Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC Class 20 Corps Member Spotlight: David West

By: Sarah Williams

David West, from Chesapeake, Virginia is a corps member for Cedar 3 in AmeriCorps NCCC Class 20. He arrived in Vinton on February 11 to start his 10-month service working with a team of people between the ages of 18 and 24. Cedar 3 is made up of nine people from across the country and they will serve together around the Midwest.

When asked why he decided to serve in the NCCC program, David says, “I chose to serve because I want to improve myself as a person, improve my relationship with my family, and overall improve my self-image.”

Before David became a NCCC service member he was a dishwasher at a locally owned restaurant called Cotton Southern Bistro and also a dishwasher at a hockey arena called Norfolk Scope Arena.

Cedar 3’s first round project is at the South Dakota Division of Parks and Recreation in Canton, South Dakota. The South Dakota Division of Parks and Recreation #8 oversees 6 parks. Cedar 3 is assisting with invasive species removal and trail maintenance at the various parks focusing on Newton Hills State Park. The trail work includes: widening the corridor, adjusting the grade to allow for better water run-off and blocking volunteer trails to prevent erosion from trails that were not built in a sustainable manner.

Some fun facts about David:

Q: What is your favorite TV show? StarTrek

Q: What is one place you would really like to visit? New Zealand

Q: If you could have a superpower what would it be? I would have an arc reactor

Q: If you could come back as an animal which animal would it be? Cat

Q: What did you want to be when you grew up? Astronaut

Q: What is the most challenging/exciting thing you’ve ever done? This program.