Hil Miller: Guide Profile

Name: Hil MillerHil

Profession: Senior Systems Administrator at the Texas Advanced Computing Center

University: University of Florida / University of Texas at Austin


Major: B.A. in Sociology / M.S.E. in Engineering Management

Service Type: AmeriCorps

Service Dates: 2005 – 2007

Service Location: The Dignity Project of Alachua County in Gainesville, Florida

 

I joined Americorps in 2005 as a computer repair technician at The Dignity Project of Alachua County. My year of service was spent fixing old and broken computers for donation to the local community. Today I am privileged to support some of the most advanced computing technologies in the world. From my perspective, doing a year of service doesn’t necessarily mean moving to a rural area halfway across the world or tagging sea turtles on the beach of a remote island. I consider my current position facilitating the science to solve the complex problems facing humanity to be a form of non-traditional service and a continuation of my Americorps service nearly a decade ago.

 

You might not know if you should register for classes next semester. You might have the next 10 years of your life planned-out in an elaborate multi-page color-coded spreadsheet. For either of those situations and everything in between there are many federal, state, academic, private, and nonprofit service opportunities for you to consider. My experience has been that professional and personal lives are rarely a straight line forward toward a pre-planned goal, even if it sometimes seems that way for other people. Contact me and let’s talk about your potential, I would be excited and honored to hear your story.

in Guides / Stories  by 31 Aug 2015 1 comments

Mindy Stevens, Guide

MindyGuideMy name is Mindy Stevens and I was born and raised in Garden Grove, Orange County, CA. After graduating from high school in 2013 I decided to take a nontraditional path and join AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), as oppose to going to college, military, or the workforce. I served two terms with NCCC from October 2013 – July 2014, and then again from October 2014 – July 2015. I was based out of Sacramento, CA for both of my terms. On July 23, 2015 I graduated from AmeriCorps NCCC and I am currently in the process of starting new chapters in my life.

I chose this path because community service has always been a strong passion of mine since 7th grade when I joined Junior National Honor Society and then eventually Key Club. I also was unsure of what I wanted to get out of college or what I would even major in. Through AmeriCorps NCCC I earned 2 Education Awards that will help make college more affordable for me, while I was gaining valuable professional, work, and life skills. Without my terms of service I don’t think I would have ever discovered my passion for the environment and conservation, and I want to use my newfound passions to earn a degree in Landscape Architecture and Botany. I plan on beginning college the spring of 2016 to pursue this career path.

While in the program I traveled to 6 states and worked with 9 different Sponsor Organizations that focused in a wide variety of backgrounds; all within 20 months. I did everything from trail building in the forest, working in an urban high school garden, preparing taxes for low to moderate income families, to building homes with a housing coalition and Habitat for Humanity.
To hear more about my life in AmeriCorps NCCC, here is a link to an article I recently wrote on LinkedIn as I started to reflect and look back on my terms of service. My story begins as a confused senior in high school without direction or purpose, and describes how AmeriCorps helped me grow and find that motivation and drive to succeed.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/story-graduating-from-americorps-nccc-mindy-stevens?trk=prof-post

in Guides / Stories  by 18 Aug 2015 0 comments

Meet the Guide: Ellyn Couillard

EllynName: Ellyn Couillard
Profession: Director of Academic Support at Paine College in Augusta, GA
University: University of Georgia (BA), St. Cloud State University (MA)
Major: B.A in sociology minor in history and a M.A in college counseling and student development
Service Type: AmeriCorps
Service Dates: October 2006 – May 2008
Service Location: AmeriCorps Multicultural Communities in Action, St. Paul, MN 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead.

 

I’d like to be able to tell you exactly when and where I first saw or read this quote and that it immediately changed the course of my life, but I am unable to do so. It held little meaning to me when I first read or heard it. The quote was a mere seed. It had taken root and began to sprout prior to my entrance into AmeriCorps, but it was during my AmeriCorps journey that the little sapling grew into a tree that has only continued to grow in its magnificence following that experience. My first day was orientation. I was sitting around tables with a group of other people who were predominantly other recent college graduates who had notions of changing the world, one person, one client or one student at a time. They were going to be my colleagues, and I could not have been more ecstatic about that fact. We were at different sites all over the twin cities during the week, but every Friday we came together as a team. Over the course of the years we swapped stories, encouraged each other, cried on each others’ shoulders, and celebrated together. This was just a piece of my incredible experience with AmeriCorps. My work at my site was equally wonderful.

