Travel Itinerary is here!

Now that we are three weeks away from our arrival my flight itinerary has come in. After beginning my application on December 2009, Submitting April 2010, having my phone Interview June 22, 2010, and hearing of my acceptance on September 7th 2010 I have now found out my last piece of information before I arrive in Iowa.

I leave Nantucket on February 15th at 6:45 and will arrive in Iowa at 1:10 after 2 layovers. It's going to be a long day which at times makes me wish I did not live on an island 30 miles out to sea.

Today I received a letter from Nantucket Resident and State Representative Timothy Madden. In the letter he congratulated on my recent completion of my Masters from SNHU and commending me on my application and acceptance to the AmeriCorps. This letter was definitely not expected however it was great letter to receive.

XoXo

-Katy-

Motivational Statement

Here is my motivational statement from my AmeriCorps Application.

Having interned with the American Red Cross my direct supervisor was a former Vista and having talked about my past experiences with volunteer work and my desire to serve she suggested that I look into the AmeriCorps. The most recent event that has made me who I am today was the loss of my mother who in September 2007 was diagnosed with stage four lung and brain cancer. My mother was a very simple woman who enjoyed the simple things in life; a walk on the beach, spending time in her garden, and the smiles of her children.

My mother had worked at our local elementary school for twenty three years. She loved working with children and the amount of money she made was never and would never be the deal breaker. She loved seeing the children every day and seeing them grow through their years with her. When my mom was diagnosed and was out sick from work the children always asked where Mrs. Manchester was. All of the students made her get well cards which were delivered and hung up in her room to see. The one that touched my heart the most was from one student who had yet to meet her. The card read, “Get Better Soon. Hello I am Emily Ferreira I moved here in November. So you wouldn’t know me. I look forward to meeting you. I hope you get better soon. –Emily”

By reading all of these cards it showed me all of the lives my mother had affected in her 55 years even ones she had yet to meet. With losing her at the age of 55 and my brother at the age of 30 it has shown me more than ever that life is short and that I want to spend my life giving back and helping others.

XoXo

-Katy-

Counting down the days from Sunny Florida

Iowa is just 5 weeks away and the packing process has begun however I’m taking a break because  I am on vacation until the 21^st. I’m visiting family in Florida and wishing my grandfather a happy 95^th birthday and then to New Hampshire to say my goodbyes to my friends before I head out. 

I got a call from one of the Unit Leaders last week. She said that after reviewing applications that mine stood out and asked if I was interested in becoming a Team Leader.  I was definitely interested however that would mean I would ship out on January 11^th and I’ll be in Florida. I was honored to be chosen but this time around I decided to stick to a general Corps Member. 

I spoke with the person in charge of scheduling travel for Corps Members about my travel to make sure that I would be getting travel from Nantucket and that they realized I can’t just drive to an airport. Many people do not realize that Nantucket is an island that is 30 miles out to sea. Since I am such a “special” case when it comes to travel she will be booking my flight ahead of the others to make sure everything is taken care of. Because of this I think I’ll be headed off the rock on the 14^th instead of the 15^th so that I can make sure I don’t miss my flight to Iowa instead of potentially getting stuck on ACK.

I think it is starting to hit me that I will be gone until late November and missing a Nantucket summer with all its activities for the first time in my life. This will be the first demo that I’ll miss driving in since I started in 2001. Even though I will be missing out on many things I have done for years now I am embarking on a new adventure and have a great opportunity to help those in need in the United States.

That’s all for now!

XoXo

-Katy-