Hunter is a first year VIP serving at Catholic Charities in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
Where are you from?
I am from Louisiana!
Where and what did you study and how did that affect your decision to do public service?
I studied Business, Legal Studies, and Classics at Tulane University in New Orleans. Growing up in Louisiana and living in New Orleans both deeply affected my desire to do public service. As an undergraduate, I knew I that wanted to help others but it took me a while to figure out how!
Why did you decide to move away to serve OR why did you decide to stay in your community to serve?
I love traveling and experiencing new places. I have also lived in Australia and Japan for several years. I chose Northern California because I have several friends in the Bay Area… and who doesn’t kind of want to live in Northern California?!
Why did you choose AmeriCorps VIP?
I got a little overzealous and applied to several AmeriCorps positions (VIP, VISTA, and NCCC)! I didn’t know what to expect but was luckily accepted into all three. After learning more about each program, I chose AmeriCorps VIP because I felt it most closely aligned with the professional skills I developed as a teacher in Japan and my developing interests in social work. ---- But also, the VIP program coordinators were very prompt, helpful, and enthusiastic 😉
What have you learned by serving?
1. The act of people helping one another is tremendously inspiring to witness. 2. The resilience of the human spirit should never be discounted.
3. A lot of people really love Brene Brown.
What organization are you serving with and why did you choose that site?
My partner site is Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa. At the time, I chose this site because I was planning to apply to graduate school in social work and they are one of the largest providers of human services to immigrants, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness in the North Bay. During the interview process, I asked my interviewer to tell me why she liked working at Catholic Charities. She quickly answered, “they do some really amazing work and the people in the office are very warm.” I believed her. And she was right!
How will you use this experience in the future?
I think it is important for social workers, clinical or otherwise, to have a deep understanding of the overlapping systems and organizations that support marginalized individuals. The knowledge I have learned about public and private human services during my service term will be an invaluable asset to my future career in social work!
What have you learned about the community you are serving with through serving with this organization?
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Thank you for your year of service Hunter! Look out for Part two of Hunter's spotlight next week.
