AmeriCorps Great Story

Enjoy the article I submitted for our AmeriCorps Great Story portfolio:

Home, Sweet Home

In Greek Mythology, the sprouting spring flowers signaled to Demeter that her daughter Persephone would soon arrive from the underworld and they would once again be reunited. Spring at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has long been expected as well.

The new season not only brought to us blossoming Dogwoods, Orange Trees, and Azaleas here on Jekyll Island but also twelve new AmeriCorps Members. To welcome them aboard, a “Taste of Home” potluck dinner was held in their honor. Everyone was encouraged to bring food unique to his or her hometown. We had quite a smorgasbord! Just to name a few of the tasty treats: A Member from Nebraska baked cornbread, a Member from Atlanta, Georgia provided Coca-Cola, a Member from Burlington, Vermont brought Vermont Cheddar Cheese with crackers, and a Member from Plant City, Florida made strawberry shortcake.

Currently serving at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are eighteen AmeriCorps Members hailing from fourteen different states! We all may have different hometowns but we all have planet Earth in common. In conjunction with the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day the Georgia Sea Turtle Center conducted its third annual “Shell-e-brate” Earth Day event. All Members had a blast lending a hand face painting, assisting children with making recycled paper, serving edible “dirt” cups, coloring paper bag turtle shells, and teaching how to reduce, reuse, and recycle! The finale to the “Shell-e-brate” Earth Day festivities was releasing two rehabilitated Kemp’s Ridleys sea turtles, Tinkerbell and Kinevil, back to their ocean home.

As April ends and May begins, all are anticipating the arrival of nesting female sea turtles to Jekyll Island. Female sea turtles will return anywhere from five to thirty miles of original beach where they were once hatched in order to dig a nest for their own hatchlings.

There truly is “no place like home,” even for sea turtles!

I made a paper plate diamondback terrapin with one of my childhood heroines today :-]

When she walked into the rehab pavilion with her two sons I automatically felt like I knew her from somewhere. We began conversing about the patients, why they were at the GSTC and how they were doing. Turtle Tales, a program in which we read a story about turtles and then make a turtle craft, was about to start in fifteen minutes and I invited them to join. While gathering a few last minute materials, I quickly Googled her to confirm my hunch. Ah! It was her! "Stay cool, Melissa, stay cool" I quietly repeated to myself.

After reading A Day in the Salt Marsh by Kevin Kurtz, the four of us began making our paper plate diamondback terrapins. Her son mentioned that he loved the University of Georgia to which a hearty "Go Dawgs" and high five was given. He thought it was super cool that I had gone there for college and marched with the Red Coat Marching Band. His mom quickly chimed in for the Crimson Tide, explaining that she had to stick to her Alabama roots and gently reminding us both who currently held the National Champion title.

Curiosity was overtaking me and I just had to know for certain...

Nervously I asked, "Would your name happen to be Heather?"

"Why yes, it is" she graciously replied.

"Would your maiden name happen to be Whitestone?"

With a big smile she confirmed, "Yes, My name is Heather Whitestone McCallum"

"It is such an honor to meet you! I remember when you winning Miss America 1995 when I was just a little girl. It was so inspiring and encouraging."

"Why thank you! It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Melissa!"

Ah! I just could not believe myself. I remember as a young ballerina, just starting to fall in love with Jesus, how her talent portion of the pageant, a ballet routine to Sandi Patty's "Via Dolorosa," clearly and beautifully painted a picture of the Gospel. Watching it still gives me chills.

Learn more about this wonderful woman at www.heatherwhitestone.com. I am looking forward to reading her books Let God Surprise You: Trust God with Your Dreams and Believing the Promise: Daily Devotions for Following Your Dreams.

Meeting her, along with her sons, was truly a dream of mine come true :-]

All Things Naval & March Music Madness

(I am so in love with this that it is worth repeating...) There are three orange trees in my front yard. How awesome is that?!? Here is the season's first fruit, courtesy of my marvelous neighbor and his impressive orange fetching skills (I've never seen someone throw a golf club in the air with such precision). Needless to say, it was the best piece of citrus my mouth has ever eaten and I am definitely looking forward to many more oranges to come!! Yummy!!!!


