L. to R. Lydia (holding Eli the Elk) with her fellow Crew Member Tabitha, and Program Coordinator Katie Sullivan at Bread Lock Park in Warren County, NJ.
This summer we plan to highlight several of the participants in the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC). New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg is a 21CSC program operator. To view all Faces of the 21CSC stories, please click here.
Lydia Gallegos had never heard of New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg before dropping out of high school, but it seemed appealing to her once she learned about it. She could earn her diploma, get help finding a job, and get help getting her driver’s license – everything she was looking to do. Since joining the Corps, Lydia has also discovered that the Corps helped her with some of the challenges she faced in public high school.
Lydia explains that “One of the biggest problems I dealt with was my social anxiety. I had trouble dealing with crowds of people. When I came here I was surprised to find out classes are smaller. This was great for me- it wasn’t overwhelming. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve really gotten to know my fellow classmates and make friends. Also, the staff are great too. Everyone on the staff work so great together and just fit perfectly.”
In addition to earning her High School Equivalency (HSE) while at the Corps, Lydia has gained a significant amount of experience with different kinds of work. Over her time at the Corps, Lydia has helped mow grass, build trails, complete tasks at an organic farm, and has worked on aquatic restoration projects while putting her recently obtained “Waders in the Water” credential to use after participating in the two-day training in April earlier this year. Of all the things Lydia has done through the Corps, her favorite moment is pretty definitive. She notes “My favorite project that I worked on was the First Book sorting we did in conjunction with our sister NJYC program at Mercer County Community College in Trenton, NJ. It sounded so simple, you know? Sorting books to be distributed to children in need – it’s such a small act, but I feel that I helped make a huge difference in each child’s life that those books reached. It felt great to be a part of that!” Continue reading