For Americorps Programs: Fill & Download for Free

So I wasn't much younger than you (23) when I was in the exact same spot. My friends were graduating from College and I had spent my past years working as little as possible and playing an excessive amount of video games. I was depressed and frustrated with life.Every person is different, but here's what I did that changed my life:First, I started with a few journal entries which talked about what I had been doing and that I had intention to make my life better. These are extremely spaced out, but write more often if you can.Second, I watched an anime called “Welcome to the NHK” that covered a key chapter of a N.E.E.T. (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) — i.e. me at the time.Third, (this was beyond my control) my parents were struggling more financially and that “woke me up” to being the burden I was on them.Fourth, I applied for AmeriCorps NCCC, which is a year of service. 24 is the age deadline for members, so you'd need to apply soon. AmeriCorps NCCC surrounded me with positive influences who were looking to make a better life for themselves and the people they were around. It also separated me from my video games and kept me busy enough that I had broken my addiction to many of my bad habits. If you're too old for AmeriCorps, there are still other programs where you can do a year of service — or just start volunteering with your local Habitat for Humanity.Fifth: from AmeriCorps, I enrolled into university, seeking both a degree in Computer Science ($) and Painting (passion). I just graduated and am now able to teach myself anything with much more confidence as a learner who can get thing done.From what I've read in some books, many of our bad habits get linked to survival in a primitive sense. It's safe to stay inside and not put yourself at risk, so your body prefers it. You have to start forcing yourself with being uncomfortable. For example, if the idea of putting on shoes and going for a walk around town gives you anxiety, you must do it. If the idea of learning something new (programming for example) freaks you out, sit down with the easiest possible way to learn it (Hour of Code: Join the Movement and Codecademy - learn to code, interactively, for free for programming) and just do a little bit at a time. Progress in something will help you grow.Something I often believe is that to truly change, we must surround ourselves with an entirely new place around new people with the intention of bettering ourselves. This is what AmeriCorps did for me. Hopefully you'll find something out there for you.Best of luck.Sincerely, John Wray

It is indeed impossible to survive without family support.During my year of service with AmeriCorps from 2015–2016, I signed a contract to receive a $16,000 stipend.After taxes, I made around $12,500.Bi-weekly, my paychecks were $530 and after paying bills, gas, and going out on a few dates, I had less than $200.Once I completed my program, I received a $5,700 scholarship.Some college institutions are willing to match the scholarship and give double the amount, and some are even willing to go further and give a full ride based on merit.I did learn plenty about myself during my ‘year of service’ working with youth; and it also solidified the idea that I will never want to work with children.Most AmeriCorps programs are fill-ins for nonprofits who do not have the funds to staff a full-time position.Its cheaper and more viable for a organization to bring in a recent graduate or someone who is looking to ‘serve’ a underserved community.In a way, I do consider AmeriCorps to be somewhat exploitative due to the high demand and low pay.For $8.25 an hour, and the level of responsibility I had, I do feel as if I deserved more than what I was earning.However, due to it being a government sponsored program, dealing with bureaucracy slows the process.

Even though many will dis Hillary as corrupt and ineffective, if you take time to read about her, you’ll see that she is a truly great woman who accomplished more than dozens of her detractors. If you asked a true patriot like McCain, he’d say he’d much rather have Hillary in the White House than trump. The only way the Rs could defeat her was decades of misinformation and character assassination that has nothing to do with how immensely effective she was in doing her job. Unfortunately America got probably the worst President in 100 years and gave up the best in the process. We should have nothing but admiration for a woman who is truly amazing.Hillary Clinton’s AchievementsWith all the inflammatory rhetoric, it’s easy to lose perspective of what an impressive personal and political career Hillary Clinton has had. So let’s take a look at some of her accomplishments and examples of her working hard for the American people.Foreign Policy:Myanmar transitionIran nuclear deal frameworkIsrael/Hamas peace agreement/ceasefirePromoting LGBT rights in Africa as Secretary of StateHIV/AIDS testing and treatment through Clinton Foundation partnership with ANTIAIDS and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in UkraineLaunched Global Hunger and Food Security programSaved the Turkish-Armenian accordCo-sponsored Afghan Women and Children Relief Act of 2001Co-sponsored Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001Co-sponsored Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006Co-sponsored Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006Co-sponsored Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006Health:Expanded the Family Medical Leave Act to include national guard/reservistCo-sponsored Prevention First Act (family planning)Changed State Department policy to include same sex couples in Diplomat benefits packageLead group investigating 9/11-related illnesses in first responders (her Senate successor ended up passing her bill)Co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and FamiliesHelped increase research funding for prostate cancer and childhood asthma for NIHHelped investigate Gulf War SyndromeCo-sponsored Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008Co-sponsored ALS Registry ActCo-sponsored Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008Co-sponsored Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008Education:Built Arkansas’ Home Instruction Program for Preschool YoungstersReformed Arkansas’ education system as chair of the Arkansas Educational Standards CommitteeCo-sponsored Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 20069/11:Instrumental in bringing $21 billion in funding for the World Trade Center site’s redevelopmentEstablished family compensation/small business loan programsCo-sponsored Procedural Fairness for September 11 Victims Act of 2007Children/Women:Helped create Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of JusticeHelped pass Adoption and Safe Families ActHelped pass Foster Care Independence ActSupported and promoted the passage and rollout of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which expanded health insurance for children in lower-income families.Co-sponsored Native American Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Technical Amendment Act of 2001Co-sponsored Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003Co-sponsored PREEMIE ActCo-sponsored Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007This is considered by many to be one of the turning points of international women’s rightsIn 1995, during an unprecedented address in Beijing to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, Hillary recounted worldwide abuses and declared “It is time for us to say here in Beijing, and for the world to hear, that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women’s rights as separate from human rights.”First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Remarks to the Fourth Women’s Conference in Beijing, ChinaCareer:Staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in CambridgeBoard member of the Yale Review of Law and Social ActionLegal work at the Yale Child Study Center for child abuseVolunteer at New Haven Legal Assistance AssociationDirector of the Arkansas Legal Aid ClinicChair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the ProfessionPolitical Career:Researcher on migrant worker problems — Subcommittee on Migrant LaborJimmy Carter’s Indiana director of field operationsChaired Arkansas’ Rural Health Advisory Committee, working to expand medical facilities for the poorChair of the Arkansas Educational Standards CommitteeChair of Presidential Task Force on National Health Care ReformFirst Lady of ArkansasFirst Lady of the United StatesUnited States Senator from New YorkUnited States Secretary of StateVoting RightsWrote Count Every Vote Act of 2005Co-sponsored re-introducing the Equal Rights AmendmentMore legislation (that became law)Co-sponsored Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009Co-sponsored Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act of 2008Co-sponsored PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008Co-sponsored KIDS Act of 2008Co-sponsored Broadband Data Improvement ActCo-sponsored Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2008Co-sponsored Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007Co-sponsored Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 2002Co-sponsored Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act of 2002Co-sponsored FHA Downpayment Simplification Act of 2002Co-sponsored Strengthen AmeriCorps Program ActCo-sponsored 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act