AmeriCorps Featured Member - Shae
Shae is a member of MACOG’s first AmeriCorps cohort serving with the City of Goshen’s Department of Environmental Resilience. Shae is focusing on active transportation and hopes to shift the cultural outlook on transportation. Shae has started the process for rating bike trails and ranking bike racks to help settle on a standard for the city. She has assisted local businesses with applying to the League of American Bicyclists to be nationally recognized as bicycle friendly.
What active transportation project has been most meaningful to you?
Since the start of my service, I have helped start the planning of the first all-women’s bike ride in Goshen. The women’s event is my biggest personal achievement and what I am most proud of. There are no casual biking events planned for women in the area. So far we have settled on the theme of “the history of Goshen” where we will bike around Goshen learning interesting facts and then ending with some food. The hope is to even dress up, eat food, and have fun.
Tell us more about the department’s Mirth Tree project that was featured in the news.
The Mirth Tree ornament exchange is a small event that helps bring Holiday cheer. The idea behind the Mirth Tree was to invite the public to think about how to reduce waste and show that making your own ornaments is doable!
How did you find out about AmeriCorps and what led you to this role?
I originally heard about AmeriCorps from a friend of a friend who was an AmeriCorps member and is now a biologist in Hawaii. Prior to serving the City of Goshen, I worked as a Front End Manager at a small co-op in Goshen while I finished my degree in Environmental Policy and Management.
What’s next after your AmeriCorps service is completed?
I am planning on pursuing a Master’s Degree in the fall. After AmeriCorps, I hope to pursue a Ph. D in Biology and land a job in ecology and environmental biology research.
If you or someone you know is interested in serving in the AmeriCorps program, please fill out our Interest Form!
