Hello! My name is Courtney Curtner and I’m a 2010 magna cum laude graduate from Miami University-Middletown with an Associates of Arts and I’m also a biology student at Wright State University (yes, I have a degree in art and am now majoring in Biology... I have a lot of interests). During my time as a student at Miami- Middletown, I was very active in a variety of student organizations on campus. One of the groups I was involved with, student government, gave me an opportunity to learn important leadership skills during my time as the group’s treasurer and then president. I’m proud to say a native of Dayton, Ohio and I spend a lot of time exploring the many different things the city has to offer. One of my many hobbies is photography, and I’ll definitely be bringing a camera along on the trip to photograph the journey across the US this summer! This past spring I started biking a lot more with my friend Ryan. Not only is biking a great way to exercise, it’s also a fantastic way to travel and see everything from a different perspective than you would get from the seat of a car.
Bike and Build was something I had never heard of until I received a message from someone online about the organization after they read that one of the things I would like to accomplish in my lifetime is a cross country bike trip. When he informed be about what the organization was about and his experiences while on the trip, I was sold and wanted to sign up immediately. Unfortunately it was December, and I had to wait until October for the next round of applications for 2010 to be posted. Luckily I made sure to get all the material and get signed up for the trip!
The affordable housing cause is something that I’ve always found to be a great cause and I love the impact that it has on the people’s lives that they are able to help. During high school and college, I’ve spent time working with a wide variety of organizations as a volunteer. It’s a great feeling to know that the hard work you’ve done is going to make a positive change on other people’s lives. This past fall I worked up at Glen Helen in Yellow Springs, Ohio to remove some invasive plants from the woods. Working with the different volunteers and being able to see the changes we were able to make in only a few hours time was a wonderful feeling. I can’t wait to start to work with Habitat for Humanity and help build a house! In Dayton, we’ve been hit hard with the economic downturn and had many businesses close or move away. This has caused a great strain on many families in the area, and affordable housing has been a great resource to help those who need it. I’m excited to be able to learn more about this by working with Habitat for Humanity in Dayton, and then taking my knowledge across the country to help many other people as well!
This journey is going to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced, but I think I’m up for it, and I can’t wait to get started! I’m most excited about all the different things I’m going to see and all the people I’m going to meet. The furthest west I’ve been is Chicago, so much of the trip will be in places I’ve never been before. Photos and videos of the trip will be a great way for me to share this experience with all of my friends and family who are supporting me in this journey. I hope that my participation in this event will inspire others to go out and volunteer or at least help spread the word for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Many people have heard of these organizations, but I’m not sure if they truly realize how much they do for the community! This trip is going to be an experience of a lifetime, and I can’t wait to get started! Let’s roll!
Courtney's photos
