Et cetera : AmeriCorps NCCC Member Spotlight - Henry Jones

    Name: Henry Jones   Team: Maple 3   Hometown: Gettysburg, PA                   After graduation high school, Henry knew he wanted to go to college, but didn’t know what he wanted to do. After hearing about NCCC he looked into it and it sounded right up his alley. Henry said “Travel, meeting new people, various work experience, community service – all of these things sounded like a perfect opportunity for me to find out more about myself, and what else is out there in the world that I didn’t know about.”                 When asked what he has gained from his NCCC experience he says “I’ve learned that I have a strong work ethic, especially when my work is serving someone or a community in need. I’ve learned that I can go anywhere I want, find work and living arrangements, and be satisfied. I’ve learned how to be a leader, mainly that I have the capacity to be one. I’ve learned that I love to read, a hobby I had previously neglected for the past 7 years of my life. I have learned how I react to a wide variety of stressors, and how to resolve or relieve said stress. I have learned I knew nothing about “the real world,” prior to joining NCCC.”                   Henry has served on  five projects: Sherman Lake YMCA in Kalamazoo, Michigan;  Pawnee City Historical Society in Pawnee City, Nebraska; Isle Royale National Park in Isle Royal, Michigan; Minot Flood Response in Minot, North Dakota; and he is currently in Noblesville, Indiana working for Hamilton Co. Parks and Recreation. Henry says his favorite project so far has been the disaster response in Minot, North Dakota. Henry said “I had never worked as hard in my life as I did there, and never had a better, more meaningful purpose for work. I made good friends with members of the volunteer organization we worked alongside, as well as members of other NCCC teams we lived and worked with. Disaster Response was what I really wanted to do in the program, and this was my experience.”                   After completing NCCC in November Henry says he plans on moving to Nashville, Tennessee to play in a band and work full time in carpentry or construction for six months until he establishes residency. Henry aspires to attend Community College and later transfer to a University to complete his Bachelor’s Degree. Henry plans on applying for a NCCC Team Leader position after college.  Henry says “I plan on being an active member of my community for the rest of my life, a skill and lifestyle I was totally unaware of prior to joining NCCC.”