 

I had been tutoring and working with students since I was 15. However, the opportunity to assist in the pilot of a college preparatory program in a new state which is focused on working with high school students to attempt to sincerely prepare them for the college level by requiring note taking, providing tutoring and other activities, was thrilling. I did not know it at the time, but the experience at my site served as a catalyst that started the wheels churning to choreograph the moves that have made up my professional career thus far and continue to play a significant role. The work was challenging and stressful, but it was equally engaging and rewarding. Some of the teachers and the administrators became some of my greatest mentors with whom I have ever had the privilege to work. They too were an important component to my experience. However, it is without question the students with whom I worked who made the greatest impact on me. I still talk to several of them and have continued my relationships with them. In fact, I am proud to state that one of them started his own AmeriCorps journey this year.

 

These days, I serve as the director of student services for the College of Pharmacy at the University of South Florida. My position consists of providing a myriad of services to the pharmacy students at the University of South Florida. I continue my work as a thoughtful and committed citizen changing the world by educating and training the next generation to do the same in their own rights and in their own ways.

in Guides / Stories  by 01 Oct 2014 0 comments

Benjamin Story: Next Generation of Service Guide Profile

BenBen, a native Englishman, has spent the last 20 years focused on growth and service. Whilst still in college he spent many hours volunteering with various organizations and upon graduation spent a year as an unpaid intern with a nonprofit that ran educational programs in schools. In 2000 he completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Elementary education which lead to a 2 year stint as a teacher.

At 28, when his friends were settling down and buying houses, Ben headed to the other side of the world, spending 6 months learning from and volunteering among the islanders of the South Pacific before undertaking a hands on leadership training course in New Zealand. During his time in New Zealand he travelled to Vanuatu, a small Pacific Island nation, where he saw a need among local youth to be challenged and equipped to realize their potential.

A year and half later Ben moved to Vanuatu, knowing almost no one, with a desire to be a part of seeing local young people championed and released into lives of purpose. Over the next 6 years he was part of a team that helped to establish a local branch of an international faith based nonprofit, focused on training and equipping local youth for service.

Ben met and married his wife Anna, a Colorado native, while living overseas. In 2012 they relocated to the States and Ben spent the next year or so trying to work out how to continue doing something meaningful with his life (aside from being an awesome father to two preschool kids). Ben started his own life coaching practice as a way of helping others on a similar journey find a way to live a ‘counter cultural’ life of service.

Whilst still trying to find his ‘fit’ in his new hometown of Fort Collins, Ben learned about a 3 month AmeriCorps position with Faith Family Hospitality, an organization supporting families experiencing homelessness. Financially this made no sense, but seemed like the best fit for his values, whilst creating a great opportunity to connect and engage within the local nonprofit and faith communities.
During those first 3 months Ben realized his potential impact might be limited by such a short commitment and he re-enrolled for another full term. That term came to an end in August 2014 but Ben is continuing to serve part time with his host organization, whilst taking a little time out to enjoy the latest addition to his family, child number three. Over the next year Ben hopes to continue working to increase the engagement of the local faith community in service.

in Guides / Stories  by 11 Sep 2014 0 comments

Griffith Ryan-Roberts: NCCC Interview

GriffThis Interview was originally published in the NCCC Newsletter in May 2012.

How many teammates did you have as a Corps Member? How many do you still keep in contact with?

During my Corps Member year, in Iowa, there were ten of us on Cedar 7 (including myself). I still keep in contact with a couple of them, as well as my team leader. One of my teammates and I share the same birthday, so we were able to celebrate it together, after our corps member year was over

.What were some of your projects? Which was your favorite?

Our first project was working in Cedar Rapids, IA, restoring homes that had been damaged during the flooding of 2008. After that, we traveled down south to Lake Charles, LA to rebuild homes damaged from the hurricanes of 2005. Our third round project was in Coralville Lake, IA, where we removed invasive plant species and performed prescribed burns. The next round, by far my favorite round, was working at a wildlife sanctuary in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The team helped in the day to day operations of caring for animals ranging from chickens, cats and dogs, all the way up to lions, tigers, and bears.

What were your most interesting/challenging accommodations?

