Huntington Station Resident Pledges to Perform 10 Months of National Service

Amanda Ostuni of Huntington Station, NY, is one of 75 men and women pledging to perform 10 months of national service as part of the Atlantic Region’s FEMA Corps Class 23. FEMA Corps is a track of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program.

As a Corps Member, Ostuni will spend 10 months getting things done for America while strengthening communities and developing her leadership skills. Ostuni and her team will work on a variety of projects focusing on disaster response and recovery efforts. She may work with FEMA regional and joint field offices, as well as the Red Cross and other emergency management organizations.

Ostuni graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Journalism and heard about AmeriCorps NCCC-FEMA Corps from a fellow intern at the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. She was working at a daily newspaper prior to her term of service and hopes to continue her career as a reporter following graduation.

After her 10-month tenure, Ostuni will graduate from FEMA Corps in May 2017 with an education award of $5,775, which can be used to continue education or pay back student loans.

“I believe in the value of helping others, of seeing and experiencing how others live outside your own bubble, and I want to make a difference in the world,” said Ostuni when asked what motivates her to serve. “One of the reasons I got into Journalism was because I was inspired by muckrakers who helped bring the country out of dark days like the Great Depression. I want to help make that kind of change in any way I can.”

To learn more about FEMA Corps or to apply (individuals aged 18-24), visit AmeriCorps NCCC’s website www.nationalservice.gov or FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov.