AmeriCorps Featured Member - Alexa

Alexa is a member of MACOG’s AmeriCorps cohort of 2023 serving with the City of Goshen’s Department of Environmental Resilience. She is currently creating a GIS map and inventory of all natural ecosystems on city property and developing a plan to manage the city’s natural resources and improve wildlife habitat.

How did you find out about AmeriCorps and what led you to this role?

I heard about AmeriCorps from a friend who was already doing it. I wanted a gap year experience right out of college that would give me great experience and help me decide if I want to do a job like this in the future.

Why did you select the City of Goshen as your AmeriCorps service site?

Local government has always been fascinating to me. City governments have a lot of power to change their communities in positive ways. This extends to things like natural resources. The city owns and manages a lot of natural spaces. There is sometimes a bit of a disconnect between past ways of doing things and new management practices. I knew that serving in a governmental space would challenge me, which was what I was looking for.

What project has been most meaningful to you?

I am currently developing a plan to seed a prairie on a plot of land the city recently purchased. It has been both incredibly rewarding and stressful to see the plan evolve and be challenged. I am still determining if it is feasible, but making connections with various non-profits and governmental agencies to get advice on how we can do it has been amazing. I hope it will eventually happen even if I am not here and that I laid the groundwork for someone to implement the plan in the future.

How has service in the AmeriCorps program at MACOG impacted your career aspirations?

I am much more interested in forestry and natural resource management than I was before. Originally, I was planning to go to graduate school for research but now I am much more interested in a practical degree. I have also begun looking at schools in the Midwest, in addition to schools on the East Coast where my family is.

What continues to inspire you to serve in this role?

I appreciate my colleagues a lot. Since I am new to doing this sort of service, their guidance has been invaluable, and I would be lost without them. It’s also rewarding to see my efforts culminate in actual change. The city has five AmeriCorps members this year, which has allowed our department to focus on projects that never would have moved forward if we weren’t here.

What is next after your AmeriCorps service is completed?

I want to continue AmeriCorps to get one more year of experience in natural resource management or forestry before I apply to graduate school. My AmeriCorps education award will help pay off some of my loans and pay for graduate school. I would like to get my Master’s in natural resource management, restoration, or forestry.

“It has been a pleasure to serve the city, creating opportunities to better the city’s natural spaces is a great opportunity to develop my skills.”