Rising Stars: Meet Emma Makdessi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Makdessi.

Hi Emma, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My parents moved from Lebanon to the US a month before I was born – they actually track how long they’ve been here by my age, so 32 years. We bounced around from Ohio to Florida and finally settled in Palm Harbor, FL, when I was in middle school. It was interesting being in such a Lebanese household but growing up in the US. I would say I got my start in the work that I’m doing now because I was able to push back against some of the expectations and break down the barriers for my sister and brother. After much research and conversations, I convinced them to let me attend a week-long leadership and residential diversity program called ANYTOWN when I was 13. That week changed my life, and as soon as I turned 15, I returned as a counselor. I attended college at the University of South Florida and had no idea what college was about. I was the first person in my family to go to college. Once I got there, I did what I could do to graduate. In a way, I fell through the cracks. It turns out there were so many scholarships and programs for first generation students, and I had no clue. I graduated with a BA in International Studies and a minor in Spanish and realized I didn’t know what that meant for me and my “career.” I did know that I enjoyed helping people, and it stopped there. I worked in Florida for a non-profit for about a year after graduation and decided that there had to be more to what I was doing, so I did some research and found information about a government program called AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). I applied, got accepted, and told my parents that I was heading to California for ten months. They pushed back because to them, they heard things like disaster relief work and got worried. It wasn’t something that they could fully understand. I went, regardless of their acceptance, and it was the best thing I could have don’t in my life.

In NCCC, you live and work with a team of 8-12 people between the ages of 18-24. Each team has a team leader. Our base is in Sacramento, but each team gets deployed every two months or so to a new state in the region to work with a non-profit needing extra support. NCCC opened my eyes to all the possibilities that were out there in the world. In my first term as a corps member, my team was sent to Sacramento (food bank), Lakeside, CA. Vashon Island in Washington State and finally, Corvallis, OR. I decided to return for another term, but this time as a team leader. That year couldn’t have been more amazing. Our first deployment was supposed to be to Montana, but Hurricane Sandy had just hit the Northeast, and NCCC sends teams to respond to disasters above all other projects. My team was one of the first teams to get sent to NY two weeks after Superstorm Sandy. Our primary location was in Breezy Point and the Rockaways, one of the harder-hit areas. After that, my team was sent to Montana, Hawaii and finally, the San Bernardino Mountains. AmeriCorps opened my eyes to the possibilities that were out there, from where I could live to the type of work that I could do. As my second term was coming to an end, I was beginning to see where I would go next, but that’s when I got one of the worst calls of my life. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer. I graduated from NCCC and moved right back home to take care of my mom with my sister. Florida was never my next move. After NCCC, I didn’t see myself living there, but my mom was my priority, and I was going to be there the entire time. In those two or so years, I began volunteering for an LGBTQ organization in Vermont called Outright Vermont. Being a camp director at Camp Outright was a dream. Growing up, I didn’t know that there could ever be anything for gay kids! My mind was blown! In my time in FL, I also returned to working with the ANYTOWN program but this time as the ANYTOWN Coordinator – really focusing on diversity and inclusion work in the Tampa Bay Area. My mom didn’t beat her cancer and passed away in Oct 2015.

My entire world crashed and all I knew to do was leave FL. Within the year or so I moved up to Michigan to work in outdoor education. Throughout the year, I did team building, high ropes courses, and camp activities, but in the summer, I was the Excursion Camp Director. I ran four week-long camps that took 10-12 teens on outdoor adventures (camping, hiking, rafting, kayaking, backpacking, etc) throughout Michigan. I lived and worked in Michigan for three years and in Sept 2019, returned to FL. I had stayed away for so long and needed to return to heal. As I was looking for work, I saw that Metro Inclusive Health was hiring an LGBTQ specialist. I thought to myself. Finally, all these years of non-profit work, camp, youth development, and my LGBTQ focus were going to come together! I got the job, and it was like everything I had ever done came together so perfectly. I now to get create engaging programs for my queer youth, run summer camp, and continue to ensure that spaces are safe and inclusive.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but that’s life. Getting the news of my mom being sick when I was in CA was hard. Being back in Florida, working and taking care of her and seeing her struggle was tough too. When we lost her, it was the worst time I can remember. That has been the most challenging time in my life. In regards to my sexuality, well, being Lebanese and being queer doesn’t necessarily go together. Fighting norms and gaining acceptance in my family has been a roller coaster. Living in MI and being the only queer person of color was another eye-opening experience. There was a lot of pushback when I wanted to do diversity training for the staff. The list can go on, but I would say those are highlights.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently the LGBTQ+ Program Specialist with Metro Inclusive Health. I create programming for our LGBTQ+ youth. We run peer support groups 2x/week and then youth nights (social group) 2x/week as well. I would say, though, that I specialize in creating programs and experiences that are unique and engaging. When COVID hit and we were quarantined, we had to move all our programs virtually. We didn’t miss a beat and instantly, we were back, holding all our groups virtually and getting creative. We knew that now, more than ever, our LGBTQ youth needed a safe space. I am most proud of what I have been able to with our programs in these past nine months. When we were on the fence about summer camp, I created a virtual summer camp template, complete with camp care packages. Each camper received a camp care package complete with all the items they needed for all the workshops and camp activities. It was such a success! We held two virtual summer camps and created almost 100 care packages. I also restructured our Youth Advisory Council to a leadership team structure (Social Media Chair, Community Service Chair, Accessibility Chair, Historian, & Secretary). Elections were held in September and our youth had to register to vote. We used our discord so the candidates could introduce themselves and then speeches were held. Youth were given the weekend to vote and results were posted that Monday. The YAC goes through a Leadership Day at the beginning of each month. We focus on a different aspect of leadership and team building. This YAC has also been able to start our monthly newsletter called the METROpolitan – designed for teens by teens. What sets me apart from others is my ability to run creative programs in the midst of a pandemic. For Halloween, I created the Monster Mash event in which the youth went trick or treating using breakout rooms. We all dressed up – volunteers and teens and did Halloween activities, raffles, and costume contests. I also just ran our Winter Wonderland Event where similar to camp, I sent them care packages filled with holiday goodies and supplies needed to participate.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Not that I can think of, but I’m sure there are.