 AmeriCorps Staff and Member Biographies
AmeriCorps Staff:
Andrew King, AmeriCorps Program Manager - Andrew is from the east coast of the United States, but has lived on the west coast for the past two and a half years. Last year he served as an AmeriCorps member at the NYC Outdoor School. He rather enjoyed himself. Andrew enjoys listening to and playing music. He enjoys playing guitar, ukulele, harmonica, piano, and singing. Fairly recently Andrew discovered the sport of disc golf and enjoys playing a round or two each week at the park. He enjoys riding his bicycle and being both indoors and outdoors throughout the day. He loves to do art and is fascinated by crossword puzzles. Andrew is very excited for another year of adventure with AmeriCorps at Northwest Youth Corps.
Brian Scott, Corps Respond Woodsboss - Brian has been a long time NYC'er and trail junky. Living as far off as Bend, OR and County Donegal, Ireland, he enjoys an eclectic taste in music, traveling, and delving into the cultural experiences of local food stuffs. His spare time is spent either reading provocative sociological texts or bad Fantasy/Sci-fi novels. Working trail in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, California, and Nevada; co-managing a Horse Stable on the Olympic Peninsula; Community Organizing for grassroots programs across the Pacific Northwest; and being a literary critic have all been interests or previous jobs for Brian. He graduated from The Evergreen State College with a B.A. in Literature and Poetry with a minor focus in Sociology.
AmeriCorps Members:
ODS Garden Coordinator
 Rosie Sweetman - Rosie grew up on a homestead ranch in southern Oregon where she gained a deep understanding and profound respect for many things non-human such as plants, wildlife, water, soil and seasons. While growing up in “the middle of nowhere” provided her with a lot of time with chickens, cows and goats she often found people to be a little more interesting, especially those who laugh. Rosie graduated from University of Oregon where she focused her studies on a major that would most likely land her a job outside: Environmental Science. She went on to work in watershed restoration on the north Oregon coast and then to small-scale farming outside of Eugene. She loves to work outside but has found that without people around its not too fun. With a great desire to work with people and share ideas, thoughts and jokes she decided that working at the Laurel Valley Educational Farm would be the perfect job (and it is). Rosie enjoys playing ultimate Frisbee, jumping into water, working on bicycles (and riding them), playing music, watching pollinators, learning about plants, climbing things and of course growing food. Things she doesn’t really like: wet socks and aphids. And here is the latest joke she made up: Q: What is an insect’s least favorite beverage? A: Fly's Water (flyswatter).
ODS AmeriCorps Members
 Camille Stoudt - After spending a year working in the inner-city schools of Philadelphia, Camille decided it was time to head for the West Coast to get back to the mountains. She got the passion for travel and service after spending a month in South Africa and hasn’t been able to shake it since. Reading, hiking, developing friendships, and coloring in her dinosaur coloring book are what you will usually find her doing in her free time. As far as aspirations go, Camille plans to be some sort of social worker or school counselor, mother, friend, outdoor enthusiast, and the new Wonder Woman after finishing her year at The Outdoor School.
 Jeffrey Roscher - Jeffrey Roscher is a 25 year old human (of the male variety) from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Commonly referred to as "Jeff", he attended and graduated from Penn State University with bachelors' degrees in the arts of Psychology and Sociology in 2006. Since graduation, he has found employment in a variety of jobs, most recently completing his first term of AmeriCorps service in Philadelphia with City Year, Inc. In August, 2009, Jeff and his trusty companion and life-friend, "Shark" the cat, trekked across the great land of America; following his heart to the pines of Eugene, Oregon in order to complete a 2nd term of AmeriCorps service with Northwest Youth Corps' OutDoor School. A slightly interesting fact about Jeff is that he prefers to be outfitted in earth tone colors, primarily your darker browns, greens, navies, and blacks, enjoying the simplicity it provides when needing to dress himself.
 Liza Boyle - Liza was born and raised in the beautiful town of Boulder Colorado, where she learned all about the outdoors primarily through: hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing, canoeing, and climbing trips, all of which she continues to enjoy. After graduating from high school she moved to Stockton California where she obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Pacific. After college AmeriCorps seemed an appropriate choice and the OutDoor School an appropriate place. In addition to being outside Liza enjoys travelling, reading, games, good food, sleep, and just living in general. She also hopes to invent a perpetual-motion machine.
 Melissa Hicks - Melissa is originally from Colorado but has recently relocated to Eugene by way of San Diego. With a huge love for traveling she has taken groups of high school students to Baja and Guatemala on service learning trips and enjoys seeing students growth as they are exposed to different cultures. Melissa has worked in a project based learning environment for the last 4 years and is excited to incorporate the environment and field studies into education. When she is not planning her next trip abroad she enjoys reading, listening to live music and taking long walks with her little dog.
 Patrick O'Connor - During the waning hours of that night, the September rich trees began to sway. Hurricane Diana was offshore, sending squalls of cold air clamoring off the Outer Banks, bouncing off the sand hills skyward, then beginning a steep descent over the central piedmont region and striking Raleigh an hour later, startling the trees from above, blustering their pale green underbellies into the open, occasionally depositing a fine grit of sand or an exceptionally large locust onto the concrete as a calling card from the Sahara. Labor pains rent the night, and by midmorning the baby had arrived. Out of the eye of the hurricane was birthed your AmeriCorps: Patrick Coman O'Connor. After completing his studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he decided that Oregon would be a most excellent place to live. He teaches Geometry and Movie Appreciation. His interests include Geometry, movies, disc golf, Gaius Julius Caeser Octavianus, and organ music.
 Tiffany Cordova - Tiffany is a native Oregonian and lover of the beautiful Northwest. She is a recent graduate from University of Oregon's Family and Human Services program. Tiffany enjoys running long distances, practicing yoga, coffee breaks, discovering new music, visiting art museums, and learning about the outdoors. She has spent the past year working with incarcerated and adjudicated youth within Lane County. She is also a former intern of NWYC. Tiffany is passionate about working to empower youth and is excited to return to ODS for a new adventure!
Rural School AmeriCorps Members
Allison Kunerth - I am a first year AmeriCorps member serving in the Rural Schools Program, out at Marcola Elementary. I run an afterschool program that serves about 15-20 students from 3:40-6:00pm where we have fun with arts and crafts, studying, snacks, music and lots of games. I also teach in the classrooms, tutor individual students, and put on community events. I am a west coast kid that has lived in Eugene for 4 years, and I am finishing my degree at the University of Oregon in General Science, with minors in Music and Chemistry. I live with my dog Joey, and we both love to get out and enjoy Oregon through walks, hiking, camping and other adventures! I have had many varied experiences from firefighting, to teaching music, working in the hospital and even doing research with zebrafish! I hope my experiences serve me well, and I look forward to a fun and exciting year out at Marcola!
 Jennifer Ewing - My name is Jennifer Ewing and I'm originally from a small Washington town called Bickleton. Don't worry if you've never heard of it; no one has (even though it's the bluebird capital of the world). From Bickleton, I went to college at Eastern Washington University, where my husband and I received our degrees in June. I have a BAE in English and my husband received a BA in Philosophy. The day after graduation, we loaded up everything we owned in a U-Haul and came to Oregon. Eugene's crazy culture suits us well. My husband and I are both involved in the community and have felt very much at home with the aging hippies and radical activists.
 Jennifer Barker - Jennifer is the Rural School AmeriCorps Member for Lincoln Middle School in Cottage Grove. Jennifer, having four children of her own, has been a volunteer in the South Lane School District, Pop Warner, Little League, and South Valley Athletics for many years. She jumped at this new opportunity to work with the children in her community hoping to share her enthusiasm of nature and community involvement. She enjoys the outdoors, gardening, sports, river rafting on the Umpqua, and spending lots of time with her husband and children.
