Miranda Belcher's Story

Hey, speaking of current AmeriCorps members, check out Miranda Belcher's extremely moving story!  She's awesome!



What did your friends and family think about AmeriCorps?

...It wasn't until I actually got here that I felt like people were positive about AmeriCorps.  Because people in Federal Way kind of know about AmeriCorps, and I am of course working with all of you guys who are choosing to do it.  Definitely a more positive experience, definitely really negative when I first decided to do it.

How did you deal with that?

Well, it was hard because I didn't really know what I was doing either!  I had minimal understanding of what I was getting myself into.  so I just tried to make it sound as awesome as possible, about how I was going to be helping people and it was really meaningful work.  I always related it to the Peace Corps because everyone knows what it is and I feel like it's really well-known and respected.  So I'd say, "It's like Peace Corps but I'm helping within the United States, people who need our help here!"

It's almost like people were wondering, "What are you getting out of this?"

more after the jump!

Becca Rosenberg's Story!

Hello again, blog readers.  Here is another write-in, by the incomparable Becca Rosenberg (who is, incidentally, serving her second year at FWPS AmeriCorps).  Enjoy!

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

- Mahatma Gandhi -

My AmeriCorps story began in April of 2011, at the end of my student teaching semester.  After experiencing an extremely emotional transition from classroom aide to lead teacher, I had no confidence in my abilities and was scared that I had made a terribly expensive mistake by enrolling in a Masters in Teaching program.  Instead of feeling prepared to develop my own classroom, I wanted to run home and apply to the nearest coffee shop.  But that did not happen.  Instead, during a moment of restlessness brought on by a mere two days of hiding out at my parents’ house, I discovered the AmeriCorps homepage.  Here I am, exactly one year later, with a completely different attitude about my work, newfound confidence in my abilities, and a fresh outlook on my values and goals.  Now, it is not about feeling ready to teach, it is about choosing to serve and about viewing the past as a learning experience instead of as a point of regret.  I did not initially expect to do AmeriCorps for a second year, but I have found the perfect confluence between my passion for education and my desire to make a difference in my community.  Because of this, I am pursuing another year serving in schools as an academic tutor, mentor, and volunteer recruiter/coordinator.

There are so many moments – both seemingly small and undeniably huge – that have shaped my AmeriCorps story.  I will try to express some of them as compactly, but impact-fully, as possible.  Here are some snapshots:

It was 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday.  It was freezing.  I was working at an elementary school track meet and was in charge of wrangling thirty 3rd-5th grade boys while they waited to do the long jump.  To keep them preoccupied, I started to ask them if they knew my team members.  Every time I mentioned someone’s name, eyes lit up and smiles appeared.  One boy shouted at the top of his lungs from the back of the bleachers, “I get to work with Miss Christina during my recess!”  I am pretty sure only my coworkers could make staying inside for recess that wonderful.

more inspirational words after the jump!

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!

Tim Johnson's Story

Hey!! Non-Tuesday surprise post!  Enjoy the conversational stylings of one Tim Johnson!

When you decided to join AmeriCorps, what was the reaction of your family and friends?

Well there was excitement and a lot of questions. They had no idea what AmeriCorps was. I told them that I’d be in a school doing something – I didn’t know how to answer that question, honestly. More so, we were just focusing on the opportunity for me to get out of The South and see something different. 
I saw this as my one opportunity for me to move, you know, especially across the nation. Just an opportunity to see something different, be in a different spot, different location, different mindset.

I never really went outside of the Southeast [before] , so I really didn’t know much and I had a tunnel vision and a very conservative mindset. So it was an opportunity to see what else is out there.


So you’re a man – and for a lot of men, service is the armed forces and that’s your way to get out of wherever you are. And you chose a different kind of service. Why did you do that?

Well, my brother served in the armed forces and he didn’t have the best experience, so that backed me off. The armed forces in Alabama are always in your face. I’ve seen recruiters at my junior high school. So they start young there and they’re presented that option and because that’s the only option that people know about, that’s the option that they take. This opportunity was just another way.


More after the jump!

Lucy Smigiel's Story

Hello All!  The summer is moving past us quite quickly--it seems like just yesterday I was at AmeriCorps graduation.

Here is a new AmeriStory from one of our own--Lucy Smigiel, Univeristy of Wisconsin graduate.  Check it out and think on times gone by!

Why did you choose to join AmeriCorps?

Lucy Smigiel: AmeriCorps is a practical choice for a recent college graduate who doesn’t totally know what they want to do and they want to get experience. Also, some people feel the responsibility to give back to a community even if it isn’t the community they grew up in.

AmeriCorps is a very practical option because it gives you so much hands on experience. I feel like I have lived such a life of privilege, it’s my responsibility to give that back. I just noticed a really great quote this morning that says something like, “service is the rent you pay for living”. I think that’s so true. I think that I should have to pay a higher rent because I have kind of have life handed to me on a silver platter. I think service work is what allows me to give back and to use my education to then give other students a good education.

What would you tell someone who is considering AmeriCorps?

Lucy Smigiel: Do it. I think it’s OK to be selfish in that if you don’t know what you want to do, choose a job that will allow you to learn and grow. If you can’t find a job, you might as well do something that allows you to learn and grow while simultaneously helping another community. It’s kind of a win-win situation on both sides.


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!

Kerry George's Story

Our next story is from a woman named Kerry George. Kerry grew up in Iowa, but went to college in Minnesota, where she served as an AmeriCorps volunteer for the first time. A year later, she served a second term (!) in Federal Way, Washington with the Federal Way Public Schools. Here's a snippet:

Q: Has your service here in Federal Way been different than you expected it to be?

I think since I had the experience before, it hasn’t been super different than I expected… I definitely adjusted to the living stipend and…it was similar kinds of work.

Q: What about your first service? What that different than you expected?

Not really! Laughs. No, not really. I think it was what I wanted…it was kind of what I had envisioned for myself out of college…. Something that I liked about my first year of service, that I thought was really notable about it being AmeriCorps, is that right away I was able to do so many different things, that I had no experience in because it was AmeriCorps and it was technically volunteering. So they let me teach a Pre-K class even though I had no real experience with small children, and teach ELL - and I had no experience with that! And I thought it was really awesome how I could get experience in different areas without having any before. And that was a really good gateway in to whatever else I want to do.

Click here to read more of her story.

Elizabeth Flamm's Story

Hello All!

And now...an excerpt of our interview with the incomparable Elizabeth Flamm!  This lady, a grad of the University of Maryland, is serving her second AmeriCorps year in the small mountain town of Morton, Washington. Check it out:

So, what does National Service mean to you? Why'd  you choose to be apart of national service?

I didn't choose to do national service for the idealistic reason.  I chose to do National Service because I want to do the Peace Corps, and I need to be qualified-- so I chose to do AmeriCorps.

But the same could be true for…I could answer the question in regards to why I volunteered before, why I thought Peace Corps was important. I think…when you're born into privilege, it's very little to do with you, it's just luck and and circumstance that you happen to have a good public school and you happen to have parents who were supportive.  And I think it's an obligation you have at some point to try and make the world a bit more fair… in terms of resources or wealth or services.

Click here to read more of this interview.