Cohort 10 Energy Corps

Tiajuana Thomas


Green City Force has played a big part in me changing for the better. Before Green City Force I was going to school at Medgar Evers. I felt like I was going because everyone around me told me that it was the right thing to do. I was not motivated or focused and eventually I stopped going altogether. My financial aid got suspended and it was hard for me to find a job. I eventually stopped looking for a job and gave up on everything; I turned to partying and drinking because everyone around me was doing it and I thought that it was the “cool” thing to do. I had tried to get into Green City Force once before in 2013 and I did not get picked. So, when I went down to the REES building to see what jobs they had available and they told me that I should go to the GCF info session, I put it into my mind that I was not going to get picked. I was only going to go to get my mother off my back. Shockingly I was selected. It was a long process but it was worth it. Green City Force has helped me grow in so many ways. It helped me with the way that I take feedback, my professionalism, my patience, and my people skills. Green City Force has opened my eyes to things that I took advantage of before, such as the way that I use water and energy, and I now recycle. I find myself telling others about things that I learn here and why it’s important to me. I think that if it was not for my team leader, Lawrence, I would have given up a long time ago, but he kept me focused and on the right track. Lawrence lets his corps my questions. Once I heard everything, I knew I had to give Green City Force a shot. The process was very intuitive just like the Green City Force experience and I enjoyed it. Doing Love Where You Live was interesting as well. Teaching the residents how to be more energy efficient was what we mainly did, but I got to see how we affected the neighborhood. I was able to partake in a farm build which lets me proudly say I built something in my lifetime that will help people. I watered trees and worked at the compost site at the Added Value farm. All these things and more. After my term is done I definitely will continue to do what I can for my community and work on building an energy auditing business with my peers. The road ahead is tough but one must stand strong and always strive to improve one’s life and brand.




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