Community Connections are Made Over Lunch in Poplar, MT

Post submitted by Katie Wise, Campus Corps Leader at Fort Peck Community College

Thursday, August 26^th FPCC Campus Corps hosted a connections lunch to mark the end of the Campus Corps term. Over a deliciously six foot long sub sandwich and deli fixings, community organizations, FPCC faculty and staff, Campus Corps Alumni and members celebrated the year and worked out new ways to connect with each other while the Campus Corps program is on hiatus.

The Giant Sandwich in action

Alumni were also awarded mini-diploma’s to congratulate them for completing the program and thank them for serving the community.

Awards given to Esley Sherman (left) and Michelle Buckles (right)

During the brainstorming session many ideas and connections were made some highlights:

Campus Corps Member Kylee Bushman, Campus Corps Leader

 Katie Wise, Boys & Girls’ Club Director Jeanette Charboneau

Jeannette Charboneau, director of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wolf Point and Poplar Montana is going to work with FPCC’s Nursing department to bring students to the clubs for presentations and activities about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise. She will also be working with Richard DeCelles and Haven Gourneau to create work study positions for FPCC students interested in Health and Education fields, which would include continuing summer member Kylee Bushman’s current position into the academic year.

Debra McGowan with the Ft. Peck Library

The Ft. Peck Library has found more sources of people power to help continue their move, with many of the organizations pledging their 

help.

Esley Sherman has been offered a permanent position at Poplar Elementary, working with students with learning disabilities to find ways to work around them.

In all, it was an enjoyable and productive lunch, and a mark of the continued commitment between Ft. Peck Community College and the Ft. Peck Community.

Alumni Profile : Gerri Stiffarm

I thought it would be fun to reach out to some of our Campus Corps alumni to find out where they are now, and to hear what they had to say about their Campus Corps experience a few years down the line. I was able to track down former 2-term member, Gerri Stiffarm who had some great things to say about her experience with the program. Thanks for sharing Gerri!

Gerri (left) with current Campus Corps Leader
at Aaniiih Nakoda College, Ali Graham

Alumni Profile:

Name: Gerri Lynn Stiffarm 

Year(s)that you served your term: 2005 - 2006 & 2006 - 2007 

College that you served at: Montana State University - Northern

# of Campus Corps terms served: 2 as official Campus Corps member

Service Site(s):

2005 - 06: Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line working with America Reads and America Counts Program

2006 - 07: HRDC IV with the Mentoring for Tomorrow Program mentoring students in 4th through 8th grade.

Reflections on her Campus Corps Experience:

"My time with Montana Campus Corps was an exciting experience for me.  I have always enjoyed helping other people and these experiences just heightened my sense of compassion and service to my community. So when I found out about volunteer opportunities with MTCC, I was excited to apply.  My favorite experiences volunteering were the ELF (Everyone Loves Firemen) food drives. These annual events were a collaboration of the Havre Food Bank and the local Fire Department. I enjoyed helping coordinate the volunteers at the beginning of the drive and send them off to the neighborhoods with the ambulance and firefighters leading the way.  Yet, others of us would stay behind and get ready for the tons of food to come in and be sorted.  These events really showed the community spirit as there were volunteers from different organizations, church youth groups, community members, and college students helping make it happen.

Montana Campus Corps has been an excellent experience for me and I am grateful for all I was able to do for others while learning more about myself. I now work as the Success Center Coordinator at Aaniiih Nakoda College where I help students earn their GED diplomas, sign up for college, get tutoring help, and find ways for them to succeed.  I have worked this summer 2012 as the site supervisor through the Jump Start Academy and have enjoyed seeing our students serve their community and create new relationships. It has been a wonderful experience to share my past experiences and the spirit of service with them." 

"What A Year" A Great Story by Hazel Todd

Check out this truly great, Great Story from MSU-Billings' Campus Corps leader, Hazel Todd:

"What a Year"

This Friday I will take my last walk into the Office for Community Involvement at MSUB. I very clearly remember my first day and first walk to the office; I was excited, nervous and ready to go. I also distinctly remember wondering about my last day and how I would feel that morning, and now that I know I have not been disappointed. I walk away from MSUB with a entire new set of skills and experiences that have helped me grow personally and professionally. I was able to do so much, be a leader for a team, recruit and manage hundreds of volunteers, network with non profits, coordinate service projects, engage students in service and the list goes on. The Campus Corps leader role at MSUB is truly a unique, challenging and inspiring position and I am so proud of my accomplishments, the wonderful people I have had the opportunity to work with and meet and the experience as a whole. 

Hazel (center) with MSU-B coordinator Meg (left) and MSU-B
Office of Community Involvement Director Kathy (right)  at Relay for Life event.