Personal Narrative: My First Day At Job Corps

My first week proved to be very challenging. My favorite uncle was a veteran and I often visited him at the Missouri Veterans Home nursing center. He died several years ago, however, I remembered seeing many older veterans who did not have anyone to visit them. Many were very lonely and longed-for visitors. I had decided volunteering with the Veterans Administration Medical Center Jefferson Barracks Division would be something that I would really enjoy. I researched how to volunteer with the Veterans Administration online and found that for those who wished to volunteer process included a minimum of 100 hours of service, fingerprinting for a background investigation, an in-house orientation, and obtaining a V.A. identification badge. I was excited, so I went to Jefferson Barracks the very next day. After getting lost a couple of times in the buildings, I finally found the right department. Unfortunately, I was told that the person who handled volunteer services had just gone to lunch and would be back in one hour. I started to leave but decided to stay instead. After one hour and fifteen minutes, the person in charge of volunteers finally made it back to the office. I was greeted by a very friendly young lady that explained to me that she was filling in for the person who made the official

Scenario 2: Beginning in my first real job out of college I was hired to work for the county social services department. This was an exciting opportunity for me as I had a great desire to work in government since I was young. In working my first week at my new job, I had an opportunity to meet with the Social Services Director. He was a very engaging, confident and passionate man that shared many of the same values that I had. He talked about the importance of all of the employees working together for the common cause of assisting those less fortunate in creating a better life for themselves.

One day I will never forget is the first day I came to Job Corps. It felt unreal! Just thinking about really leaving the city and going to school; the people, food, rooms everything was on my mind. I was already prepared for the day and actually I was anxious to leave and start school. Although I would miss my mom and my friends, I knew I had to get on to a new start. My whole ride to Port Authority I just wondered how it would be on the center. It was hard for me to actually get comfortable with the fact I was on my way.

On Tuesday, September 29 of 2015, I volunteered at a food pantry at the St. John’s Lutheran Church. I was to be there at nine o’clock in the morning and would be there until around noontime. I met Margie Schafer, who is in charge of the food pantry at the church and she introduced me to everyone else who was also volunteering. After introductions, we went straight to work. They explained that they had expected eleven people to come in that day. They also explained to me that people call ahead and let the church know they will be participating in the food pantry for them and their family. They also make a couple extra boxes full of food just in case someone who did not call ahead comes in to receive one. Therefore, they decided to make thirteen total boxes full of food. Immediately I was unloading food items from off shelves and a truck. Since we need thirteen of the same items to put in each box, we all were assigned to certain things. Like for example, I carried out all the cans of green beans and located a spot in the box to put them. Then after I was done with that task, I moved on to another food item. All the food that went into these large boxes were all boxed or canned foods. The more you put these food items in the box the less room there was to fit the other stuff. The women that volunteer every Tuesday for years knew the exact right way to put things to make everything fit just right in the large boxes.

Coming to Job Corps made me realize a lot about myself including how much potential I have within myself. Before coming here I wasn’t as focused as I should have been when it comes to me getting my education. Leaving school early or just not showing up at all became a routine for me. The school I was attending wasn’t as good of a school to even want to show up at. The kids there was very disrespectful which made it hard for those who wanted to learn. I wouldn’t learn nothing even if I would show up which also was one of the reasons I didn’t feel the need to attend. I felt as if the teachers wasn’t doing their job as they should as far as teaching the students what it is they needed to know as well as enforce the rules and policies upon them.

This was very different to me because my past schools’ I was always the “new kid” that was not wanted around much, so having to be the center of attention in the new place with everybody wanting to know me and introduce me around was very pleasing and I never wanted it to end. But the thing is I was not the only new student to join, there was another student that was with me that did not get the same treatment that I was getting. At first I thought it was because he was alone and did not talk much. However, it turned to be because I was so overwhelmed by all this friendliness that everybody forgot about him. I could have gone to him and introduced him to everybody

In the fall of my eighth grade year, I was sworn in to NJHS, an event with as much gusto and bravado as can be expected of a middle school celebration. For the first time, I faced a new frontier. While others slaved over the idea of mandatory community service, my stomach clenched at the thought of new people. Interacting with strangers? I came close to

As the final bell rings everyone scatters out of their classrooms and runs to where they are picked up at the end of the day. For me that spot was the bus stop. When I come to the loop I find myself a shady spot and take a seat with my back resting on a metal beam. I take a look at my phone, like everyone in society these days, and wait for my bus to arrive. Soon my friends come to join me and we laughed and joked about how the day went and which teacher gave the most homework or what couple ended it and made a big scene in the hallway.

This is a fun, exciting, and cheerful game. It has bunches of people watching others.It makes me feel good when I walk up to the plate.I always feel like I’m at home when I step onto the field. I play my position and have fun doing it. I catch the ball sometimes pop flies or ground balls.I field the ball then either throw it to 1st or 2nd(Most of the time). We get three out then we go in the dugout to bat.

At 5:45 AM the alarm on my phone blared some generic default tone that I had never gotten around to changing. This was probably the earliest I’ve ever gotten up in my entire life. I groggily removed myself from the pile of blankets on the floor that I had been sleeping in and headed for the shower, brushed my teeth, washed my face and searched my near empty closet for something to wear on my first day of school. Although I was absolutely exhausted and there was yet to be any furniture in my room, I was thrilled to be transferring to Pattonville High School in midst of my junior year and living in a bigger house in a better community.

The lights in the cafeteria were turned off. Teachers and other faculty members were running in and around the cafeteria, talking on their walkie-talkies and handing out tissue boxes and water bottles to students. I opened the door to the cafeteria and sat down at one of the octagonal tables where I saw a couple of my friends were sitting. Besides the sound of some of the students crying, the room was dead silent.

Other kids looked at me with a mad face. As soon as I got to know everyone they got to know be better then the new girl. I really don 't talk to boys like other girls. Last year at my old school, I knew everyone, I didn 't ask shy. I was normal.

I interviewed my neighbor SFC Vaca for my veterans essay. SFC Vaca join the Army in 1988. He was only eighteen years old and straight out of high school. He did his basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey. After completing his basic training he headed off to AIT, in Ft Eustis, Virginia. His initial MOS was a 15U. He was a what he likes to call a helicopter maintenance technician. Chinooks were his specialty. Soon after his training, he was sent to Korea, his first duty station. He felt this was a great opportunity to see the world, since he came from a small city in Northern California, Lodi was the name of the city. He said if he had stayed, he would probably be working the fields, picking whatever crops were in season. Korea was a very different culture and was a great learning experience for a young kid being away from home for the first time

It was the beginning of August, soon to be my freshman year of high school. Soccer tryouts were around the corner. I was tense yet very eager to get there and show everyone what I had been working on the entire year. It was my only opportunity to make new friends and to play the sport that I treasured most in this world. The night beforehand, I could barely sleep. Every hour I would stir hoping it was time to leave. When 6 o’clock hit I sprung from my bed and hurried down the stairs. Clutching my bag, I grabbed a bite to eat, and I was off. I dashed outside and hopped into my mom’s car. Tryouts began at 7 but given that my mom had work, I was early. When I arrived at the field, it was empty. I was the first one there.

That morning I woke up early as I had to be at school for 8am. I was very excited. When I got to school the buses that were to take us were already there and teachers were buzzing around making sure that everything was in order and that all students going had their consent forms. Before we left the teachers gathered all the students and told us to be careful, to stay together also for us to remember our manners, we also said a prayer as it was a custom seeing that it is a Presbyterian School. As we boarded the buses, my friends and I all headed to the back of the bus as it was considered for some