Why I Decided to Join AmeriCorps: A Personal Journey

AmeriCorps is a national service program with a lot of different opportunities. Typically AmeriCorps programs are broken down into either AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, or AmeriCorp NCCC. Each one is different than the last and offers different opportunities. I have joined AmeriCorps NCCC.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a year long service program for young adults. Specifically, I have joined FEMACorps which is a subsection of AmeriCorp NCCC. I will be working alongside FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to assist with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

So, why did I decide to sign up for AmeriCorps? The short answer is that I was graduating and wasn’t sure what to do with my future. I knew that I wanted to help people and help build a better future for our world. I just wasn’t sure how to do it. Every time I looked at a job in the field that I had studied (Hospitality Management), it just didn’t seem right. I didn’t feel like I would be making a big enough impact on the community in those positions. That’s when I remembered that Ashley and I had talked with a few people who were apart of NCCC while we were volunteering with All Hands and Hearts in Aransas Pass, Texas after Hurricane Harvey.

I looked the program up and read about it. As I read I became more and more interested in the program. Our university was holding a career fair and a representative from Americorps was going to be there, so I decided to go and talk to them. After talking with the representative, I decided to apply for a position with FEMA Corps as I had really enjoyed my work with All Hands and Hearts and was interested in disaster preparedness and recovery.

I guess that’s the long answer. I really wanted to make a positive impact on the world, help make it a better place. Americorps is not only giving me that opportunity, but it’s also going to be a learning experience for me. I’m really looking forward to my time with Americorps!

If you have any questions, let me know!