December 21, 2017

Hackettstown, N.J., December 21, 2017 – Kevin Moncada, a Centenary University Social Work degree graduate from 2017, was recently stationed in Puerto Rico as Team Leader for Gold-1 on behalf of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) for Americorps. He oversees a team of 12 and his team will remain together for the duration of their 11-month assignment.

Americorps is a full-time, team-based program for young individuals. Members strengthen communities, gain life experiences, and develop leadership skills. On September 12, 2017, Moncada started two months of intense training in Sacramento, California. After the training, he was appointed as Team Leader by Gold-1 and was deployed to Puerto Rico. After the holiday break, they will be re-assigned to another project.

Moncada is currently Head of Distribution and works in conjunction with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The team would go door to door with 10 to 20 palates of food to offer meal packets to hurricane victims. Their team distributed 827,479 pounds during their time in Puerto Rico. The team aided people all over the island. Moncada performed some debris cleanups for different neighborhoods or as they say “barrios.” They have been able to further participate in building water filters to allow areas without clean water to have the means of accessing it.

While in Puerto Rico, Moncada lived on an old Italian cruise ship that was docked behind the Puerto Rico Convention Center. He worked Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. He first found out about this opportunity from his step-sister. He was able to gain leadership roles from Centenary University through his job as a First Year Leader, his position in the Student Government Association, as Resident Assistant and much more. He loved his time at Centenary and recognized that his own growth professionally can be at least partially attributed to his time at the institution.

Moncada looks forward to receiving information about the next mission after he spends some time with his family for the holidays.

“The whole team enjoyed their time in Puerto Rico and is looking forward to having some quality time with our families and then learning where we will be serving next,” says Moncada. “I really enjoy working with different liaisons from various corporations and connecting with many different types of people. This position has already greatly improved my leadership skills. I feel that everyone should consider working for Americorps. There are so many programs and every college should be providing information about this opportunity as an option for newly graduated students.”

What is in store for Kevin after his he finishes serving his time with Americorps?

“There are so many careers that appeal to me,” says Moncada. “Serving as an Immigration Analyst, for example, is definitely one that is of interest to me.”

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary School of Professional Studies offers degree programs online and in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, online, as well as corporate sites throughout New Jersey.