After a Long Hiatus

I can't seem to keep up this blog shindig. That is not to say I've given up, just that I hope to rise to the challenge of a weekly (or monthly) post - be on the lookout for that.

To summarize my life since my last post, graduation occurred, I started my AmeriCorps position at Admission Possible, committing myself to Minnesota for at least 12 months. At Admission Possible, I was selected to serve on a board of AmeriCorps members called the InterCorps Council (henceforth referred to as the ICC) - oh yeah, and elections are happening as we speak.

AmeriCorps
So what's up with AmeriCorps? There are three types of AmeriCorps positions - State, VISTA, and NCCC. I'm a State AmeriCorps member, which means a few things. For example, I can elect to pursue another job outside of my position at Admission Possible, whereas this is prohibited in the VISTA contract. I also have a set amount of hours I must complete by the end of my term, unlike VISTAs, who have seemingly sold their souls away for one year. Lastly, to mention the last branch of AmeriCorps, I am housed in a building and must find my own housing and food, unlike NCCC, whose primary task is to provide disaster relief - Corps members participating in NCCC live in bunks together, travel frequently, and are given food as part of their experience.

If you're reading this and pause to think, "Huh, well...what does that mean you actually do?" Good question! What I do really has more to do with the non-profit organization I serve with than the larger structure of AmeriCorps itself.

Oh, and if you're wondering about my "salary" and "benefits," they're not good. I am technically unemployed, I receive a living allowance, and the health benefits are unimpressive.

Admission Possible
So Admission Possible. The mission of Admission Possible is to help low-income students get into college by providing ACT preparation and college counseling services. That said, you're probably still thinking, "so what - what do you do?!" I'll get there. Stick with me.

So, the structure of my branch of the organization is as follows: approximately 20 staff are paid full-time to work in the offices, performing organizational and managerial tasks, for example supervising AmeriCorps members (of which there are approximately 60). Most AmeriCorps members, then, spend the bulk of their time in high schools - they are assigned students, who they help with ACT preparation their Junior year and college applications and financial aid their Senior year.

But if you thought I just shared what I do, think again! No no, I am one of the exceptions, a coveted few whose primary role is not to interact directly with students. I am the Consortium Member, meaning I manage relationships between Admission Possible and four colleges who have paid a chunk of change to gain special access to our students. This means I get to know Travis, Keith, Chuck, and Jess (admissions representatives), and make sure that they get what they need. I help orchestrate campus visits, plan large events (college fairs), distribute information to other AmeriCorps members pertinent to Consortium schools, monitor and process applications to schools, and am currently performing intake for a new Program Coordinator position in our office. In addition, I am currently researching student resources, services and programming for low-income students at other colleges and universities. One could say I wear many hats.

I am not, however, alone in the office. Far from it, Cubeland (the area where my cubicle is located) is a lively area, filled with the laugther of myself as well as three of my colleagues who perform similar administrative/organizational tasks. This is a double edged sword, for reasons I will save for a later post.

ICC
As I mentioned earlier, in addition to my work at Admission Possible, I was chosen (I did turn in an application, they didn't just anoint me) to serve on a council of AmeriCorps members from organizations across the state of Minnesota. To be honest from the getgo, If I had known what I was getting into when I signed up, I probably wouldn't have carried through with my initial ambitions. That said, I will recount some of the events occuring via this wonderful opportunity.

To begin our ICC year, we had a day-long retreat, to which I showed up half an hour late, much to my chagrin. At any rate, the day was long, and somehow I managed not only to switch committees I was placed on, but also to be elected the Chair of my committee (the Education/Training Committee). None of this answers what the ICC does. That's because the ICC is still a bit of an illusive creation in my mind.

Members of the council are split up into one of 5 committees (one being the President and Vice President). The other four committees are: Service, Networking/Social, Communications, and Education/Training. As the Chair of the Education/Training committee, let me be the first to tell you that it is our goal to further the professional development of Corps members (ICC and non) through educational trainings and opportunities. The Service committee arranges service opportunities, the Communications team communicates the goals and accomplishments of the ICC to the larger Corps and Minnesota world, and the Networking/Social helps people be social and network. Whoo! What's our budget, you ask? If I told you to draw a half circle, then draw the rest of the half circle, would you be able to guess the number you just drew?

At any rate, I will refrain, again, from my more opinion comments, though my descriptions are already laden with opinions, if only because I am pressed for time. But rest assured, more on this!

Elections 2010
Lastly, and most (or least) consequentially, elections! They are happening right now! At this point, all I have is my gut reaction, which is something like, "Boo! :(" I hope that in the future, all people will be able to see the leaps and bounds traveled and actions taken by the current government, as well as acknowledge the limitations of that government and the American political process.

I will also add that the Tea Party Movement scares me. I'm shakin' in my boots over here. But then another part of me says, "Bring It On!"