work I did led to a 73% average wage increase for clients and increased enrollment for immigrant women to over 60%.”

Along with the opportunity to make a tangible impact, “the community that I gained as an NDMV member was irreplaceable,” Alexis said. 

Students from the International Community School for United Nations Day

When Alexis first applied to join the NDMV community, she hesitated after reading about its connection to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. “I’m not very religious, but after being brought into an environment that nuns founded…I still felt comfortable,” she said. Alexis came to see that the sisters did not focus on getting people to join the Catholic Church—they focused on sharing ways to simply be a good person. 

Before Alexis’s year of service, she considered herself very shy. “Who you see currently—this bright, shining individual who doesn’t feel uncomfortable saying ‘hi’—is because I was pushed to grow through service,” she reflected. She learned to overcome her shyness through cold calls with clients, setting healthy boundaries, navigating life events alongside her clients, and public speaking. “A better question is: what skills weren’t there after my year of service? My time as a service member gave me confidence. I became a better person.”

The lessons stayed with her: the importance of service, of human-to-human connection, and of honoring her own limitations. Alexis describes her NDMV cohort as “special,” bonded by a shared commitment to helping others. “Joy is an act of resistance. Being happy in what I’m doing is very important. The impact we’re able to make is what keeps me going.”

Even after her service ended, Alexis stayed connected to NDMV alumni and clients, celebrating successes and offering support. She looks back on her time with immense gratitude: “I have flourished as a person because of this series of events that have happened in my life, starting with NDMV. Happier, more confident, more generous. My level of compassion went up.”

For Alexis, every small act of service is life-changing. “You’re changing someone’s world.” Her story is a testament to the power of community, resilience, and the extraordinary impact one person can have through service.

Photos: Alexis presenting at an International Women’s Day event. Students during United Nations Day. Alexis dressed up for the IRC Fall Festival.