Et cetera : NCCC Corps Class 21 Spotlight: Bailey Kovall

By: Marilyn Ponce Name: Bailey Kovall Hometown: Clearwater, MN Bailey Kovall from Clearwater, Minnesota is a Team Leader serving on team Oak 4 in AmeriCorps NCCC Corps Class 21. She arrived in Vinton in January of 2015 to start her 10-month service term with the program. This is not Bailey’s first experience with national service and NCCC. She served as a corps member at the Atlantic Region in Baltimore, MD during Class 20. She gained an array of skills during this time and is now trained as a type 2 firefighter. Bailey says, “I loved my first year, and I feel like there’s more for me to accomplish as a team leader and a public servant.” Before her first term of service, Bailey attended the University of Wisconsin – Superior for two years studying Health and Human Performance. She also worked in a group home for disabled adults as a Personal Care Attendant and assisted four ladies to live their lives as independently as possible. She admires her mother who raised three kids and supported her family through challenging times. Bailey is an adventurous person that enjoys travelling, pushing herself to try new things, which includes Scuba diving. She would love to have the power of flight to travel all over the world and visit India. Her favorite TV show is the Walking Dead because there’s a lot of action, suspense, and makes her feel like she could survive a zombie apocalypse. Bailey enjoys working out in her free time, playing with her puppies, and listening to musical artists such as Brad Paisley. Oak 4 served on their first project in Rapid City, SD with Black Hills Workshops. The team supported volunteers with developing and facilitating classes for people with disabilities in the Suzie Cappa Art Center; the Health Sport and Fitness Center; the STEPS Program, the Sensory Room and the Retirement Center. In these areas Oak 4 helped develop and facilitate classes for people with disabilities. They also assisted with the Special Olympics Track Program. For their second project, team Oak 4 is serving with the Plymouth County Conservation Board from April 30 until June 11 in Westfield, IA by conducting prescribed fires to several preservations. In addition the team is conducting trail maintenance by removing old fencing, setting up water bars, removing tree and bush debris. After completing the program in November, Bailey plans on going back to school, working, and saving up to eventually move somewhere with a warmer climate.