AmeriCorps Connections

🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast: AmeriCorps Seniors Voices — Featuring Gina Ottrando In this special episode, host Nicki Fiocco kicks off the AmeriCorps Seniors Voices Series — celebrating those who continue to serve after their professional careers have ended. Today’s guest, Gina Ottrando of Staten Island, New York, shares how she found renewed purpose through AmeriCorps Seniors and her service...

From FEMA Corps deployments after Superstorm Sandy to leading AmeriCorps teams and serving as Program Manager for Serve Indiana. Willie Brooks has lived the full spectrum of national service. In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, Willie shares how his three terms of service shaped his career, the mentors who pushed him to lead, and the life lessons he carries into his role today....

✨ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast | Episode #86 – Denise Fowler ✨ What happens when a confused college student searching for direction finds herself in the room where AmeriCorps was first unveiled? For Denise Fowler, that moment changed everything. In this powerful conversation, Denise reflects on her journey as one of the very first AmeriCorps VISTA members in 1994, serving at the Denver, Indian...

Still Work to Do” — Sneha Gandhi on Service, Identity & Purpose | AmeriCorps Connections Podcast 📌 This episode is part of our 2025 Recruitment Series. BayAC is currently recruiting AmeriCorps members to serve youth in San Francisco and the East Bay! 👉 Learn more: https://www.bayac.org/ In this deeply inspiring episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco sits down with S...

🎙️ We Are the Vessels: Jordan Snipes on Youth Leadership, Service, and Fighting for AmeriCorps In this powerful and heartfelt episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast , host Nicki Fiocco sits down with Jordan Snipes —a dynamic South Carolina native whose national service journey took him from youth commissioner to two-term AmeriCorps College Advising Corps member, and now, to graduate school...

In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, we reconnect with Alex Tran, a dedicated AmeriCorps alum who has fearlessly served multiple terms in various capacities across the country. Alex returns to discuss the turmoil and uncertainty facing AmeriCorps amidst funding cuts and the critical need for national service. He shares his experiences, from his work with the American Conservation...

🎧 Kate Morton: From AmeriCorps to Presidential Leadership AmeriCorps Connections Podcast | Episode Title: “Purpose Finds You” In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, host Nicki Fiocco reconnects with Kate Morton, an NCCC alum and fan-favorite from Episode 5 (March 2023). Now a Chief Clinical Officer at Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless and a Presidential Leadership Scholar, K...

📢 This is not your average AmeriCorps Connections episode. We're issuing an urgent call to action. On April 22, 2025, AmeriCorps Connections host Nicki Fiocco sat down with national service leaders Maureen Eccleston (Service Year Alliance) and Chad Driscoll (America’s Service Commissions) to discuss the unfolding threat to AmeriCorps programs across the country—including the demobilization of NCC...

From AmeriCorps Service to National Movement Leader: J.R. Jamison's Inspiring Journey In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, we delve into an illuminating conversation with J.R. Jamison, an AmeriCorps alum whose year of service in 2001 with the Indiana Reading Corps shaped his impactful career. Join us as J.R. shares his personal journey—starting from his passion for storytelling a...

In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast , we sit down with Sarah Middleton , a passionate social impact leader whose AmeriCorps service year in 2001 sparked a lifelong journey in nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and corporate volunteerism. Sarah shares how a single year of service shaped her future—from house-parenting at Girls Hope, to launching a global employee volunteer progra...

In this episode of AmeriCorps Connections, we sit down with Griff Ryan Roberts, an AmeriCorps NCCC, NCCC Leader & VISTA alum, who’s now in his final year of law school. Griff shares the honest, often humorous, and deeply impactful story of how a surprise call from Vinton, Iowa changed his life trajectory—from selling iPhones to becoming a passionate advocate for national service. We talk about...

🚀 New Episode! The Legacy & Future of AmeriCorps with Bill Basl 🎙️ Join us for an incredible conversation with AmeriCorps legend Bill Basl, a VISTA alum from 1970 and a pioneer of national service. Bill has shaped service programs at every level—from founding the Washington Service Corps & Veterans Corps to serving as Director of AmeriCorps at the White House. In this episode, we explore:...