Besides having the team sleep in one big room for a couple projects, the most interesting was probably living at the wildlife sanctuary. We stayed in a house right on the sanctuary grounds. I, along with the other males on my team, slept in the basement. Because we were there in spring time, we would wake up every morning to the various calls and sounds of animals trying to attract mates. Having 75 peacocks make mating calls at 5 AM can be very difficult to sleep through.

What are your fondest overall memories?

My fondest memories overall are the incredible relationships that I made. My team really became like my family, at times we would get on each other’s nerves, but we all knew we had each others’ backs no matter what. Also, the great connections I made with project sponsors and community members. I am still in close contact with our sponsor from the wildlife sanctuary, and I have been back on several occasions.

What was something you did for the first time?

For the first time in my life, I butchered a cow. At the wildlife sanctuary, local ranchers would donate cattle that were older, or injured. They would then have to be euthanized, and then chopped up to feed to the big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and mountain lions). Initially, I did not want to participate, but my team leader encouraged me to do so. I’m so glad I did. As someone who ate meat at the time, it was a very humbling experience to be a part of. Seeing one animal give its life so that another may live is very enlightening. I recommend anyone who eats meat to experience this once in their life.

What was the most outrageous thing that you did?

The most outrageous experience was also at the wildlife sanctuary. When we first arrived at the project we were given the task of “spring cleaning.” This meant that because the snow had melted we had to clean out all of the animal enclosures. I’ve never experienced anything more disgusting. This meant getting into the Tiger enclosures (without the Tigers) and cleaning up excrement and carcasses that had been there for several months. Our whole team didn’t feel like eating for the rest of that day.

What was the most challenging part of your ten months of service? How did you overcome these challenges?

The most challenging part was living with a group of people that, initially, I shared very little in common with. Everyone on my team was so different from one another; I still can’t believe we didn’t tear each other apart. But what we shared was a desire to help others, and this can unite even the most opposite of individuals. The best way to get over the differences is to spend as much time as you can with your team, and really listen to one another. The advice, knowledge, and perspectives I gained from my teammates pushed me to grow in such a positive way. Even if you think you may never see eye to eye with someone, try to hear their side of things and their way of looking at the world.

Why do you think national service is important?

I believe national service is important because it gives individuals a connection to the greater communities around them. Not only is it important to give back to others, but by doing this you create a bond to other people and groups that you may not have already. I know for me, I really feel connected to this country from my time in NCCC. I feel like I have a good understanding and appreciation for what it means to be an American.

How has your NCCC experience affected your life?

My NCCC experience has changed my life drastically. Prior to joining NCCC, I was very unsure of where I wanted to go in the future. I graduated college with a degree in Film, but realized I didn’t want to work in Hollywood, or pursue it as a career. But after being in NCCC, I know that I want to lead a life of service to others. The fulfillment one gets from serving others is unlike anything else. Also, living with ten other people, who I never would have crossed paths with normally, made me incredibly flexible and appreciative of new ideas and different ways of thinking.

Do you have any advice for prospective Corps Members?

My biggest piece of advice is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. The year as a corps member is one that will have a huge impact on your life, if you are willing and open to it. Try anything and everything. You may experience something that is your life’s calling, and you may not if you never try it. Be open to new ideas, new experiences, and new ways of doing things. The growth and knowledge you will gain will benefit you during your corps member year and beyond.

in Guides / Stories  by 11 Sep 2014 0 comments

Erin Ramirez: Next Generation of Service Guide Profile

Erin RamirezIn 2011 I did a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. I am originally from California and got my undergraduate and graduate degrees in California also. I was placed on a rural island in Hawaii called Molokai for my year of service. I was in charge of the Senior Projects at Molokai High School. As part of my year of service I was in charge of recruiting volunteers for the high school, updating and having people register for helphawaiischools.com, provide training to new volunteers, help mentor students on their Senior Projects, and put together training manuals and do data analysis.

Doing a year of service was really fulfilling because I got to assist students with a project that would help prepare them for college and careers. I also learned a lot of new skills like management experience, event organization, and public speaking skills. Doing community service not only helps a community in need but helps give you a different perspective on life. All the staff and people I met in Molokai were really kind and treated me like part of their ‘ohana. It was definitely a one of a kind experience.

I encourage any student in college to do community service in their local communities, but I also encourage students to try and serve in a less privileged community in another state or country. Being exposed to different cultures, and ways of living really opened my eyes to how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to pursue higher education.

