Why Aaron Wants To Serve
America's thirty-fifth president, John F. Kennedy, famously stated "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". This statement implies that American citizens should give back to their country, be it serving in the military, running for public office, or simply volunteering to make their local community a better place. As I am in the upper-class, I believe it is necessary that I follow President Kennedy's statement and give to those who are not as fortunate. I was involved in my local community by volunteering at a food bank and tutoring elementary school students who came from poor backgrounds. While attending Roanoke College, I also volunteered with my school's Habitat for Humanity chapter, which constructed houses for the lower class. In addition to working on Habitat houses in the Roanoke Valley, my school also sponsored week-long trips to Columbia, South Carolina, where we helped construct houses for the less fortunate there. I am currently serving an eleven-month tenure with AmeriCorps Cape Cod, where I have been able to serve with various organizations that handle issues such as invasive plant removal, shellfish aquaculture, environmental education, and disaster preparedness and response. While I have been able to serve the various towns of Cape Cod through a variety of projects, I believe that there are always other opportunities for service and would certainly be interested in serving another term with AmeriCorps in a different location. Additionally, I believe that another year of service with a program that focuses on the environment would allow me to get more firsthand experience in preparation for a career in environmental conservation.
About
I graduated from Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia in May 2014 where I earned a Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Science. While I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, my passion lies with the conservation of our planet's marine and coastal ecosystems. In college, I was able to gain firsthand experience in this field when I studied abroad in Baja California Sur, Mexico, where I focused on the marine biodiversity of the Gulf of California. Upon my graduation, I completed an internship with the Stranding Response Team at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia in the spring of 2015. I built upon this experience by interning with the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization in North Carolina in the summer of 2015. I am currently serving an eleven-month tenure with AmeriCorps Cape Cod where I have been able to focus on environmental issues such as oyster farming, invasive plant removal, and pond restoration. In addition to various group projects, such as educating students about our planet's oceans, releasing rehabbed marine mammals into the wild, and receiving first aid training, I serve twice a week as an Individual Placement (IP) member with the Brewster Department of Natural Resources (DNR). I have assisted DNR with a variety of projects such as oyster cage construction, water quality testing, and taking photographs for a database that shows dune erosion patterns at various freshwater and marine beach landings around Cape Cod. I plan on using this experience to find a full-time career with a state government agency or a private consulting firm that deals with marine and coastal conservation. However, I have not ruled out the possibility of participating in AmeriCorps for another year in a different location, particularly with a chapter that would allow me to get more experience with coastal conservation in one of the southern states.
Characteristics
Analytic, Detail-oriented, Leader, Problem solver , Systematic
Qualifications or Certifications
FEMA License 100, 200, 700; Red Cross for Shelter Fundamentals
Languages Spoken
English
Affiliations
AmeriCorps Cape Cod General Corps Member