 Katie Turner - Katie is working in Oakridge, OR at the Jr. High and High School. She grew up in Gladstone, OR, which is a small suburb about 20 minutes south of Portland. She got a B.A. in History at U of O but not before studying abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia for 5 months. After graduation, Katie spent some time working the financial world before realizing that education was where she wanted to be. In her free time, Katie enjoys reading, knitting, sewing, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
 Linnea Lindberg - My passion for gardening began over two thousand years ago. But in this lifetime it started in rural Minnesota surrounded by acres of fields, ponds and woods. Eventually I moved to Oregon for greener pastures (and a longer growing season). My first love was tropical plants. There is hardly a variety I haven’t grown, propagated or killed. Years of horticultural endeavors followed - landscape design, greenhouse management and retail nurseries. My interests include the raising and releasing of Monarch butterflies, creating garden art out of recycled materials, and of course, gardening. I am the self proclaimed Mother of all dogs. My hope is to pass on to the students not only the skills of organic growing but also an appreciation of how incredibly miraculous Mother Nature is. Look closely at all the colors, textures, designs and shapes. Embrace the births and deaths. It's an amazing energy flow, peaceful to be a part of.
 Ryan King - Ryan makes the transcontinental trek to the Pacific Northwest from his hometown of Glastonbury, Connecticut. He is a recent graduate from Oberlin College where he studied Biology and Environmental Studies. A hydrophilic with an appetite for adventure and challenge, Ryan’s career pursuits include youth leadership development, green architecture, sustainable design, and community involvement. An intrepid optimist and ice cream addict, Ryan seeks thrill by running long distances, combating hurricanes, envisioning a better world (his eyes are green for a reason), and finding the good in humankind.
Corps Respond Team Members
 Keenan Tvedt - Keenan is a native of Eugene, Oregon. Having had the great privilege of growing up in the beautiful and superlative Pacific Northwest, he has gained a marked affinity for all things green and wild. He is an avid reader, a rock climber and part-time follower of the Dao. He is a superbly talented writer, and a self-proclaimed mascot for the human race. When asked to describe his greatest faults, he smugly remarked, “I’m quite conceited, and rife with false pride. But I find both traits endearing in me.” He is also well known for his off-beat sense of humor and is oft described as a “hack” in hushed whispers behind his back. He enjoys masochistic workout routines followed by lengthy Yoga sessions. Moreover, he has been described as a “virtuoso” whistler, and is fond of playing various flutes to the great chagrin of everyone present.
Keenan enjoys traveling on the cheap and performing work exchange in exotic locations, and has spent five months living and working on farms across the island of Hawaii. He sincerely hopes to expand his experiences in this in the future.
A longtime NYC’er and lover of trail, Keenan has risen through the ranks since beginning as a corpsmember in 2005, leading crews across Oregon and Washington. He is very excited to be given the opportunity to serve on the Corps Respond team.
 Patrick Tinsley - Patrick Tinsley grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has always been a pretty active kid, always tinkering with things and always up to something. When he turned 21 he found his way into firefighting and realized that was a career he would love so he packed up and moved to Montana where he graduated for the University of Montana with a A.A.S in Fire and Rescue, while also working in the field. Now in his life he is exploring what the world has to offer and having fun at the same time, a reason he joined NYC. Patrick Loves his dog more than most anything, Bicycling has always been his favorite activity, and also enjoys working with computers.
 Bryce McNichols - Bryce has lived most of his life in Hopkins, MN (western suburb of Minneapolis). After graduating for Hopkins High School he moved to Madison, WI to study Political Science and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin. From there Bryce took an internship in Las Vegas doing plant research in the Mojave Desert for the USGS. He loves camping and road trips and frequently tries to combine the two. In the summers he works at Camp Warren in northern Minnesota and spends his days sailing, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, swimming and playing sports with kids of all ages. The best trip he ever took was a hitch hiking trip up the california coast. Bryce will forever remain in awe of Redwood trees and frisbees.
 Courtney Weyrauch - Courtney was born in Minnesota but moved to Oregon when she was four. In June 2009 she graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Political Science and a minor in Planning Public Policy and Management. Some of her favorite things in the world are spending time with her family/friends, scratching her dog Willow's belly, the environment, animals, food (especially tomatoes and Nutella), coffee, being active, politics, cheesy romantic comedies and having a good time. She is very excited to start this 10-month journey as a Corps Respond Member and to be outdoors learning new things!
 Leah Burcat - Leah Burcat grew up in the wonderful state of Delaware and graduated from Haverford College with a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies in 2008. Since graduation, she has worked with the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, as a government writer for a daily newspaper and on a Greek farm. Leah enjoys seeing new places, being outdoors and eating fruit. Although she has spent her life on the East Coast, she can’t wait to explore both Oregon and Arizona. She is excited to work outdoors and be part of the NYC Respond Team.
 Jes Pearce - Jes spells her name with only one s. She is a college graduate with a BA in History and Minor’s in Art and Psychology. She is originally from Baltimore, MD but has spent the last year in Tucson, AZ completing a 1700 hr AmeriCorps term teaching art classes and providing direct care to adults with disabilities. She can speak limited sign language. Jes enjoys all types of art, is proficient on the pottery wheel, but tends to make duct tape animals in her free time. Jes loves to be outside and adventuring to new places. Since the end of her AmeriCorps term she has been volunteering with environmentally based organizations and is excited to be able to do the work full time with NYC!
 Gabriel Barbato - Gabe grew up outside of Reno Nevada, on a small ranch where he grew vegetables and flowers and also operated the family horse and dog care business. As a kid, Gabe had no television so quickly learned to have fun outside and to respect and care for the environment. He attended the University of Nevada Reno where he earned and degree in environmental policy analysis and resource economics. Through college Gabe played rugby for the university rugby team earning a sponsorship that allowed him to play in South Africa for three months. He paid his way through college teaching skiing at a variety of ski resorts. While skiing and rugby are his favorite sports, he does enjoy pretty much any endeavor outdoors.
 Christopher O'Brien - Chris is Straight Outta New England. Born and raised on a country farm in the southern Berkshires of Massachusetts his youth was spent on farm chores and soaking up the outdoors with his brothers. His last four years were spent playing collegiate basketball at Elmira College while earning a B.S. in Social Science of Criminal Justice with minors in English Literature and Sociology. When not in Elmira, Chris spent his summers living on islands working as a Park Ranger at Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area. It was here his passions for trail running, knot tying, and single pot cooking were realized. His other interests include gym-free workouts and reading everything he possibly can. Chris is looking forward to long hours of hard work in the outdoors with the Corps Respond Team as he continues his exploration of the West Coast.
 Jeremy Meyer - Jeremy was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. The youngest of five, he spent his summers camping and fishing in the Cascades. He moved to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon, but after being there, decided that an English major wasn't for him and so he left and started teaching woodworking at the Eugene Waldorf School. Jeremy loves to be outdoors, biking, hiking, playing music, cooking and lately hunting chanterelles has been of interest. He joined NYC in 2006 as a corps member and just kept coming back. He is very delighted to be a part of the 2010 Corps Respond team, and looks forward to the next ten months and the stories they'll bring.
 Ellie Hirte - Ellie grew up in the wilds of Minnesota, don'tcha know? She studied at the School of Environmental Studies and Beloit college, and after earning a degree in Biochemistry, it was decided that all she wanted to do was go and be in the woods for awhile. After 5 months spent in the Adirondacks building trails for disabled kayakers, she headed on over to the West coast to get a slightly more primitive experience with Corps Respond. Her interests include music, certain food combinations, science, medicine, learning, discussing why Minnesota is better than (fill in the blank), outdoing her record for non-stop distance driving, putting herself in oft-unpredictable community living situations, endorphins, and forced circuit training with the crew. Oh, and her favorite animal is a pocket owl.
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