26 January AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: Braedy Hall January 26, 2022 By Sarah Short AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Member Stories, Member Impact Story 0 Braedy Hall is an AmeriCorps CRUSH alum. She served with the program for 2 years. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati this year with a B.A. in Political Sciences and Government. As an AmeriCorps CRUSH member, she served with the local Cincinnati High Schools and helped students identify health disparities within their school and community. She has helped students create sustainable community health projects. Why did you choose to participate in AmeriCorps? "I heard about the program through UC's Center for Community Engagement and was really interested at first glance. I wanted to participate in a new and different kind of experience." What did you walk away with having been a member? "I walked away with a wealth of knowledge. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, I did not realize how relevant the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) were in our society. I learned about being present and engaging with my students. The program definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but that is a good thing. It made me realize my true passion and guided me to change my career path. Initially, I was on the law track. However, my experience with the CRUSH program made me realize my love for community health. With this realization, I am thinking about going back to school to work towards becoming a public health official or social worker. My experience with AmeriCorps helped me get a job at Crossroad Health Center where work as a Family Resource Coordinator." What does AmeriCorps mean to you? "I believe it means making an impact, no matter how big or small the difference is. You can make a positive change with a simple act of kindness." What were some of your favorite memories of the schools you worked with? "I worked with Woodward High School and they hosted a "Sticks 4 Kicks" event. It was carried out by a phlebotomy class for seniors. Basically, the phlebotomy students will draw blood to practice for their upcoming phlebotomy certification exam. People from the community came to the event to show their support. In fact, we had a few AmeriCorps members come as well to donate. I also worked with Georgetown High School and their CRUSH group created care packages for individuals in nursing homes." What was your funniest memory from your service year? "My funniest memory definitely comes from the winter retreat. During our retreat, we had a pickle contest. You had to make a delicious snack that included pickles and other random ingredients that you were assigned. So, I had to make a delicious snack using pickles, chocolate, and marshmallow fluff! It was funny seeing Anita I and Anita J's reaction after trying it!" What would you tell someone who was interested in becoming an AmeriCorps CRUSH service member? "I would tell people that it a great program and you have the opportunity to explore healthcare and social services. You don't have to be on the pre-med/pre-health track to be in the program. While you do get to learn more about healthcare and social field, you do participate in new experiences. You have an opportunity to gain a lot of leadership skills. Most importantly, you get to serve your community!" Related Posts AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: Improving Diversity in Medicine Through AmeriCorps Service In 2020-2021 AmeriCorps project year, Gavin Wu served with Corps for Rural and Urban Successes in Health (CRUSH). Wu's service inspired him to continue providing opportunities in medicine to marginalized populations. Wu is currently a student at The Ohio State College of Medicine. AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: Addressing Mental Health Through AmeriCorps Service Gurneet Raina served at Corps for Rural and Urban Successes in Health (CRUSH) from 2013 to 2015. Raina's service year was an inspiration to apply to medical school and then eventually pursue psychiatry. Gurneet Raina is currently a second-year psychiatry resident through Summa Health. AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: From Service to a Career in Serving Families IN 2005-2006, Nick Jones served at Children's Hunger Alliance where he helped address childhood hunger, healthy eating and living and obesity. Nick continues this work today as the Director of Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families at Nationwide Children's Hospital. AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: From City Year to City Council Elizabeth Brown served with City Year in the 2002-2003 AmeriCorps project year. Brown worked to promote literacy and service learning. Brown now serves as a city council member in the City of Columbus. AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight: An Inspiration to Build Connections Rayven Peterson's service at OhioServe, Educational Core has been "instrumental in my aspirations and goals for my career in counseling." Peterson is currently a first-year post-bac Doctoral student in the University of Kentucky’s counseling psychology program. AmeriCorps Alumni Spotlight - Mackenzie Bower AmeriCorps impacts members’ lives in more ways than they plan. For alumna, Mackenzie Bower, AmeriCorps instilled in her a passion for service that will carry with her far beyond her completion of the program. Learn more about Mackenzie’s service experience and what she’s up to now. Comments are closed.