Michigan's AmeriCorps Alum Spotlight

Alum Spotlight – June 2026: Nicholas Betz-Thorn, AmeriCorps READY

Nicholas Betz-Thorn served with AmeriCorps READY between 2023-2025 and continues to support the current members as an alum staff member for the program. AmeriCorps READY  AmeriCorps Volunteers educate citizens and engage them in efforts to improve climate change resiliency through identification and intervention of indoor and outdoor environmental hazards, improvement of residential energy efficiency, implementation of green infrastructure, and clean water and air stewardship opportunities. Activities include community outreach and engagement, green infrastructure installation and demonstration, healthy home assessments, and resident education.

Betz-Thorn graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in Communications in 2022. Upon graduation, Betz-Thorn was exploring his next steps but knew he wanted to take time to serve his community while also gaining professional experience. Betz-Thorn joined AmeriCorps READY and enjoyed his experience so much that he served two terms and is now a Research tech at Wayne State University where he continues to interact with the program.

Betz-Thorn reflects on his service experience stating, “my AmeriCorps service provided me with an opportunity to deepen my connection to my adopted hometown of Detroit, give back to others, and make a difference in an area of great importance to me. It taught me adaptability, maturity, and how to use a power saw.” He continues, “my terms of service helped me to become less timid and put more faith in my own abilities; when I’m confronted with difficult circumstances, I’m more likely to think that I can hack it than I was before I became an AmeriCorps member. Looking back on it, READY was a good place for me to land to rebuild my self-esteem after a rocky first year out of college.

Courtney Waddell, current AmeriCorps Volunteer apprecaites having an alum help guide him during his service experience stating, “since the day I joined in September he has done an amazing job with keeping me up to date with how things work and how to do things more efficiently. While also bringing a sense of laughter and interesting topics to engage the team building team chemistry in a unique way. Having an alum on the team also gives new members a sense of how things used to work before the shutdown, which allows me to see and or approach things from a different perspective if needed.”

The AmeriCorps experince was impactful for Betz-Thorn in helping him gain confience and begin his career, while also being impactful for the current AmeriCorps Volunteers he works with. Betz-Thorn concludes saying, “the spirit of service AmeriCorps instilled in me shows up in my life in a variety of ways. I advocate for causes that I consider worthy, and I utilize many different strategies to bring attention to the challenges we face as a society. My AmeriCorps term helped me gain an understanding of my community and I aim to find ways to improve the issues it faces.”

Learn more about the AmeriCorps READY and other Michigan’s AmeriCorps programs making a positive impact in communities across Michigan. For more information about AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov.