Troy welcomes third, and possibly last, Americorps school volunteer

Troy School District’s 2017/2018 Americorps volunteer, Haley Spurlin, is gearing up for a year as Troy High School’s college readiness and career pathways mentor amid national rumblings of complete federal cuts to the Americorps budget.

“We are really looking forward to having Haley here,” superintendent Jacob Francom said. “Having just graduated college herself, she will provide an important perspective for students wanting to attend any kind of secondary school, or those who go straight into the workforce.”

Spurlin, who grew up in North Carolina, is the third year-long Americorps volunteer the school district has hosted. The first was Rikki Luebke in 2015/2016, followed by April Turnage in 2016/2017.

AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership which mobilizes volunteers nationwide and provides grants to non profits and faith based organizations for community service work, according to the national and community service website. AmeriCorps received $532 million in federal funding for 2017, with $174 million of that amount going towards scholarships for its volunteers.

Fulltime Americorps volunteers receive a modest living stipend, health insurance and, upon completion of their term, a Segal education award worth about $5,800 to pay off student loans, Spurlin said.

After eying the Americorps program for her last two years at Gardner-Web university in North Carolina before signing up, Spurlin said she was concerned to hear about the possibility of budget cuts.

“I had been looking for a non profit or internship,” she said. “I knew I wanted to be in service somehow, and I liked the look of Americorps, so yeah, I was pretty upset to think that the program could disappear.”

Although any changes to Americorps funding likely wouldn’t affect Spurlin, as the 2018 federal budget will take effect Oct. 1, 2017, funding cuts would impact Troy School District by taking away a valuable resource.

Francom estimates the monetary value of having a year-long volunteer at the school as between $35,000 and $45,000, but said the benefits go beyond finances.

“Volunteers don’t just fill a gap,” he said. “They are often involved in setting up programs that outlast their time here, or apply for grants that provide sustainable income for the school. That was one of the biggest things April (Turnage, last year’s Americorps volunteer) did, was apply for and receive a grant to provide dinner at the after school program.”

Two big college readiness events are on the agenda for Spurlin during her time in Troy — a college readiness week, which will include having students walk step by step through applying for college and financial aid, what to expect along the way, and a mock graduation.

College readiness week will be followed by a “reality fair” that will have students imagine they are out of high school or college and ready to live independently. The reality fair will focus on budgeting and other life skills.

With three years experience as an advisor at her university career center during college, Spurlin said one of her main goals is identifying and naming skills students need to develop.

“We will certainly be working on resumes and interview skills,” Spurlin said. “But part of job seeking is identifying the skills you need to get the job you want. You need to talk to a lot of people? That’s called communication, and we can build that skill.”

Looking toward her year in Troy, Spurlin, who grew up in a small town herself, said “it turns out I’m passionate about higher education. I want it be accessible to everyone who wants to pursue it, no matter where they come from or who they are.”