Empowered and Inspired: From EXPLO Student to Staff Leader

Interview with Marissa Joseph

Q: How did you get your start at EXPLO?

My journey with EXPLO started at EXPLO Intermediate. My family had moved to Georgia and I lived in an area that wasn’t the most diverse or the most open-minded, and there weren’t a ton of opportunities for me there. I was the only Black student at my middle and elementary schools, and so I didn’t really feel like I had a place where I fit in and belonged. So, we pursued EXPLO as an opportunity to get me out of my town and explore new options. And I went the first summer and I absolutely loved it. I made so many close friends that I’m still in contact with today. And then I went again for a second summer as well!?

Q: Did EXPLO change you in any way?

Part of what makes my EXPLO experience particularly unique is that a lot of the decisions that I’ve made for my future—my aspirations in life—I can directly tie back to EXPLO. I don’t think I would be who I am without EXPLO. During my second summer at EXPLO, one of the weekend trips was college visits. I got to visit Brown and Harvard. And I fell in love with Harvard University on that trip; I called my parents right after the trip and I was like, “I want to go to school here!”?

In going to EXPLO, I had the chance to see all of these new places, meet all of these new people, and it gave me the strength to dream bigger than what my surroundings were at home. I put it in my head that I was going to go to Harvard, and that is what I ended up doing!?

Q: Why did you decide to come back to EXPLO?

I decided to apply for a job at EXPLO this summer because in my heart I always knew that EXPLO was a place that was very special to me, in that I had had a really positive experience. I really wanted to devote some time to giving back during this summer between graduating college and starting work full-time. I thought, what’s a better use of my time than coming back to EXPLO and getting to pay it forward and ensuring that students have as wonderful an experience as I did??

Q: What have you gained from your continued work at EXPLO?

The magic of EXPLO for me was that I could show up every day 100% as myself. I don’t know if I have ever been in an environment that truly champions inclusivity, that has empowered me as much as EXPLO has. With that, I was able to lean into curiosity. It starts with the community that’s built, where you can discover so much of your passion. Even working here as a Residence Director, so much of that spirit and that energy continues. I’ve learned so much about myself this summer, so much about what I’m passionate about, how I like to work, and my communication style. I think a lot of that has been facilitated by how wonderful the staff community is here, in encouraging people to be who they are, working alongside their strengths and uplifting them. That spirit is what brought me back to EXPLO as a student and why I wish to continue working with EXPLO in the future.?