Where are they now? – Catching up with 2011 Corpsmember of the Year, Oscar Alejandro Marquina

Oscar A. Marquina, a former member of the Utah Conservation Corps, won Corpsmember of the Year in 2011 for his leadership skills and commitment to service. Read below to find out what he’s been up to since accepting his award, or find out more about Oscar and his Corps experience by reading his bio from our 2011 National Conference.

Do rivers and lakes need regular health checkups just like people do? Ask Oscar Marquina.

“Basically I am a water doctor,” said Oscar. “I travel around doing different examinations making sure my patients – rivers and lakes – recover their health or stay healthy.”

Oscar, a former member of the Utah Conservation Corps, is currently interning with the Utah Division of Water Quality. Prior to this internship, he worked as a laboratory technician at the Utah Research Water Lab. Oscar has visited over 40 lakes throughout the state of Utah, collecting water samples and checking various water quality parameters. All this experience and Oscar is still just 23 years old.

Oscar and his family emigrated from Venezuela to the United States in 2001. Seven years later, Oscar was fluent in English and serving as one of two original Crew Leaders for the Utah Conservation Corps’ Bilingual Youth Corps (BYC). With his language skills and his ability to relate with the growing Latino population of Northern Utah, Oscar became instrumental in making the Bilingual Youth Corps a success. He translated informational brochures into Spanish, held orientation meetings in Spanish, and conducted interviews for potential Corpsmembers in both English and Spanish. 

“It wasn’t until I left [the Corps] that I realized I helped in laying the structure for future BYC programs,” said Oscar. “I didn’t think all the minute logistical details we discussed would help in future years. It is definitely a pleasant surprise knowing the heart and effort I had given for a summer program was then duplicated every summer after the first.”

Before joining the Utah Conservation Corps, Oscar loved the outdoors but he had never considered the amount of work that goes into the conservation projects needed to preserve parks and trails. Oscar joined the Corps simply because it seemed like it would be fun to spend his summer vacation in a setting where he could exercise his bilingual skills. Now, however, Oscar feels that the Corps can offer a lot more than just a fun summer job.

“For those who are new to this country, the Bilingual Youth Corps is ideal for many reasons. First it teaches Corpsmembers ownership of their new community through service and travel. To someone who is learning the language, it will speed up the education process by creating unique opportunities and interactions outside the classroom,” said Oscar. “It is also important to allow new immigrants to express themselves in their native tongue which may have been restricted at schools or other jobs simply because of the non-bilingual dynamics of such institutions.”

In preparation for when his internship ends in October 2012, Oscar has been networking, filling out applications and going to interviews. He wants to gain work experience before he eventually returns to school. Oscar graduated from Utah State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, and he is now interested in pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree.

Oscar’s time in the Corps may have ended in 2010, but he is still involved in service opportunities. He recently finished a tutoring position at a Utah high school where he helped students – most of them Latinos or Burmese refugees – with their homework and ACT preparation.

“My goal at the moment is to find a job that allows me to help communities and people,” said Oscar. “I would love to work for a company that allows me to travel and use my Spanish skills.”

Oscar says one of the things he loved most about his experience with the Corps was getting to meet interesting people from all walks of life. He says he feels like each individual BYC member he worked with stands out in his mind. He is still good friends with many of these members; they follow each other on Facebook and get together to hangout. He also stops by the Utah Conservation Corps offices to say hello to the staff whenever he is nearby.

To young people thinking of joining a service or conservation corps, Oscar says:

“If you have not figured out what exact experience you need in life, but you have the heart and drive to volunteer and provide a service to your community, the corps will be a way to seize the day and gain inspiration and illumination for any future endeavors.”

 

Corpsmember Success Story: “William Got Serious” – American YouthWorks

Adapted from a post on the American YouthWorks website: July 12, 2012 – Rachel Matvy

In 2009, after dropping out of school, William came to American YouthWorks’s public charter high school, the Service Learning Academy. William, who was 18-years-old at this point, was of an age when many young people would already have graduated.  Through the Service Learning Academy’s self-paced program, he completed his high school credits in two years. However, William had difficulty passing the State test. By the way, if you decided to buy a new juicer, visit https://juicer.guru/best-cheap-juicers-review. While he studied, he joined AYW’s award-winning green construction program, which is designed to create pathways out of poverty for at-risk youth. He gained job skills and earned a small living stipend while he prepared for the test. In addition to job skills, William learned to give back to his community by building energy efficient homes for low-income home buyers.

