A Piece Of My Heart

Huge changes around the corner!

Something great just happened!

This is all moving so quickly for me, it's hard to wrap my mind around it! I'll try to explain as best I can.

First things first - I received an email this morning at 2:18am. "Congratulations on your Admission!"

I'm going to be a student again! And I truly couldn't be happier! I am officially admitted to the Environmental Educator Certification program - a 10 credit, online, continuing education certification. Yippee!!! I'm over the moon and my thoughts are going a million miles an hour! One of the best mornings of my life.

The courses are accelerated, and not the traditional format, so I was a little surprised to find that some courses were only a month long. Right now, I'm registered for three courses totaling 4 credits. When the course selections for summer and spring come out, I will have to choose more courses to complete the rest of the required credits. I'll be starting in September with a 2 month course called, "River Ecology" about the human, cultural, and natural influences on rivers. Then, in early October, I'll have a two day course called, "Nature Drawing and Journaling" about interdisciplinary ways to teach and learn about nature. And I'll finish the Fall Semester with a 1 month course called, "Discussing Environmental Issues" about how to communicate environmental issues effectively without alienating anyone.

I. Am. So. Excited!

This kind of stuff is right up my alley, and I am thrilled I am able to pursue it. I know I alluded to it in this post: "Where have I been and why did I leave?" , but I'm also expecting to hear back about the job I applied for. My supervisor will call on Aug. 21st. That position is called, "Public Outreach and Engagement Coordinator," but I realize that doesn't describe at all what the position would actually do. In short, the job would be the face of environmental education and engagement, creating outreach materials, attending events, hosting workshops, recruiting volunteers, and collaborating with other government agencies to further their natural resource outreach campaigns while maximizing efficiency. The position would be 30 hours a week, which is why I applied for the Environmental Educator Certificate, to fill the other 10 hours per week, boost my resume, and directly enhance my work-related knowledge. It seems everything is really going in the right direction.

But that's not all. As an AmeriCorps program, GreenCorps offers an "Education Award" to members who complete their full service, which I did. The Award totals $5,815 and I can use it for education related expenses, such as paying off student loans, or attending school! So, that's exactly what I plan to do!

It feels really good to finally be at the cusp of starting my career for real. GreenCorps paid a "living stipend" of approximately $5 an hour, but I didn't do it for the money (obviously). It was a gateway for me to get a head start in the career I want. Without GreenCorps, I wouldn't be qualified for the Public Outreach position. I would not have the opportunity to go back to school. I may be stuck doing something I'm not passionate about, struggling to make things work.

But now, I've put in the work, and the rewards are finally showing themselves. I'm sure I'll have more updates in the coming weeks. For now, time to celebrate!

Thanks for reading. Take care!


PS: If any young people you know are interested in doing a year of service through AmeriCorps and need advice, send them my way!