Prelude to a Big Adventure

I graduated from college this past May and as the end of my undergraduate career grew closer I  began to worry about what my future might hold. I did not want to jump right into the work force nor was I ready to commit to a graduate program to continue my education. I wanted a break from it all to figure things out, but I still hoped to do something productive and positive with my time. I researched and wrestled with my options for months. I was really excited when I learned about  the AmeriCorps NCCC program. This opportunity fit all my desires and quickly became my number one option as a post college plan.

AmeriCorps NCCC stands for the National Civilian Community Corps. It is a full-time, government funded,  team based, national service program comprised of 18-24 year-olds.The term of service is 10 months and takes place in any of 5 regions in the U.S. The five campuses are based out of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Perry Point, Maryland, Vinton, Iowa, Sacramento, California and Denver, Colorado. Once assigned to a campus the corps members are divided into teams of 8-12 and travel through out their region to work on 3-4 SPIKE projects that last any where from 4-8 weeks. On SPIKE the teams live in their given community and assist a sponsoring non-profit agency in any of five focus areas, environmental stewardship and conservation, infrastructure improvement, urban and rural development, energy conservation, and disaster response.

I was beyond thrilled when I learned in late April I had been accepted to the Southwest Region in Denver, CO and would be arriving there in early October. I have visited Colorado once before, the Colorado Springs area specifically, and fell in love! The landscape, the weather, the people, all of it was great and since visiting I've been hoping to find a reason to return there more permanently. Needless to say I eagerly accepted my spot on campus and began the countdown to this new venture!