How did I get here?

Its hard to believe that it was a little over two years ago when I met Tiffany Frey. She was the AmeriCorps volunteer at the time. I had just finished the River Rescue float when Tiffany offered me a hot dog. I remember asking her, "Who are you and what do you do?". I was in such admiration for anyone who was responsible for an event which has such a big impact on the cleanliness of the James River. It was at that very point I realized it was time for a career change. I had been a massage therapist for eight years at that point and was contemplating attendance at Drury University.Tiffany invited me to attend a Stream Team Conference the next morning. My interest was peeked and the rest was history. I became a Stream Team volunteer, Master Naturalist and active participant at James River Basin Partnership and the Watershed Committee.

I am now the new AmeriCorps volunteer for James River Basin Partnership and will be graduating form Drury University with a BS in Biology. My responsibilities at JRBP mainly focus on Watershed Festivals for the basin's area 5th graders and environmental education for the community. I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to make a small contribution to the community I live in and the rivers I love. There is nothing better than a fall float down a river that I know I have actively participated in the protection of.

I dream of my future, when I will have a career in water quality and know that my work is meaningful. The work that is being implemented at JRBP has a ripple effect that will provide future generations with protected aquatic habitats and clean drinking water. I am so grateful to have this opportunity as an Americorps volunteer, it will forever set the course for my inspirations to unfold.