 

in Guides / Stories  by 11 Sep 2014 0 comments

Megan Quigley, Mission: St. Louis

MeganGuideName: Megan Q

University: Saint Louis University

Major: Psychology and Public Health

Service Type: AmeriCoprs VISTA

Service Dates: November 2013- November 2015

Region:St. Louis, MO

 

Tell us about the nonprofit/social business you work for:

Mission: St. Louis is a nonprofit focused on empowering people to transform their neighborhoods. We have four core programs: Job & Leadership Training, Youth Development, Home Repair, and Senior Services.

 

Our flagship program is the Job & Leadership Training program. This is designed to empower at-risk young men ages 17-35 with skills to become leaders in their workplace, community, and families. The program aims to give men that may lack professional experience the skills they need to maintain a job. We’ve come to find that many of these men grew up in homes without a father or male role model, so we aim to teach and empower them to be strong role models for their own children and leaders in their families. Many of the men in our program have a criminal record or no job experience in the past. All are welcome.

 

Youth Development works to bring kids from the local public school up to reading at age level. Our volunteers work with the students before, during, and after school. Some of our participants are up to 4 years behind grade level when they start but several advanced 2.5 years within the nine months of working with us in the 2013-2014 school year. Home Repair hosts groups of mission trips from across the country and helps to partner these groups with homes in the area in need of repair. This summer they completed over 520 projects in the neighborhood and served over 80 residents of the neighborhood. Senior Services aims to help seniors age successfully and safely in their own homes and provides them resources to keep them out of nursing homes and living independently. All of our programs are offered free of charge to all participants (www.mstl.org for more).

 

How did you find your position with AmeriCorps?

I was getting ready to graduate from college and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. While attending a panel discussion on the role of community service in the undergraduate experience, one of the panel members at SLU recommended I look at AmeriCorps VISTA. I knew I wanted to stay in the St. Louis area and work for the city I had come to love over the previous four years. Once on the myamericops.gov website, I was able to find positions listed for the VISTA umbrella project that I am a part of today.

 

What’s your typical day like?

My days are all different from each other. Because I work at such a dynamic organization, there is always something different going on. My job specifically works with our senior services program. We offer several different services and a good portion of my day is spent taking requests and coordinating volunteers for these tasks. Because I work with an older population, most of my communication is done on the phone. Members will call our office with ride requests for when they need to go to the doctor’s, dentist, etc. and I will call people on our volunteer list until I find someone that is available.  In addition to transportation, we also offer educational programs once a month known as “Lunch & Learns. ” Over the summer, I got to work with youth groups coming to St. Louis on mission trips to help do yard work for our older adults who are no longer able to do these things themselves.  Another aspect of my job is answering calls and questions from people outside of our ministry. In these cases, we do our best to refer the caller to an agency that will be able to help them.

 

What are your living accommodations?

Fortunately, I was already familiar with the city before I started my service term. I had a good idea of where I would like to live and how far it would be from the office. As AmeriCorps VISTAs, we are provided with a living stipend intended to cover expenses we may have in our day-to-day life during our year of service but for the most part we are responsible for finding our own apartments/living situations.

 

What do you do in your free time?

Because I spend most of my day sitting down, I try to be as active in my free time as possible. This past spring I trained for and ran my first half marathon. It was a wonderful experience full of hard work and getting to know the city. I ran the race with my best friend from college and it was a great way for us to stay connected after graduation. I love working out with other people and think it is a great way to spend time with friends.  In addition to staying active, I love to explore and experience the amazing city that I live in. Even though I have been here for nearly six years, I am still constantly discovering new places to go and restaurants to try.

 

Share a favorite memory or story from your experience?

My favorite memory from my experience was the December Lunch & Learn holiday party that we had for the seniors. It was the first big event I got to attend during my service year and it was a great way to start. A local singing group performed Christmas songs and everyone shared a meal together afterward. Many of the ladies brought in various types of cookies for everyone to try and there were desserts everywhere. It was great to see this community come together once last time before the holidays.

 

What have you learned about the nonprofit and social business world in your experience?

One of the biggest things I have learned from working at a nonprofit is that you have to be ready to help with anything. Unlike big businesses, nonprofits rely on their smaller staffs to fill many different roles. Some of the best advice I received when I started at Mission: St. Louis was to not be tied to what I thought I was here to do. There is so much more that needs to get done to make a nonprofit run that it just doesn’t work if anyone were to say, “That’s not in my job description.”  We all work hard every day to make sure our individual programs are successful, but overall we are really just one big team and are expected to help everyone else out when we can.  