It is important to note that American YouthWorks continued to serve William even though he had “aged out” of the school.  This meant that American YouthWorks no longer received State funding to serve him.  Through AYW programs, William earned his diploma and industry recognized job training certifications.   He ate breakfast and lunch every day in the AYW cafeteria and his son was cared for in the on campus child development facility.  All of this was provided at no cost to William or his family.  

William started at American YouthWorks in a place of uncertainty, and on June 30th, William will walk across the stage with his fellow students!  He’s graduating with job skills and is currently working with the City of Austin as an intern.  William is achieving his dream: to have a viable means to support his wife and son.

It is through generous gifts from donors that American YouthWorks is able to provide these types of desperately needed services to at-risk youth in Austin so that there will be more success stories like William’s.

Corpsmember Success Story: American YouthWorks Alum Builds on the Skills he Learned in the Corps

 


Taken from the American YouthWorks Newsletter

“American YouthWorks does a lot to help people, in all kinds of ways.”  Jeremy M.

Jeremy already has his high school diploma when he came to American YouthWorks (AYW) in 2010, but he was 22 years old, had a two-year-old daughter, and was living in his car. He had been unemployed for over a year.

Jeremy’s grandmother, who had raised him and his siblings, was unable to help him financially. Jeremy also had issues in his past that made it difficult for him to find employment or housing.    

He was at a loss.  

People would tell me that they wanted to hire me, but they weren’t able because of my background checks. No matter what I did, I always got the same answer.”  

A friend told Jeremy about AYW’s job training programs.  In these programs, participants learn hard and soft job skills, give back to their community, earn a small living stipend and receive an educational award for college expenses.  Jeremy applied and was accepted. He was relieved to have found a job and ended up learning and serving at AYW for almost two years.  

Jeremy credits AYW for giving him the job skills and life skills that have helped him be successful today.  

“The staff want to make sure the students have the foundation to thrive,” said Jeremy

During the “Mental Toughness” orientation to AYW, Jeremy was told that the hardest part of the job would be showing up every day and being on time; this made a big impression on him and he learned that he could do it.  He acquired skills in carpentry, house framing and construction.  He also learned to be patient, observant, responsible and detail oriented.  

“Details in building a house are extremely important,” said Jeremy. “An error of 1/8th of an inch could mean the difference between finishing the cabinets, or having to tear them down to start all over again.”  

Most importantly, Jeremy learned that he was a leader.   

While he was learning construction skills, Jeremy was improving his community by building affordable, five star, energy efficient homes for low-income home buyers and weatherizing and repairing existing homes for low-income Austin residents.

During his time at AYW, Jeremy earned educational awards totaling nearly $4,000 and was honored with a $2,000 scholarship from YouthBuild USA for his leadership and public service.  These awards, along with encouragement from AYW staff, made all the difference in Jeremy’s choice to pursue higher education.  

“I wasn’t planning on going to college.  AYW helped me make that decision,” said Jeremy.  

Jeremy says that when he first came to AYW, he was just coming for the job, but he received so much more.   Today, Jeremy is in his 5th semester of classes with Austin Community College and working full-time for the City of Austin’s Public Works Department.  

Now, Jeremy has choices.  

When asked who Jeremy goes to for advice, he replied, “AYW! Even though I’m not in the program anymore, the staff are who I come to for support and guidance”.  

Utah Conservation Corps Recognized with BLM Youth Award

 

From Utah State Today – University News

The Bureau of Land Management recognized the Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) with a Youth Superstar Partnership award. UCC program director Kate Stephens (shown on right) accepted the award from BLM’s Utah State Director Juan Palma (on left) at a BLM executive management team meeting Oct. 9 in Richfield, Utah.

The UCC has partnered with the BLM since the UCC’s inception in 2001, to address critical conservation projects while training and developing the next generation of service and conservation leaders.

“The goal of BLM Utah’s Youth Program is to re-connect a new generation of young people to the great outdoors and careers in natural resources,” said Jeanette Matovich, BLM Utah Youth Program lead. “The Utah Conservation Corps has provided outstanding outdoor employment opportunities to diverse youth groups, including the Bilingual Youth Corps.

“For years, the BLM and UCC have worked together to provide employment opportunities, and educate future citizen stewards on why it is important to protect and conserve public land. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Utah State University and working with them for many years to come.”

Continue Reading at the Utah State Today Website

Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia to Do 352 Community Service Projects with Boy Scouts

From West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia (CCC) has announced details on 352 community service projects that will be performed by 40,000 Boy Scouts throughout southern West Virginia next summer.

