Will Crowley's Story

Now for something a bit different, ya'll.  As you might remember, we did interview our teammates, but we also asked for written submissions.  Will Crowley chose the latter option, to our immense delight.  If this essay was for a grade, I would give it an A+!

Name: William Crowley

Age: 25

Location before AmeriCorps: Brewster, WA

Service Site: Todd Beamer High School. I work with 9th-12th grade students in the AVID program, in science and math classes, and during Titan Quest, the after-school tutoring program.

Friends and Family: My friends and family have been nothing but supportive of me during my two years of AmeriCorps service. Many of them initially asked me what AmeriCorps was and what my role would be during my service. After doing my best to explain to them what my service entailed they were very enthusiastic for me.


Describe a moment when you were overwhelmed. What happened? How did you react?
The beauty of working with people lies in the uniqueness of each individual. There can never be a foolproof method for any one situation that will always work 100% of the time. I found this to be true when working with one of the AVID classes. This particular class tends to be more energetic than the others. They feel the need to talk more, move more, laugh more, etc. When first working with this class I held the belief that these attributes could only lead to disruption. There’s a funny thing about having a strong belief: when you “know” something is true you will make it true. This was my initial problem. I saw this group’s energy as acting out, and what I needed to see it as was potential energy for learning.
 

One day when the group was particularly energetic I felt like leaving the classroom. There was no way I could work with them on so little sleep. Then it struck me. I had been doing a lot of reading on Taoism lately and had yet to implement my new-found knowledge into practice at work. Many of the teachings of Taoism can be related to certain martial arts’ practices regarding the flow of energy and how that energy can be used. I made the realization that I had been fighting against the class’ energy up to this point. This could only lead to more friction, more struggling, and more opposition to their facilitator - me. What I needed to do was gradually redirect their energy into learning. This did not mean I would let them argue incessantly about the best rappers of our time or who was dating whom at school. I learned the best approach was to get involved with their conversation (unless it was altogether inappropriate for the setting), be a part of it, and then bring their attention back to the academic question at hand. When I got good at this technique it would take no less than one, maybe two, minutes. Even when the students realized what I was doing they were shockingly compliant to get back to business. I learned many things from this group of students, the most prominent being: No one can force any other into doing something. The only way a student can truly learn is by having the desire to and be given the opportunity to do so. My role is to make it possible for them to acquire both.

 More after the jump!

Ben Endre's Story

Hello again!  Tuesday is once again upon us.  Next up: another University of Wisconsin grad, Ben Endres!

Why did you choose to serve?

I chose to serve… well, I heard about AmeriCorps through my sister. She did it after she graduated and I always knew that I wanted to do something more. I had lived a really blessed life. I mean, I didn’t have any problems and money was never an issue, and I figured it was something I should do to give back. I knew that there were other people out there who were far worse off than I was. I think it’s important to give back.

And for me personally, the reason why I chose to serve in education was because I just think that education is so important. For these kids to be successful later on in their lives, they need to have a good education. They need people to look up to who have been successful before… and that are older than them. So that’s why I chose to serve - and serve in elementary schools. I believe that education is the most important thing to the success of our society.

 more after the jump!

Melissa Ettman's Story

Hello readers!

Please enjoy these words of wisdom from our very own Melissa Ettman. Melissa joined AmeriCorps after graduating from college and then biking across the country. Yes, she biked across the country and even built houses while she was at it! Needless to say, Melissa is an excellent service-minded woman who is happy to share her experiences with us. Enjoy!

