Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC Class 19 Corps Member Spotlight: Jerry Kim

Jerry Kim, from Riverside, Calif. is a member of Cedar 6 in NCCC’s Class 19. He arrived in Vinton on February 5, 2013, to start his 10-month service term on a team of people between the ages of 18 and 24. Cedar 6 is made up of nine people from across the country, and they are serving together in a number of service projects across the North Central Region throughout their term.

Jerry joined NCCC because of the benefits and work experience it gets him. He eventually wants to join the Peace Corps, and believes that NCCC will give him the tools to achieve that goal.

Jerry brings several skills with him to NCCC to help him be successful throughout his term with the program. One of those skills is that he is very fluent in Spanish. He is able to read, speak, and write at a high level in the language.

Prior to NCCC, Jerry was teaching English to ESL (English as a Second Language) students over the internet. He graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2012 with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in classics. He also graduated from Patriot High School in June of 2006. After finishing the program, Jerry plans to enroll in the summer language program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and become highly proficient in Spanish. After that, he wants to join the Peace Corps and eventually become an interpreter.

The Spanish language is very important to Jerry, and was something he developed a passion for in high school. That passion started to dwindle in college, until his mom made a suggestion. “My mom suggested I take mission trips to Guatemala and Mexico. That really started to revive my Spanish. Since then, I have never let go of my grasp of it.”

Cedar 6 is currently serving from October 19 to November 2 with YMCA Camp Wapsie in Coggon, Iowa. The team is making facility upgrades to the camp. They are concentrating on staining the main lodge, building low challenge course initiatives and clearing storm debris from a trail.

Some fun facts about Jerry:

Q: What is your favorite movie? Scarface

Q: What is your favorite book? Diccionario de la Real Academia Española

Q: What is your favorite candy? Warheads

Q: What is your favorite food? Chips and guacamole

Q: What is your favorite animal? Man

Q: Who is your favorite super hero? Bane (Tom Hardy version)

Q: What is one place in the world you really wish you could visit? Querétaro

Q: What do you like to do in your free time? Read and surf the internet and learn