AmeriCorps Week is a time to recognize the impact of national service and the members who make that work possible! As we wrap up the week, we’re sharing a collection of their reflections below.
Why AmeriCorps and what impact has it had on you?
Mak Morales
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
Portland State University in Portland, OR
What drew you to AmeriCorps:
"I was interested in this position because I wanted the opportunity to help support low-income and first-generation college students like myself. I felt compelled after completing my MPH to give back and serve in this way."
What impact has it had on you:
"I felt a little lost after graduate school, and AmeriCorps helped me rediscover and refine my sense of self and purpose. I find joy in the everyday project tasks and interactions I have with my community. I feel rejuvenated and eager for the next chapter of life because of my AmeriCorps service."
Elizabeth Taber
What drew you to AmeriCorps:
"I have always been attracted to service-oriented work, and coming back from my Fulbright, I knew that I wanted to be engaged in environmental work. CCEC offered the intersection between these two interests."
What impact has it had on you:
"AmeriCorps has given me the opportunity to remain involved in the sector I am interested in while preparing for graduate school."
Elijah Griggs
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL
What drew you to AmeriCorps:
"Looking for real work experience right after graduating from college that will help me grow towards my larger goals."
What impact has it had on you:
"Giving me real-world work experience that I haven't had the chance to cultivate until after I graduated. It also allowed me to experience new things, such as a genuinely great peer network, constructive professional feedback, and the opportunity to give back to a university that has helped me grow from a closed-off individual into someone who can talk with professional staff and be part of changing students' lives."
What is your favorite memory from your time in AmeriCorps?
Olivia Thaxton
What is your favorite memory from your time in AmeriCorps?
"Touring some of Trap Rock Ridge Land Conservancy's land trusts, completing our Scantic River water monitoring research, and engaging with Aquatic Vegetation uptake of nutrients and alternative methods of plant control research. These experiences have helped me gain laboratory skills, work as part of a team, and understand the background to issues of water pollution and eradication methods."
Catherine Kerr
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
Urban College of Boston in Boston, MA
What is your favorite memory from your time in AmeriCorps?
"My favorite memory from service has been building and advising the first-ever Student Government at Urban College. Getting to work closely with the students and see them grow as leaders has been very rewarding."
Ian Richmond
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
National Louis University in Chicago, IL
What is your favorite memory from your time in AmeriCorps?
"We occasionally collaborate with other departments, hosting a "mini pantry" in their spaces. It's always wonderful to see how many students get exposure to us from those events who hadn't ever been inside the food pantry before. They are so excited by the free groceries!"
What impact/how have you seen your community change through your service term?
Madi Frazier
What impact/how have you seen your community change through your service term?
"I've seen a more visible environmentalist presence on campus and have had the opportunity to work with community partners who are hands-on in their impact and projects. Seeing invasive plants being removed from land trusts and hydroponic gardens going up in urban sites where the ground is too contaminated to plant in has allowed me to see the impacts in tangible ways."
Maya Brehon
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
Southern Connecticut State University in
New Haven, CT
What impact/how have you seen your community change through your service term?
"I’ve seen my community become more confident in their career readiness and make promises to scholars who yearn for a mentor who was once in their shoes. It’s nice to create a foundation so that when I’m no longer at the school, the Owls Empowering Owls Initiative can live on, making it easier for students to feel at home on campus. But more importantly, so that they can be ready to tackle career challenges once they leave the campus."
Sofia D’Errico
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
What impact/how have you seen your community change through your service term?
"Leader Throughout my service term, I've watched our team of VISTAs grow closer together and, in turn, seen greater impact in their service projects. Most VISTAs serve individually and very far apart from one another, but during my service year, a space has grown for VISTAS to meet, share, connect, and collaborate- creating a lasting impact for both VISTAs and their communities alike!"