The Reaching the Summit Community Service Initiative will take place during the National Scout Jamboree, scheduled in Fayette County in July 2013.

Service projects have been approved after an 18 month education, application, and assessment process.

Most of the approved work includes outdoor construction, renovation, painting, landscaping or clean-up efforts. The projects are located at cemeteries, parks, schools, humane societies, historic landmarks, ball fields, and other community gathering places.

Robert Martin, CEO of the CCC, said the project has entered a phase of coordinating the specific technical support, volunteers, and services that will be needed for each project.

“Our strength is in our ability to bring forth partnerships,” said Martin. “So we’re partnering with the National Civilian Community Corps, church groups, contractors associations, unions, students, you name it.”

“We’re trying to get into 9 different southern counties with 8000 young people per day in around 245 buses. We’re pulling the logistics together right now and it’s going to be a chore, but we’re going to get it done,” he said.

“It’s a huge undertaking.”

Continue Reading at the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Website

Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps Could Get Boost from State Senate Plan


From MLive Media Group

LANSING, MI – Legislation aimed at reviving Michigan’s Civilian Conservation Corps was overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate with bipartisan support on Wednesday.

The multi-bill package next advances to the House, which by the end of the year could take up the plan to modernize the program.

The legislation calls for emphasizing public-private partnerships and could include universities, private companies and non-profit organizations. Supporters of the change say the program would expand the scope of participation for Michigan youth between the ages of 17 and 27, including broadened work training programs.

Lawmakers supporting the plan say the Civilian Conservation Corps would maintain its roots of field-based training, conservation and restoration work. State parks and natural resources programs could be an emphasis.

Continue Reading at MLive Media Group

Where are they now? – Catching up with 2009 Corpsmember of the Year, Sarah LaRocque

Sarah LaRocque, a former member of Heart of Oregon Corps, won Corpsmember of the Year in 2009 for her commitment to service and self improvement. Read below to find out what she’s been up to since accepting her award, or find out more about Sarah and her Corps experience by reading her bio from our 2009 National Conference. 

Sarah LaRocque certainly has her hands full. With a 5-year-old daughter in kindergarten, an 18-month-old son, two of her boyfriend’s children coming to stay every other weekend, and a newly adopted English Bulldog, Sarah is busy, but happy.

“I think we could start our own soccer team, here!” she said.

During the summer of 2013, Sarah will celebrate having worked for the same company – Bend Broadband – for five years. She was recruited to join the company through Heart of Oregon, the Corps that helped Sarah get back on her feet after an unstable adolescence that involved family loss, homelessness, and substance abuse.

Sarah heard about Heart of Oregon Corps from her parole officer when she was 22. She had recently finished her probation, given birth to her first child, and achieved sobriety. As a single mother with bills mounting, Sarah needed to find a job. Unfortunately, without much formal education, it proved very difficult to compete for well-paying positions. Joining Heart of Oregon seemed like a good way for her to gain job skills and maintain some of the positive gains she had recently achieved.

“I liked the idea of helping,” said Sarah. “At that time I was doing some bad stuff, so giving back to the community that I had – in a sense – hurt, made me feel really good. It seemed like a great opportunity to give back and show people that I could do something good.”

During her time with Heart of Oregon between 2007 and 2008, Sarah earned her GED, participated in a program that delivered free firewood to the poor and elderly, participated in debris cleanup efforts, and helped build Habitat for Humanity homes. She says these projects helped her learn valuable lessons about the importance of teamwork.

“We had to work a lot on communicating and making sure everyone was communicating together and working as a team,” said Sarah. “I think that’s a skill you can carry with you for your whole life, in any job.”

Sarah, who is now 29, isn’t sure what her life would look like had she not found Heart of Oregon, but she believes that a main reason why she can feel comfortable and happy today is because she had a successful Corps experience.

“I might have been working at McDonald’s or something. Who knows where I would’ve been. But I definitely think that without [Heart of Oregon] I wouldn’t have gotten the job that I got and I don’t think I would have the drive to do what I am doing today,” said Sarah. “I don’t know if I would be doing bad, but I definitely wouldn’t be striving for a better future for my kids the way I am now.”

Sarah says Heart of Oregon helped her learn how to budget and save money. They helped her put aside old regrets and learn how to see herself as a good person again. She is certain her life today would be harder if it weren’t for her experience in the Corps.