 

What is one thing you wish you knew before you come to your position?

I wish I had known how fast a year can go by! When I was first considering applying to be an AmeriCorps VISTA, I was intimidated by the year-long commitment. I wasn’t sure I would be able to make the living-stipend last for an entire year and I was worried I would run out of things to do at my site. I WAS WRONG!! This year has absolutely flown by. I have made more connections with the people I serve than I ever expected to.  I have accomplished several projects and volunteer days for these individuals. I have seen our agency have great success in our overall goals for the neighborhood. And I have made some wonderful VISTA friends that I am not ready to see leave in two months. Eight weeks sounds like a long time from the perspective of a college student looking at an internship, but it feels much shorter in terms of finishing up a year-long project!

 

in Guides / Stories  by 09 Sep 2014 0 comments

The Spirit of a Speech: Peter Marotto

PeterWhat you are about to read is taken form a speech I was asked to give after my first year of service in the spring of 2006. Though there are some edits, the bulk of the speech – and the spirit of the speech – has remained.

~Peter F. Marotto, M.Ed.

2014

 

“When I volunteered to speak at this luncheon I began to think about many things: My service experience, what and more importantly why we serve, and my own past that lead me to joining AmeriCorps. I am speaking as a new member, though I am one of the older members as well.

In May of 2005 I applied to Springfield College, I was 31 and thought many experiences, including AmeriCorps were long past. I saw flyers posted, however, and by the middle of the fall I applied to AmeriCorps.

My service experience has been in Capacity Building for Step Up Springfield, my sight placement site is listed as WGBY, however, I divide my time between WGBY and my 2005 Chevy Aveo — it’s the little red roller skate people see me driving all over Springfield, many times up and down the same three or four roads while lost.

I’ve learned a lot during my first service experience. I went in a bit arrogant, thinking I could accomplish the task at hand with little to no help. In the end I would not have had the experience I did, or the success I did without the support of my sight supervisor, Russ Peotter who years later I finally was able to thank properly, as his lessons I use daily in my professional life.

That is the “What” of my service; the “Why” is more important. Why I chose to serve was two-fold: First, because I had wanted to join an organization like AmeriCorps, and I had the chance; second, the living stipend afforded me the opportunity to go part time at my job.

The Why, especially the non-altruistic motives for service are out there; what we as AmeriCorps members need to remember is that we all have a multitude of reasons for joining…and not all of them have to be altruistic. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get something out of your service experience, and we need to be mindful of that.

AmeriCorps service is a fine line between wanting to serve and to wanting to have done something that sets you apart from the crowd.

My second year will be more altruistic, and maybe a little less rocky. My car might even be retired as a placement sight.

Having an undergraduate background in history I remember a documentary on the history of WestPoint Military Academy. One part that came to mind, one that I will never forget regards the cadets that were accepted in the 1960′s, during the Vietnam era. The cadets were compared to people that joined the Peace Corps. Both groups had an innate drive to serve a cause bigger than them; to achieve something great. AmeriCorps members are part of this driven group.

 

At some point in your life you will meet someone; whether a new co-worker, someone at a party, or while traveling; and as you get to talking, your past experience with AmeriCorps will come up — and then you find out that they were in AmeriCorps also. Your conversation from that point on will revolve around words and phrases like service experience, placement, sight supervisor, capacity building, youth development, counseling, academic coaching. And anyone that has not served with AmeriCorps is going to be out of the loop, because they didn’t serve.

Service shouldn’t end with your AmeriCorps experience. Volunteer with community programs like Step Up Springfield. Start your own program. Get Involved.

The AmeriCorps slogan is “Getting Things Done”; if you join you’ll have already done this. The rest of your professional lives will be the marathon to stay involved, to remember that the world is run by those who show up. Prove you can show up. Serve in AmeriCorps.

Thank you.”

in Guides / Stories  by 09 Sep 2014 0 comments

Find The Pony! By Katie Bench

”Finding my Pony” while running a city-wide scavenger hunt for St. Louis Public Radio, where I volunteer on their Jr. Board.

”Finding my Pony” while running a city-wide scavenger hunt for St. Louis Public Radio, where I volunteer on their Jr. Board.

