AmeriCorps Week 2024!
Happy AmeriCorps Week! Today we’re spotlighting one of our amazing program alums, Bre Orcasitas. Bre served with our program from 1998 - 2002. Since then, she has gone on to a long career in the wildland fire community, holding various positions with the US Forest Service, and now works to train and advocate for others in the field.
From the very start of my time in AmeriCorps (at 18-years-old) I was warmly welcomed into a happy band of misfits, all of whom, were dedicated to public service and the greater good. I felt like I had found my home, and the people I met in AmeriCorps would turn out to be life-long friends.
I love that we really did meet the need, whatever it happened to be. Our capacity was diverse and seemingly endless. Every disaster brought its own unique set of challenges and it was our mission to figure out how we could make the most profound impact. Throughout my time in service, I was able to witness how one person really could make a difference and how much of an effect that can have.
Bre (far left) on a prescribed burn in AmeriCorps
I entered into AmeriCorps without direction and I left there with a purpose and a path. I became a career wildland firefighter solely because of the experience I gained through my time in service. I’ve worked on an engine, hotshot crew, helicopter rappel crew, and also worked as a smokejumper among other jobs, but my most meaningful work came in the latter part of my fire career when I shifted into training and education; preparing firefighters for critical incidents and their aftermath. Somewhere along the way, I also started a blog that highlights relatable life experiences, some of which stems from wildland firefighting.
Because my fire career has been so diversified, I found myself wanting to preserve the fire culture that I’d seen from so many angles. That feeling led me to create and publish a book series of short stories, poetry, and artwork, all of which were contributed by wildland firefighters, past and present.
Reflecting back, I can recognize that my consistent willingness to put myself outside my comfort zone in order to develop new skillsets is something that derives from my time in AmeriCorps. Disaster response instilled in me the understanding that you may not have the right tools, or expertise for the job in the moment but that shouldn’t stop you from taking action. Determination, ingenuity, and good intentions can get you through a whole lot. In that regard and many others, AmeriCorps absolutely shaped my character as well as my life’s course and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time in service.”
Bre Orcasitas
www.theevolvingnomad.com
IG: @theevolvingnomad
theevolvingnomad@gmail.com