🌍 From AmeriCorps to Global Change: How Service Transformed Dimer’s Life & Community 🌱🎙️ 📢 In This Episode: We’re wrapping up our special series with IPSL Global Engagement by diving into an inspiring conversation with Dimer Castro, a three-time AmeriCorps alum who has turned his passion for agriculture and service into a global impact. 🌎 From AmeriCorps VISTA to State & National, Dime...

🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast is a platform dedicated to sharing the transformative journeys of AmeriCorps alumni and service-driven changemakers. Through inspiring interviews, we explore how national service shapes careers, builds community impact, and fosters leadership. Whether you're an AmeriCorps member, alum, or someone passionate about service, this podcast offers insights, stories, and...

🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast is a platform dedicated to sharing the transformative journeys of AmeriCorps alumni and service-driven changemakers. Through inspiring interviews, we explore how national service shapes careers, builds community impact, and fosters leadership. Whether you're an AmeriCorps member, alum, or someone passionate about service, this podcast offers insights, stories, and...

🎙️ AmeriCorps Connections Podcast is a platform dedicated to sharing the transformative journeys of AmeriCorps alumni and service-driven changemakers. Through inspiring interviews, we explore how national service shapes careers, builds community impact, and fosters leadership. Whether you're an AmeriCorps member, alum, or someone passionate about service, this podcast offers insights, stories, and...

🎙️ 2024 End-of-Year Highlights Part 2!  Growth, Connection, and Impact 🌟 In this special year-end reflection, the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast looks back at a year of powerful stories, impactful service, and transformative growth. Throughout 2024, we celebrated the voices of AmeriCorps alumni who showcased the profound difference a service year can make in communities and individual lives. 💡 W...

🎙️ 2024 End-of-Year Highlights: Growth, Connection, and Impact 🌟 In this special year-end episode of the AmeriCorps Connections Podcast, we reflect on the transformative power of national service through the stories of inspiring alumni. Despite their diverse experiences, shared themes of personal growth, resilience, and community impact emerged. 💡 What to Expect in This Episode:  🌊 Addressing r...

Join us in this illuminating episode of AmeriCorps Connections as we dive deep into the transformative journey of Nisa Abdul Sabur. From her early introduction to volunteerism through the Girl Scouts and church community service to her impactful roles in AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, Nisa shares her compelling story of personal and professional growth. Learn how she leveraged these experiences to se...

Nicki stepped out from behind the camera and got on stage with AmeriCorps VISTA members in Chicago, USA. 🤠 Remember it's NOT the challenges that define you, but how you respond to them. It is your resilience and commitment to “GET THINGS DONE” In the AmeriCorps Pledge we agreed “TO MAKE OUR PEOPLE SAFER, SMARTER AND HEALTHIER” We pledged that if “FACED WITH APATHY” we would take actions. We commi...

AmeriCorps Connections: From Teach for America to Peace Corps with Antonio In this episode of AmeriCorps Connections, we have a fascinating conversation with Antonio Mendez, an AmeriCorps alum who has transitioned from being a Teach for America member to serving as the Country Director for Mexico with the Peace Corps. Join us as Antonio shares his journey, insights, and valuable experiences from h...

Connecting Through Service: AmeriCorps and Peace Corps Journeys In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections podcast, hosted by Nicki Fiocco, we explore the inspiring story of Sadie Botin, a dual service member who has served both in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Sadie shares her journey from her AmeriCorps service in a refugee resettlement agency in Iowa to her impactful Peace Corps experience...

Life-Changing Journeys: AmeriCorps and Peace Corps Insights In this compelling episode of AmeriCorps Connections, host Nicki Fiocco delves into the inspiring journeys of individuals who have served both in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Joined by Justin Hargesheimer, the episode explores how service in these transformative programs fosters leadership, global empathy, and cultural humility. Justin...

📢Your voice matters more than ever. Take 2 minutes and tell your lawmakers that AmeriCorps is essential to your community. 📢📢📢 USE THIS LINK 🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝 Dual Service Journeys: From Peace Corps to AmeriCorps with Thomas Darnell In this AmeriCorps Connections podcast episode, we explore the dual service journey of Thomas Darnell, an alum of both the Peace Cor...

📢Your voice matters more than ever. Take 2 minutes and tell your lawmakers that AmeriCorps is essential to your community. 📢📢📢 USE THIS LINK 🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝 In this episode of the AmeriCorps Connections podcast, host Nicki Fiocco interviews John Knauer about his transformative experiences in AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. John shares insights from his service year...