Alexis Gorenstein, 33, loves helping people.

After growing up in New Jersey and receiving a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies from York College of Pennsylvania, Gorenstein moved to Baltimore in 2021.

She is now a master’s student at Goucher and works at a Baltimore County Public School for special needs individuals.

Gorenstein lives in Canton.

How did your Jewish involvement within the Baltimore community begin?

When I left the news business, I had more time on my hands to socialize. I’ve always been the kind of person where when in doubt, you find the local Jewish community. I literally just googled Jewish Baltimore, and the Federation was the first thing to pop up.

I sent them a cold email to their info account, and I was connected to the head of the Young Adult Division. We met, and she told me a little bit about what the Federation does, and I was very interested. I thought what they did seemed very inclusive, social and obviously aligned with Jewish values.

So I figured, why not give it a try? I ended up going way into the deep end right away because I was selected to join the Young Leadership Council, which is the Federation’s crown jewel project.

It’s their effort to train future leaders in a two-year program. In that program, I was fortunate enough to meet a ton of new people who were also interested in advancing their leadership opportunities.

It was an incredible experience, and it really sparked something inside of me that I feel very passionate about helping this community.

The first year was a crash course in what the Federation is and how it operates. Year two was the highlight for me personally. You are paired with one of the agency boards and can shadow that board for a full year.

I was paired with the Jewish Connection Network. I feel really fortunate that they liked me enough to pick me. Since graduating and stepping down from my observership, I have maintained a committee head position for their brand-new young adult volunteer effort.

Why do you feel it’s important to get involved in your community?

Maybe it goes back to my time as a journalist. I worked in local news because I really do feel like the biggest impact you can have is on the local level, where you can actually see the fruits of your labor.

I feel that the places I’ve chosen to spend my time and my efforts meet that objective. The volunteer work we do impacts this community. You can see it happen in real time, and I think there’s something really special about that.

How would you describe your relationship to Judaism?

I believe that Judaism in general can take on many forms. I’m a big believer in the choose-your-own-adventure Jewish experience. I don’t believe there’s any right or wrong way to be Jewish, just as long as you’re doing it with your heart.

Is there any way that your career and volunteer work intersect?

Through my involvement with The Network, one of their big volunteer experiences this past year was Mitzvah Month. They selected my school to receive 80 care packages that were filled with teddy bears and fidget toys, and both hard and soft snacks. This donation was made possible not just by the efforts of The Network, but also through donations from the community.

They donated all the materials, and we had a really beautiful event where we all got together, and we actually put the packages together. Then, they were donated and brought to my school.

You mentioned why you left journalism, but why did you decide to go into education specifically?

I actually didn’t specifically seek out education initially, but I knew I wanted to work with individuals with disabilities. I myself live with disability. I was a special needs kid when I was in school. I was in special education classes my whole life.

Of course, not to the extent that my current students are, but it’s an experience that really did shape who I am as an adult.

I knew when I left journalism, this was the only other career path for me. It’s the only thing I cared enough about to want to spend the next 30 years of my life every day doing. It’s for sure a really hard job. There are many days where I become emotional, but then there are days I’m crying because I’m so happy.

It felt like the stars aligned in a way that allowed me to pursue this path. I don’t know if I’ll be in the classroom for the rest of my career, but I know I will be working with this population in one way or another.

What do you want people to know about special needs students?

I would love for society to embrace that, just because someone isn’t like you doesn’t mean they are not a likable person. Most of the population at my school is nonverbal, but they know how to communicate.

Part of our job is to teach them how to communicate in a way that is meaningful to them. A lot of them look different because of various medical conditions, but just because they look different doesn’t mean they’re not a great person.

I wish people would have a more open mind and see the soul underneath. A body is just a body. It’s the soul that you want to get to know. It’s the soul that you’re going to fall in love with.

Shira Kramer is a freelance writer.