These days, Sarah is a Senior Customer Care Representative with Bend Broadband. She also finds time to volunteer at her daughter’s school. In a few years, when her children are a little older, she plans to go back to school to earn a degree or professional certificate. For now, her main goal is to become a homeowner within the next year.

“We have a good savings going, so we should be able to own a house and have a place that we can raise our children in,” said Sarah. “I’m trying to just have fun with the kids while they’re young and they still like us!”

To any young people planning on joining a Corps, Sarah would remind them that it is their own choice whether to take the opportunities the Corps presents and run with it, or not take the opportunities seriously and continue to struggle. She says:

“I would just tell them to stick with it. It’s hard sometimes, but you’ll be very proud of yourself in the end. You get through it and, if you take it seriously, the rewards outweigh the struggles that you go through. You can look back on it and say ‘that’s something that I did.’ It can be hard these days to look back on your youth and be proud of something you accomplished.”

Sarah can certainly look back and be proud of what she accomplished with the help of Heart of Oregon Corps.

 

 

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Los Lonely Boys to Play Austin City Limits Benefit for American YouthWorks

It’s time once again for “the best musical fundraiser in Austin” – Help Clifford Help Kids!

Los Lonely Boys – the Grammy award winning band from San Angelo, Texas that plays what they have dubbed “Texican Rock n’ Roll” – will perform at Austin City Limits on Thursday, November 8, 2012 to benefit American YouthWorks. The band – comprised of brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza – was formed in 1996. The group is associated with such legendary performers as Carlos Santana and Willie Nelson. They are perhaps best known for their 2003 song “Heaven.” The group will perform songs from their newest album, “Rockpango.”

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9:00 p.m. 

Click here to buy tickets and get more information on the event. Money from the concert benefits American YouthWorks.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Storm Recovery Crew Uncovers the Recent Past

From the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps’s October 17, 2012 newsletter 

Every time the flow of the White River changes, more debris from Tropical Storm Irene makes its way down river and carves away river banks.  An eight-person Recovery Crew is currently working along the Tweed and White Rivers in Rochester to appropriately extract and discard hundreds of pounds of debris, including over 200 tires.

The job requires physical strength, safety and risk management, and problem solving skills.  In chest-high waders, members ferry debris to pick up areas.  Along the floodplain, the crew bushwhacks through thick sections of the infamous invasive Japanese Knotweed to reach piles of debris. Rockbars and pick mattocks are used to dig out tires, pry out painted or treated wood, and maneuver waterlogged mattresses. Sturdy trash bags hold antique bottles, pieces of cable, and toys. The crew will tell you that it takes patience, a sense of humor, and great teamwork to make this project successful.

Learn more about this crew here. 

The VYCC is committed to Irene Recovery.  In the wake of the storm, crews helped 60 families clean out their homes in Waterbury, Richmond, and Montpelier. This year, crews are completing several projects related to Irene including trail repair and invasive species removal.  We also welcome Matt DeFrange to VYCC Headquarters Staff as an AmeriCorps VISTA through SerVermont.  Matt’s focus is Irene Recovery through our Development Office.

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National Council of Young Leaders

Members of the National Council of Young Leaders at the 2012 Opportunity Nation Summit

From YouthBuild USA

The National Council of Young Leaders is a 14-member body comprised of diverse young men and women from across the United States. These Council Members, who range in age from 18 to 34, provide information and insight to elected officials and policymakers on the issues that affect low-income and disconnected youth from their communities.

Because of their very different backgrounds, each Council Member offers a different and unique take on what services and policies are needed to improve opportunities for disconnected youth. The Council’s Recommendations to Increase Opportunity and Decrease Poverty in America include policy prescriptions in the areas of education, criminal justice, community development and family. 

The Council was formed in July 2012 in response to a recommendation from the White House Council on Community Solutions, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. The founding partners of the National Council of Young Leaders are:

  • Jobs for the Future
  • Opportunity Nation
  • Public Allies
  • The Corps Network
  • Year Up
  • Youth Leadership Institute 
  • YouthBuild USA

Click here to read bios for each of the Council Members and get more information on the Council’s founding partners.

The Corps Network is proud to be represented on the Council by 2012 Corpsmembers of the Year Ladine “JR” Daniels and Philandrian Tree.  

Click the links below to read more Corps Network stories on The National Council of Young Leaders: 

 

  

Philan Tree (left) and Ladine “JR” Daniels (right) – 2012 Corpsmembers of the Year and members of the National Council of Young Leaders. Pictured at the 2012 Opportunity Nation Summit.