Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Class 19 Member Spotlight: Mary Owens

Name: Mary Owens

Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla.

Mary is serving as a member of the AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps team Pine 5 at the Vinton Campus. She chose to participate in NCCC FEMA Corps because she is interested in the field of emergency management and wanted to add some valuable skills and experiences to her resume. She learned about the program from one of her high school friends who also applied and was accepted to the Vicksburg, Miss. Campus.

Mary graduated from Seabreeze High School in 2007 and Florida State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation management and leisure service administration. After her service term ends she hopes to use the skills she acquires in the program to enter the workforce and continue to make a difference in the world.

During college Mary did an internship with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge where she shadowed wildland firefighters and did a two-week training on dispatch recording at the Florida Interagency Coordination Center with the US Forest Service. Although most of her training was focused on wildfire and prescribed burns she is excited to learn about other areas of disaster response during her term with NCCC FEMA Corps.

Fun Facts about Mary:

Q: What is your favorite movie? A League of Their Own

Q: What is your favorite book? All the Pretty Horses

Q: What is your favorite candy? Take 5

Q: What is your favorite food? Pizza with pepperoni and feta

Q: One place in the world you really, really wish you could visit? Too many. I wish Travel Channel would hire me!

Q: What do you like to do in your free time? Kayak, hike, or watch TV and movies