January 17, 2025 | Savannah Espiritu
Meet Katie Holden, a New-England native born and raised in Massachusetts, and 2021 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Following her graduation, she took time to research work opportunities, not just any options, but programs that offered the best of both worlds.
“I was looking for an in-between position of a big-girl job and going to grad school,” Katie said.
Having heard about the Peace Corps and City Year, which are great programs but not precisely what she wanted, Katie stumbled upon the AmeriCorps website. When filtering through the extensive database, she found a program that piqued her interest, a Construction Crew Leader at Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region in Charlotte, NC. She eagerly applied, was granted an interview, and was accepted for the position before she knew it. This program meant that Katie could gain real-world work experience while not having to fully commit to a career right after college. It is a 10-month long term that is different from your typical 9-5 corporate job.
This opportunity has led Katie to step out of her comfort zone and gain more confidence in herself and her abilities. She has been able to try various new things while sharing this experience with fellow AmeriCorps. Having built a genuine camaraderie between the group makes the closing of her term bittersweet, to say the least.
Katie’s end date was July 22, 2022, and she ended her term feeling satisfied with everything she accomplished. Some advice she would like to give to people thinking about joining the AmeriCorps is “Do it!”
She added, “The experience and resources you get are unmatched compared to most internships. If you commit to a term, utilize your coworkers and supervisors. They are a wealth of knowledge and have helped me realize my goals.”
Find out more about what you can gain from experiencing an AmeriCorps term at Habitat Charlotte Region!
