AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award

AmeriCorps Alums @ Service Year Alliance, a powerful network of diverse alums that support and equip each other to get things done so that all people can thrive in strong communities, seeks to recognize two emerging leaders for the 2026 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award, which grants them entry to the lifelong Segal Fellowship.

What are the qualifications to apply?

The application for 2026 is now closed.

Candidates for the 2026 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award meet the following criteria:

Have demonstrated strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills while serving in AmeriCorps.
A commitment to advancing diverse, inclusive, and equitable strategies in their communities.
Have successfully completed an AmeriCorps service year position between August 2023 and August 15, 2026. Please note: If your service was disrupted due to 2025 grant terminations or the April 2025 NCCC demobilization, you are eligible to apply.
Seek meaningful participation as a lifelong Segal Fellow in the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program.

Candidates are welcome to apply from all over, although preference is given to applicants from the Greater DC Area. We welcome a diverse applicant pool to ensure a diverse network of individuals in the Segal Leadership Program.

Expectations and Benefits of Selected Awardees:

Benefits and expectations of being selected for the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award:

Cash Award: Receive a $2,000 cash award from Service Year Alliance to further your leadership and professional development.

Segal Fellowship Program: Be an active participant in activities of the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, a national network which aims to inspire, support, and enable new generations of leaders and promote citizen leadership. During their first year, awardees are expected to participate in this program through:

Mandatory attendance in virtual monthly Segal Program professional and leadership training and events from Oct 2026 to August 2027.
Requested attendance (with costs covered) at our bi-annual Segal Fellow Retreats (including October 16 - 18, 2026 in Greater Boston).
Meaningful connection with their Segal near-peer “buddy” (year one), their Segal Advisor (later years), and the larger Segal network of 170+ Fellows and 600+ partners (lifelong).
Participation in Segal events throughout their lifetime and career, after August 2027 (networking events, service opportunities, biannual retreat, monthly webinars, etc).

Service Year Alliance Network: Stay connected to the Service Year Alliance network through your choice of opportunities:

Write a blog post about your service year experience.
Attend a Hill Day or congressional office visit when available.
Write a letter to the editor about the importance of service year opportunities.
Act as a mentor to a prospective or currently serving service year corps member.

About the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program

Eli J. Segal has been described as the "father of AmeriCorps.” He served as the first CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and under his leadership AmeriCorps was created. To honor Eli, and build upon his legacy, AmeriCorps Alums gives the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award to recognize the achievement and potential of an outstanding alum whose work, after completing their service in AmeriCorps, demonstrates entrepreneurial vision and leadership to make this a better world.

Being awarded the AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award automatically enrolls the awardee as a lifelong Segal Fellow in the Eli J. and Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program. The Segal Program provides emerging leaders an opportunity to join a community of other like-minded changemakers. These leaders collaborate across sectors and topic areas to break down silos and create solutions in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world. During your first year as a Segal Fellow, you participate virtually monthly in the Segal Citizen Leadership Curriculum, and lifelong participation in our networking and leadership development offerings is expected.

There are over 170 inspiring, diverse, and multi-generational fellows who are already leaders in their communities, as well as a network of over 600 Founders and program partners. In addition to joining through AmeriCorps Alums @ Service Year Alliance, Fellows gain entry into the program through partnerships with diverse leaders from Brandeis University, City Year, and AmeriCorps.

For more information about the program, please visit segal.brandeis.edu.

How to Apply:

The application includes information about your service year(s), short narrative responses, and voluntary demographic information. You will also be asked to upload your resume, two references, and a proof of service form. Click here to preview all of the application questions.

The application for 2026 is now closed.

Applicants are encouraged to use their own authentic voice and experience in responses. If you use AI, please refine your responses to prioritize your voice and experience. If you use AI in brainstorming and/or writing, we ask that you acknowledge AI use through our AI Acknowledgement Statement.

Note: This award is not employment and does not entitle the awardee to receive Service Year Alliance employee benefits, such as pension, healthcare, or other related benefits received by full-time employees of Service Year Alliance.

