Leadership isn't a skill you acquire, some bright shining thing that exists outside of us. It's the ability to listen, to learn what's going on, to working together to achieve your goals. Carrasco was an Ally with the Community Emergency Shelter in Chicago. He will attend law school next fall, and plans to pursue a career in human rights and international law. You don't need a PhD in community development to know how to be a leader or how to solve problems.
Communities can find their own solutions, instead of outside institutions imposing an answer.
People know what works best in their own environments - they know what their challenges are and what the community has to offer. As I learned when working on a team project with a very diverse group of Public Allies, leadership is about listening to different people, learning from mistakes. Leaders keep on trying. Fagerstrom was an Ally with the Santa Clara Library. He is currently a coordinator for the Recovery House Literacy Program in San Jose.