One of my Member Roles at the GSTC is Marketing and Outreach. One of my favorite parts of this role is going to various events and tabling, giving brochures and coupons for the Center, teaching passer-bys about sea turtles and most of all playing Tic-Tac-Turtle. Imagine Tic-Tac-Toe but instead of x's and o's they are blue and orange magnetic turtles and in order to mark a space one must answer a turtle trivia question correctly. It is super fun and is always the talk of the event. My most recent tabling outreach event was at King's Bay Naval Submarine Base. Here are some photos from the event, courtesy of the King's Bay Periscope.





Renee and I had the pleasure of attending The Jekyll Island Singer's Spring Concert. It was quite the event as one of our extremely talented volunteers was debuting his arrangement of Georgia On My Mind. Needless to say, it was nothing short of spectacular.



A few of the AmeriCorps Members and I also traveled down to Jacksonville to attend a Mat Kearney andIngrid Michaelson concert. The concert was super chill and we had a blast meeting Mat, Ingrid, and their band members after the concert. The Florida Theater, the venue of the concert, reminded me of the Fabulous Fox in Atlanta. I am looking forward to many more great shows there.

Spring has Sprung on Jekyll :-]

Welcome Spring! It is fantastic to see you again. Please stay awhile :-]

Two of my favorite trees that are in bloom; the Cherry Blossom tree on my way to work makes me miss home and the Tulip Tree in front of my church reminds me of Athens. Beautiful :-]

Spring has also awakened the hibernating Diamondback Terrapin hatchlings from the nesting mounds along the causeway. These little guys are absolutely adorable as they are no bigger than half an inch. It will be fun to watch them along with the rest of creation grow.

Oh, and I almost forgot....there are three orange trees in my front yard. How awesome is that!??! Here is the season's first fruit, courtesy of my marvelous neighbor and his impressive orange fetching skills (I've never seen someone throw a golf club in the air with such precision). Needless to say, it was the best piece of citrus my mouth has ever eaten and I am definitely looking forward to many more oranges to come! Yummy!!!

Fast & Full of Fun February

February 11th and 12th two coworkers and I went to Savannah for the Georgia Science Teacher Association Annual Conference. While there we presented, tabled, and attended several seminars. Some of my favorite seminars included: Inquiry, Technology, Graphic Organizers...Oh My!; Using STEM to teach Physical Science with LEGO Education; Bag of Science and Math Tricks; Cross the Digital Divide-Technology Assessments that Really Work. We debuted, My Sea Turtle Journey To Go, a project that I have been working on for quite some time now. I also got to meet Kathy Cox the State Superintendent of Schools. My coworkers and I had a great time exploring Savannah and eating yummy food as well!

My parents came to Jekyll February 13th-15th. We had a blast celebrating Valentine's Day at The Driftwood Bistro (complete with a cheesecake swirl brownie with strawberry ice cream along with complimentary tea cup roses) and my 25th Birthday the next day at Longhorn. My Mom and I also had a wonderful time making heart shadows on the beach while looking for shells. The celebrating continued after my parents went home with a bowling party with some friends from work.

Renee and I continued celebrating the twentieth anniversary of my fifth birthday in true style by going to DISNEY WORLD!!! But first we stopped in Gainesville for a Gym Dog meet against the University of Florida. I realized at the meet that it was my 12th anniversary of cheering on the Gym Dogs as my dad took me to my first meet when I turned thirteen! Thanks Dad!!!

We spent fifteen fantastic and magical hours at the Magic Kingdom in which we were Honorary "Voluntears" in the three o'clock parade (AH!!), met several characters, and rode almost every ride.

The following day was spent at the Animal Kingdom where Renee showed me all that she did while working there, danced with the Harambe Tribesmen, rode Expedition Everest twice, watched the Festival of the Lion King and the Finding Nemo Musical (in which I cried during both because they were absolutely beautiful), ate at the Rain Forrest Cafe for my birthday, met up with an old mutual friend from UGA, and traded pins like crazy women!!

Needless to say, it has been an unforgettable month :-] I am thankful for another year of life and for dreams coming true!!