AmeriCorps

[Lupin1]

So as some of you know I'm in a sort of transition point in my life right now. I graduated college last year with a teaching degree and haven't been able to find a teaching job, so I've been doing day-by-day substituting work and from what I can see, there aren't very many teaching jobs opening up and so next year looks like it was going to be a lot of the same. So I applied to AmeriCorps (the domestic Peace Corps) and after a very lengthy selection process (I applied in September) I just got an acceptance e-mail on Friday to the NCCC program for next year.

NCCC (the National Civilian Community Corps) is a very unique branch of AmeriCorps in that it's only for youth 18-24 and it's modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Great Depression and the US Military. You wear a uniform, do daily PT, and go where you're assigned and your unit can be deployed on a moments notice if an event occurs in the US that needs your help (earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorist attacks-- anywhere they need emergency volunteers). They have five campuses in every area of the US. I was assigned to the campus in Mississippi which covers the entire southeast region. I'd go down to the main campus for a month's training and then my team of 8-12 of us would be sent out to somewhere in the southeast that needs volunteers-- it can be building houses, tutoring in schools, clearing hiking trails, helping people file for financial assistance-- anything. And we do each project for 6-8 weeks and then go back to campus for a week for debriefing, a little R&R and preparing for our next assignment before we head out on that one.

I definitely think it'd be a good experience and now's the perfect time in my life to do something like this since with the economy it doesn't seem like I'm going to be starting my career this coming year anyway. The only thing I'm sad about is that I'm going to have to leave karate for that 10 months (more if I choose to re-up for a second year) even though I just started. It doesn't start til August, so I'll probably be able to get my blue belt before I leave and I'll be able to attend a class or two during Christmas break to keep my memory fresh, but it is sad having to leave right when I'm really starting to get back into it and bring myself back up to a higher level. But part of doing a service program is making sacrifices, I guess.

[GeoGiant]

Good for you. It sounds exciting and I think you will get more out of the experience than you think. Most people don’t learn to interact with a variety of different people & backgrounds. Without exposure to cultural differences it is easy for people to become focused on one set of ideas and over time those ideas can become their only way of looking at things. Ok, I gotta slow down because I’m reaching for my soap box…

With reference to your training, keep doing it! Make it a point to commit x amount of time, x times a week to training in your art. Create a training log to note your progress. Keep practicing your kicks, punches, floor drills, etc. Even something as little as throwing 20 kicks with each leg before bed is something.

[KarateGeorge]

That's really awesome. Not many people are willing to dedicate a significant portion of their lives to such programs. I have several friends that are part of the Americorps VISTA program, and I must say, their willingness to make the sacrifices they make is commendable. If you feel joining the Americorps for a while is the right thing for you to do, then I say go for it. If that means putting your martial arts training on temporary hiatus, then that's a sacrifice you'll have to decide if you're willing to make.

That being said, even if you have to set aside your formal training while serving in Americorps, it doesn't mean that you have to set aside your training altogether. Practice what you can on your own. Keep things fresh, and go over the things you've learned up the the point you leave for your time in Americorps. Your formal training will still be there waiting when you finish your commitment, and you can always pick it back up again.

If you do decide to do an Americorps term, I wish you the best of luck. Don't think of it as just a job until the economy improves, but make the most of it, learn everything you can while you're doing it, and take advantage of the opportunities for personal growth presented to you...there will be plenty of doors that will be opened to you if you take the opportunities given to you.

[sperki]

I've worked with several of the more traditional Americorps folks and they've all had great experiences. They pay is a bit underwhelming, but they walk away with experience, a better resume, and often, a reference relative to their field. Leaving karate for a bit is a bummer, but you'll always have the option of getting back into it when you return June. Have fun with the NCCC!

[mr_obvious]

Hey....it's a guaranteed "something to do," and an opportunity to travel on someone else's dime (without all the bullet and IED dodging our military endures).

[Lupin1]

Thanks guys. I sent in my acceptance letter, so as of right now I'm doing it. Unless a) I'm not able to defer all my loans or b) I get offered a full time teaching job between now and the end of July.

[JohnASE]

Congrats! It sounds very rewarding.

Maybe you can find local dojos to work out in every once in a while. Isshin Ryu might be hard to find, but it could be fun to get a little exposure to other styles.

[Lupin1]

Ok-- update. I just got back from a job interview in New Mexico and I got offered a full time teaching job teaching 2nd grade for Navajo children out there. I get paid about 2/3rds a normal teacher salary through the school, plus they're also affiliated with AmeriCorps, so I can sign up for that while I'm out there and still get their help with my student loans. So that's the new plan (and since I'm signing a contract with this one, it should be the final plan).

AND there's an MMA dojo in the town 30 miles from where I'm staying (which is in the middle of nowhere) so depending on how much it costs I might be able to sign up to go out there once a week or so just so I can keep up with my training, even though the style will be completely different. It'll give me a different perspective, though, and I can continue to work the Isshinryu kata on my own. I have enough I need to work on with the kata I know to keep me busy for a year or two and I guess I'll just get a good introduction to sparring while I'm there (since my school here doesn't spar).

[Patrick]

Congrats.

Patrick