Application Timeline for 2026 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Award:

August 17, 5 p.m. ET		Applications Due. No late applications will be considered.
September		Top candidates notified & interviews scheduled
September		Winners are notified
October 16 - 18, 2026		Bi-annual Segal Fellows Retreat, Greater Boston (costs covered by program)
October 2026 - August 2027		Segal Program Leadership Development Curriculum and Cohort Meetings, held monthly
2027 & beyond		Ongoing Segal Program engagement as a lifelong Segal Fellow, including matching with a Segal coach, monthly convenings, Fellow Retreats, and more

AmeriCorps Alums Segal Leadership Awardees:

2026

Cameron Greenop completed two service years as an AmeriCorps VISTA, focusing on making programs, systems, and opportunities more accessible and effective for residents of New York State. During his first service term as an eLearning Coordinator, Cameron supported his host organization by improving online learning platforms, coordinating virtual trainings and webinars, and evaluating courses for accessibility. His second service year largely focused on a year-long research project supporting adult education program evaluation, which led to sharing actionable improvements for programs serving adult learners.

Always asking “How can I make this easier for others?”, Cameron continues to apply a service-first mindset to his role as a research scientist as he works to strengthen the mental health resources and support available to Medicaid recipients. Through the Segal Citizen Leadership Program, Cameron hopes to continue developing as a leader, advocate, and public speaker while helping create more inclusive and responsive communities.

Khaira Hightower is a two-time AmeriCorps alum. She completed service years with the Center for Children & Young Adults and at the Devereux Behavioral Health Center, a psychiatric hospital providing trauma-informed treatment and care to youth with intellectual and behavioral health needs. Khaira was hired by the health center after completing her service year. Today, she helps with day-to-day support services, which includes facilitating an advisory council for youth residents elected by their peers to represent their residential units.

Through these experiences, she has developed a deep commitment to ensuring people with specific needs have a meaningful voice in their own care and community. She believes leadership can begin with small acts of initiative and is grounded in accountability, continuous learning, and creating spaces where others can grow. As a Segal Fellow, Kaira is eager to learn from peers with different experiences, develop as a leader, and bring what she learns back to the communities she serves.

As an AmeriCorps member with FoodCorps, Chris Onuoha focused on supporting students at two Title I Atlanta Public Schools, Parkside Elementary and Benteen Elementary. At Parkside, she worked with teachers to incorporate garden-based lessons, partnered with the PTA to organize garden workdays, and collaborated with a local Girl Scout troop to create a pollinator garden that empowered students to have a leadership role with the garden.

Chris has carried this experience into her ongoing work in agriculture and environmental education, including leading an agriculture-focused internship program at a high school in southwest Atlanta. In this role, she supports students in growing food and exploring career and educational opportunities. As a Segal Fellow, Chris is eager to learn alongside other service-minded leaders, and bring a spirit of generosity to the network. As an avid composter, Chris likens her enthusiasm for joining the Segal Fellowship community with the mindset of an earthworm, “always contributing my best to the ecosystem around me and trusting that the result is more valuable when we each contribute generously.”

2025

Bahga Ahmed, a 2025 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Fellow, draws upon her experience as a refugee to the United States and first generation college student to ensure others can live with dignity, stability, and opportunity. Through a service year with New American Pathways, Bagha helped newly arrived refugees and immigrants find employment and education, access healthcare, and connect to their new communities. Today, she serves as an administrative assistant with Catholic Charities. As a Segal Fellow, Bagha is eager to share her expertise in refugee integration, closing the digital divide, and building systems that create opportunity, continuing the same cycle of support that once changed her life.

Kelly Lee, a 2025 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Fellow, is a first-generation college graduate, two-time AmeriCorps alum, and aspiring clinical psychologist. Growing up in Washington, D.C., Kelly saw firsthand how a lack of investment in education, mental health, and community safety affected her family and peers. Motivated to make a difference for other students, she went on to complete back-to-back service years with City Year DC. As a Segal Fellow, Kelly hopes to share insights from her work in trauma-informed education, public health research, and community-based outreach, while connecting with a new family of changemakers.

Daniel Nieves, a 2025 AmeriCorps Alums Segal Fellow, is an educator at the City University of New York and Mercy University. Daniel brings a lifelong commitment to equity, inclusion, and community empowerment to his work in education and public service. Through his AmeriCorps service with the Office of the Mayor and NYC Service at NYC Parks, he led community engagement, volunteer coordination, and environmental stewardship initiatives throughout New York City, with a focus on the Bronx. His work today centers on building partnerships between institutions and communities to strengthen participation, sustainability, and civic leadership. As a Segal Fellow, Daniel looks forward to cultivating long-term relationships and advancing shared leadership rooted in service and equity.