Q. Why did you join AmeriCorps?

"I Just graduated from Seattle University and instead of attending commencement, I thought I would bike across the country to raise money and awareness for affordable housing”
Christina, “pause! BRB” (leaves the interview space)
Melissa, “just go!” … Melissa then shifts her body to face the computer where she is being recorded and starts to talk intently into the camera “So, I was biking across the country raising money for affordable housing and I was like ‘well, so I survived graduation, now what am I gonna do?’ so, let me tell you a story - ”

Christina comes back and finds Melissa secretly explaining her story to the camera. They laugh and get back into the interview

“I was trying to figure out the next step in my life. I didn’t really have a plan and I hoped to have the time while I biked across the country. I thought surely I would have the clarity to decide what I would do next. Well, that didn’t happen. I was too busy trying to breathe and climb up hills. And along the way I decided AmeriCorps was a good next step for me because whatever I do I want it to have purpose. So looking through all the options with what AmeriCorps has to offer -no matter what- it always comes back to the greater good. I applied to our AmeriCorps team, Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club, etc. There are so many different ways you can take AmeriCorps and I liked that I could cast a wide net because I’m not just one thing and there are so many options and I believe in the mission of AmeriCorps and the ability of public service and that it can create real changes even if that’s just inspiring one person. Fortunately, I have the support of my family who are the ones who instilled that in me. They understand service, which makes it so much easier. Now I realize that this is a good stepping-stone to figure out what I’m going to do."

Click here to read more of her story!

FAQ's

Why are you doing this?

Sky: Good question. I can’t speak for the other gals, but I want to collect these stories because we will be capturing something special and fleeting. When this year is over, my seventy team members and I will disperse. I suppose my goal is to pin down some stories that made this year ours, in 2011-2012, before we forget what made it special.

And then comes the wonderful part of sharing these memories with others, who might not know what AmeriCorps is or why on earth we would do it. There aren’t a lot of jobs to be had out there. AmeriCorps is an option, especially to those who really, truly want to serve. I want to show our year of service as truthfully as possible, told by the people who lived it. We’re oral historians, yo!

Brittany: I am privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of AmeriCorps. I would be taking advantage of a privilege if I didn’t find myself serving others.

Collecting the stories of like-minded people will (hopefully/surely) educate others to see what it really means to be selfless, to shamelessly “rock” food stamps, to meet others “where they’re at”, and to live a life filled with meaning and consideration. Once these stories are exposed, many more will see AmeriCorps as an option for their own lives. Once these stories are heard, the needs of hundreds of people in our communities can be met.

Christina: Nicely said, ladies! For me, AmeriStories is a way to capture this moment in time. Not only will we be sharing stories of what it is like to serve as an AmeriCorps volunteer, but also what it is like to be someone in their early 20s, living through our country’s economic challenges. In my mind, AmeriStories can show a different side of success - the kind of success that isn’t about how much money your job pays straight out of college and instead is about the difference you are making in your community. 

What will your end product look like? 

Right now, we are focusing on collecting personal accounts from the AmeriCorps volunteers on our team. We will then be publishing this in book form.  

This blog is meant to encourage AmeriCorps members from other programs - former and current - to share their experiences. We hope to create greater awareness of the goals and impact that AmeriCorps has in our communities.

Will everything from my interview be included in the book or on the blog? 

Probably not. Due to space constraints we will select answers that we feel create a cohesive expression of our year of service. 

Is AmeriCorps only in schools?

Christina: No ma’am! As an AmeriCorps volunteer, you could be serving in a wide variety of fields. Maybe literal fields. There are AmeriCorps members who clear trails, volunteer at food banks, fight fires, build houses, serve in after-school programs, volunteer with the elderly, on Native American reservations, etc. etc. etc. AmeriCorps positions run the gambit, but are limited to jobs that aim to help communities thrive. 

Are other AmeriCorps programs collecting AmeriStories as well?

Not that we know of. We came up with this idea independently during one of our service projects. However, if you are also collecting stories from AmeriCorps volunteers, we would love to be in contact! Shoot us an email at AmeriStories@gmail.com.

Are you getting paid for this?

Oh golly, no. We certainly do not get paid to be the wonderful AmeriBloggers. However, we as AmeriCorps volunteers get paid a small stipend to pay our rent and not much more.

Please send other questions you might have to AmeriStories@gmail.com. We'd be more than happy to answer them!