In 2020, Jonathan Lopez-Arevalos dropped out of school to support his family but was still adamant about earning his high school diploma. His sisters, who are both Civicorps alumni, told him about our paid job training program, where he could also obtain his degree. The fact that he could complete his education while working was the inspiration Johnathan needed to enroll.
As the world started to change in spring 2020, Johnathan also adjusted as he planned his future. Staff encouraged Jonathan to apply to be a crew leader in 2021 after observing his tenacious work ethic. Nervous at first, Jonathan was admitted to the Crew Leader Academy following a great reference from his Supervisor, who stated “Mr. Lopez is a self-motivated individual, who is reliable, respectable, and handles responsibilities well. He completes tasks in a timely manner, and can be counted on to work efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision”
Jonathan finished his month-long Crew Leader training in November 2021, at which point he received his blue Crew Leader hard hat. Two months after achieving this noteworthy feat, Jonathan accomplished another, earning his high school diploma at the start of January 2022! Today, Jonathan is both excited and nervous about his new role, he works hard, and continues to learn from his mistakes. He offers the following advice to incoming Corpsmembers and those who are interested in becoming crew leaders: “Try to do everything at your own pace and set your OWN expectations. [Take] one step at a time, one objective after another.” And the biggest thing Jonathan has gained from the Corps? A boost in confidence.
Congratulations to Jonathan on earning the Corpsmember of the Quarter award!
Every quarter, staff vote on a Corpsmember who demonstrates personal growth and program success to receive this prestigious award.
