Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Class 19 Member Spotlight: Rebekah Siddiqi

By: Krista Eichhorst

Name: Rebekah Siddiqi

Hometown: Asheboro, N.C.

Rebekah is serving as a member of the NCCC FEMA Corps team Hickory 7 at the Vinton Campus. She chose to participate in AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps because she enjoys helping others and wanted to gain some “real life” experience.

Rebekah graduated from Asheboro High School in 2008 and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2012 with dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology. After her service term ends she plans to serve in the North Carolina Youth Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, beginning in October.

Rebekah is passionate about volunteering and during her sophomore year of college she helped develop a successful mentoring program for local, underserved middle school students called SMART (Stimulating Mental Awareness Related to Teens). She and her partners worked with community agencies to find mentees that they matched with college students taking a service-learning class. The mentoring pairs participated in fun and educational group events designed to teach the mentees valuable skills and provide them with experiences that they may not have otherwise been able to have.

The first year of the program was such a success that they doubled the number of participants the following year. Rebekah says, “This has made me realize that giving more time to others and communities through service can make a significant difference not only in their lives but also in the world.”

Rebekah and her team wrapped up their final project in Chicago after spending the last two rounds in New Jersey and New York working on the Hurricane Sandy response with FEMA. They returned to Vinton in June and graduate from the program on June 13.

Fun Facts about Rebekah:

Q: What is your favorite movie? 10 Things I Hate About You

Q: What is your favorite book? Harry Potter series

Q: What is your favorite candy? Snickers

Q: What is your favorite food? Tacos or nachos

Q: One place in the world you really, really wish you could visit? Europe

Q: What do you like to do in your free time? Read, watch movies, listen to music and try new rec