AmeriCorps

Conservationist Intern

May - August 2018 • Flagstaff, AZ

What I liked

I liked working in a team setting

What I wish was different

I wish the hours were more flexible

Advice

Be prepared to camp at the work area.

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Americorps Summer Associate

June - August 2019 • Omaha, NE

What I liked

I loved the feeling of helping people in need and I loved the energetic people I worked with

What I wish was different

I wish I could have started this position as soon as summer started, instead of almost a month into summer

Advice

Don’t take your wealth for granted and count your blessings

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Mentor

September 2017 - August 2019 • Hattiesburg, MS

What I liked

I love how i was involved in the community and able to help the youth out.

What I wish was different

More volunteers at this location to aid in more one on one help.

Advice

Try to put yourself in the children's shoes because you don't know what their home life maybe like.

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Summer Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Duncanville, TX

What I liked

Interaction with children, keeping them in a safe and fun environment and being able to play with them.

What I wish was different

Known how much the pay rate was.

Advice

Be open and kind to all types of children because you never know what they have to experience when they go home

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Americorps Member

June - August 2019 • Grinnell, IA

What I liked

Working within the community, the work we did with kids, the diversity of my everyday work

What I wish was different

I wish I had more connection with other Americorps members who weren't at my site, and worked with a bigger variety of students

Advice

You get out what you put in!

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Jump Start Program Member

June - August 2019 • Buffalo, NY

What I liked

I loved living and working in inner-city Buffalo. The students made every challenge worth it. The highlight was the final week of "camp" on Beaver Island, when we got to build better relationships with the children without forcing them to copy sentences or add equations.

What I wish was different

Among my Americorps group, there were a few strong personalities that blew up half way through the summer, and caused permanent tensions in the group. I do not know how this could have been stopped or helped, but it was not the most pleasant situation.

Advice

Take an appropriate amount (depending on the teacher you are working with) of initiative in the classroom. The students are at vastly different levels of English learning, so small groups are ideal.

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AmeriCorps memeber

August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Doing fun and interesting activities with the kids. During this activities you get to see the different personalities that each one has and you can learn from them too.

What I wish was different

That I could have connected better with some of the students that were more difficult to handle.

Advice

Be open minded to the unique personality of each student, show that you also want to have fun with them in responsable way and most importantly have LOTS of patience.

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Community Outreach Associate

May - July 2019 • Lewisville, TX

What I liked

Getting to be a part of AmeriCorp's "Improving Access to Care through Texas Charitable Clinics" initiative was a truly formative experience. While working onsite with the leadership team at PediPlace, I had the opportunity to learn first hand about the day to day of different roles within the non-profit healthcare sector and left feeling like I had really contributed to something important. I enjoyed my work because of the people around me, the freedoms I had, and the motivation I felt every day seeing the community I was serving.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Community Association Manager

June - August 2019 • Parkersburg, WV

What I liked

I enjoyed the experience to be able to bring the community together to aim at improving the reading and writing skills of children.

What I wish was different

I wish the rules did not change a billion times throughout our 6 weeks of work.

Advice

Be patient and be open to all the kids and volunteers.

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Student Services Counselor

August 2017 - July 2019 • Miami, FL

What I liked

Eveything

What I wish was different

I wish I could have started a year earlier.

Advice

It is a committment that is very rewarding as you see your hard work pay off, but it is a committment nonetheless.

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Elementary Teacher's Aid

August 2018 • Murtaugh, ID

What I liked

The kids and my coworkers were amazing! Also, getting an Education award (along with a living allowance each month) is a huge perk to working with AmeriCorps.

What I wish was different

The people running my branch of AmeriCorps could have been better. They got the branch shut down because they couldn't secure funding for the promised 2nd year of the program.

Advice

Working with kids is a reward in and of itself. AmeriCorps, despite the difficulties the branch faced, is an exciting organization to work with. 10/10 would recommend to anyone.

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Education Mentor

May - August 2019 • West Monroe, LA

What I liked

The AmeriCorps summer program helped me grow a lot as a person. I have developed a lot of new skills that will benefit me in my future career.

What I wish was different

Nothing, I genuinely enjoyed my summer term with AmeriCorps.

Advice

Do not sign up for a term with AmeriCorps just because of the benefits. It is a very demanding service position, and it should be taken seriously.

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Teaching English as a Second Language

June - August 2019 • Buffalo, NY

What I liked

The Jump Start program is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door with the refugee community in Buffalo. This past summer was my third summer participating in the program and I love it more and more each summer. I love how much experience you can gain through the program. If you are involved in intercultural studies, or education in any way or have a serving heart and mind- this opportunity is for you.

What I wish was different

Team dynamics were a little tough this past summer but it's different each summer.

Advice

Go in with an open heart and open mind. Don't expect your time to be your own. It's an intense 8 week program. Evenings/ weekends are NOT your own. You get 3000$ and a 1200$ scholarship... It's good money for 2 months but you have to be willing to be flexible and ready for anything that comes your way.

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Counselor

June - July 2019 • Buffalo, NY

What I liked

I interacted with students and learned how to create a close bond with them.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have completed the program. I couldn't complete it due to a family emergency out of Buffalo.

Advice

Always be transparent with your supervisor. Treat students with care and respect if you want it reciprocated.

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Americorp VISTA Summer Associate

June - August 2019 • Greeley, CO

What I liked

This job was a rewarding experience to help reduce poverty in my community. It was fun, fulfilling, and taught me many new skills!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Academic Intervention Specialist

February - July 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

Helping better the community. Field trips Beautification projects Open opportunities to create and collaborate on your own projects.

What I wish was different

Better training to deal with difficult students.

Advice

Be prepared too budget well because the stipend is not much. Make the best of your time and the students'.

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Americorps Service Member

May - August 2019 • Grinnell, IA

What I liked

Getting to learn about the community I am living in and combat education disparities within it

What I wish was different

Advice

It’s an amazing experience

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Interpretive Park Ranger

May - August 2019 • Marion, VA

What I liked

Supportive environment with a lot of information available at request and as provided.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to serve longer.

Advice

Bond with the fellow Americorps people, they will help you do the sometimes confusing reports due.

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Summer Reads VISTA

June - August 2019 • Kerkhoven, MN

What I liked

I loved working one-on-one with young students. I really was able to make a direct impact and help these students improve their reading abilities. I loved all the resources, training and support given to me by my employer and coworkers.

What I wish was different

As a Summer Reads VISTA, I was given new training every Friday. I felt that the training was helpful; but It would have been good to know the information earlier. It felt to late to receive the information.

Advice

If you are having trouble with a specific student, I would say, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This position came with such a great support system who are all there to help you do the best job you can.

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