Name: Katie Bench
Profession: VISTA Services Manager (I coordinate all of the VISTA Projects across the St. Louis metro area)

University: Georgian Court University (undergrad) / University of Missouri St. Louis (grad school)
Major: B.A in Art and Holistic Health and a M.A in Nonprofit Management
Service Type: AmeriCorps VISTA

Service Dates: July 2007 – July 2014

Service Location: South Grand Senior Ministry in St. Louis, Missouri

 

Find the Pony!

That was my personal mantra during my 3 terms of service as a VISTA for the South Grand Senior Ministry in St. Louis. I heard the story below at my first event as a VISTA and it stuck with me.

There once was a good little boy in the Old Country. He was friendly to all that he saw, did his chores and was a pleasure to be around. This little boy’s one Christmas wish was to have a pony (mind you this was a country that ponies were a plenty, and wanting a pony did not make you snobbish).  On Christmas morning the young lad sprang out of his bed and sprinted to his family’s barn. Upon entering the barn the boy squealed with delight when he saw an empty pen with a big PILE of Crap! He got a shovel and started scooping it up. The young boy’s parents found him whistling a toon while cleaning the pen. Puzzled the parents asked the boy why he was so happy. The boy replied if there is a pile of dung then a pony can’t be far behind!

Moral of the Story: Sometimes you have to go through a bunch of “Mississippi Mud” before you make it to your goal. The main thing to keep in mind is to focus on Finding the Pony instead of dwelling in the unpleasantness at hand.

Sharing information about National Service before a Bon Jovi concert with my fellow VISTAs.

Sharing information about National Service before a Bon Jovi concert with my fellow VISTAs.

I had a lot of ponies during my time in service and a lot of compost!  I had presenters cancel on me the day of an event, bus drivers who got lost, lived without heat, had my car broken into twice and then  lose it completely in a hit-and-run, canceled countless events that took days to plan and even disappointed a nun! That compost helped me grow so much since I first started out. I learned that what I may think is a good thing might not be what an older adult wants and the client is always right. I learned to take things in stride. I learned how to be a team leader. And I saw the powerful impact a year of service can have not only on yourself, but with your community!

My years of service led me on my life path of inspiring others to GIVE (in any way they can) and for that I am incredibly grateful!

See the silver lining with everything you do and Find Your Own Pony!

in Guides / Stories  by 03 Sep 2014 0 comments

Carolina Giraldo’s Journey to AmeriCorps

CarolinaMy passion has always been people and being able to lend a listening ear to a troubled mind was what I believed I was naturally gifted at. In reality, it probably just developed throughout the several years I spent as a crying shoulder to quite a few folks. This may be the dominant reason why I chose to obtain my B.S. in Psychology. But, after participating in an Alternative Spring Break back in 2011, I became enamored with this whole concept of service. I served with a group of 8 lovely ladies in Charlotte, NC with Stop Hunger Now. I will never forget the valuable experience I gained from this trip because it helped me see a different side of non-profit work, not to mention the fact that we provided much needed assistance to this wonderful humanitarian aid organization. It was during this service project that I met a VISTA and learned about AmeriCorps. I decided, while still a junior at UCF (University of Central Florida), I would apply for AmeriCorps once I graduated in 2012. I knew I wanted to serve while traveling so I applied to NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps). The new collaboration between FEMA and NCCC came into existence in 2012 so I got to serve in the North Central Region inaugural FEMA Corps class.

Needless to say, this was one of the best choices I’ve made. Throughout the ten months of service, there were many treacherous mountains to climb, but I enjoyed the opportunity of serving on a national level with disaster relief such as 2012’s Hurricane Sandy along with 10 other people. I felt like I grew so much throughout those ten months that it gave me the confidence to apply for a VISTA position I wasn’t sure I was qualified enough for. In 2013, I left my life as a FEMA-NCCC Corps member behind and excitedly took on my role as an AmeriCorps VISTA. For a year, I worked as the (brace yourself for the long title) “AmeriCorps VISTA Veterans Helping Veterans Program Specialist” at a nonprofit organization back home called Impact Broward. I was given the task of updating: programmatic policies & procedures, recruitment literature, training material and lists of community contacts as well as recruiting, training, and assigning Veteran mentors with mentees. I’m assuming my work was well received since I was promoted to Veterans Helping Veterans Program Coordinator (my current occupation) after my VISTA year ended this past July. I am now excited to be able to share my passion for service, whether domestically or internationally, with all of you who come on board with the NGS movement and hope to do my best as a guide.

in Guides / Stories  by 03 Sep 2014 2 comments