A Unique AmeriCorps Experience

Written by Dylan Carrasco-Songer, a Colorado Youth Corps Association AmeriCorps member with the Los Valles Region:

The Crew

I applied for many fall jobs in anticipation of my absence from college. I was planning on taking a year off to explore other areas of interest in my life. One of the jobs I applied for I was tipped off about by my twin sister. She had worked for an AmeriCorps program through the Southwest Conservation Corps the summer before. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity, working with my hands, outside, in a beautiful part of the country. When I found out that I got the job I was ecstatic, I could not have thought of a better way to spend the first two months of this year off then in Colorado.
The first day on the job was my birthday! I didn’t mind though, I got to meet many people from all over the country that all shared a common goal, to positively affect our community and environment.  Once the program got underway it went by in a blur of early mornings, sore muscles, body odor, and to many dehydrated veggies. I’d have to say that it was one of the more rewarding things that I’ve been a part of. Every night on the trail when we finally got to lie down and rest our eyes, I would feel an overwhelming sense of

Working throught the weather

purpose. That whole day we had toiled in the dirt digging drainages, building water bars, cutting limbs, pulling barbed wire, or anything our sponsor had asked us to do. We had worked together as a team to get through the physical and mental tribulations, and we were better for it. To me there is nothing better then looking back on a stretch of trail that you put your blood, sweat, and tears into, and seeing the noticeable difference from even that morning.
AmeriCorps has given me an opportunity to expand my horizons, make new and amazing friends, learn invaluable things about myself, and allowed me to be a part of something that to many people miss out on. The chance to personally affect our world in a truly good way.