— By Francesca Merwin, Engagement Fellow

It’s been a year since I started working at the Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development on the Connective Corridor project. But alas, all good things must end. My Engagement Fellowship has sadly drawn to a close and I’m moving on to a new chapter with AmeriCorps.  I’m starting a new job and my five year adventure with Syracuse will soon become a whirlwind of packed bags and mixed CDs to a new destination.  Gone, but never forgotten.

I take a bit of issue with one or two folks in this city: These are the folks that say SU kids come in, mess with things, and then leave. On the most basic level, I suppose this is what we Syracuse kids do. But I don’t like how it’s being said. I came, I made a difference (I hope), and I’m leaving. I’m leaving smarter, wiser, and Orange-er. I’m leaving a city that is just hitting its stride when it comes to redevelopment, and it’s hard to leave.

I won’t miss the weather, but I’ll miss a lot. It’s been one of my toughest decisions to leave this place. In 12 months, I’ve experienced the good, bad and the ugly of Syracuse- and it’s been wonderful.

I’m not going to tell you to stay, and I’m not going to tell you to leave. I feel it would be very hypocritical of me. But I will say that while you’re in Syracuse, take those skills you’ve learned, take that “Scholarship in Action,” and apply it – here or elsewhere. Find a home that needs you just as much as Syracuse needs you. Delight in the fact that no matter where you find yourself, there is a way to make positive change. Use those skills to enhance a community and make your place in it.

I hope I’ve established a change in Syracuse. I hope that you’ll find yourself on a musical bus ride, or read a fascinating construction email, or do whatever, and realize that while people leave, their actions reverberate.

I will miss this crazy city, and its lovable cast of characters. I’m sure that I will regret my move when I hear word about wonderful developments on national news channels about this wonderfully revitalized city. It’s happening, and I was a part of it. I will bring what I’ve learned here to other places and I will bring what I’ve learned elsewhere back to Syracuse. I may be gone, but I will never forget.

Thanks for listening for the past year!

The Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development thanks Frankie for her great work.  She was a frequent contributor to the newsletter, website, Facebook and other social media — and she was the creative force behind the wonderful “In Motion” series this past year which featured art, dramatic readings, poetry, performance art, dance and music on the Connective Corridor buses.  She will be very missed, and we wish her the best in her new role with AmeriCorps — putting her civic engagement skills to work closer to her home and family — where we know that she will keep making a difference!