AmeriCorps Alumni and Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade Programs Manager

Hi Alyssa! Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your current role at Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade?

Hi, I am Alyssa De Armas and I am a programs manager at Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade!

How did you get started as a [Re]Builder?

I first got started as an AmeriCorps member back in August of 2020 right after graduating with my Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University earlier that year. After my 11-month term, I was offered a full-time position as a Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade employee.

Tell us about your AmeriCorps term with Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade. How did this prepare you for your current role?

My AmeriCorps term helped me find my footing, pace and responsibility within the organization. I was able to learn how the organization functioned and what it represented before fully becoming part of the Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade team. It was also my first full-time experience working in a professional job after 20 years of life as a student, so it was also a learning curve in figuring out how to be an employee who holds themselves accountable and brings a certain work ethic to the table.

Would you recommend Rebuilding Together’s AmeriCorps program to others? What do you think the main benefits you got out of it were?

Yes, if that is something they were interested in I would surely recommend it. This has been a really special work experience for me as it shied away from a corporate sort of setting that I was not in search for after college. It opened my eyes to all the different facets that a professional life can entail. Most importantly, I get to work within the county I was raised in, so it also encourages me to digest and reinterpret Miami, FL as I knew it in my own social bubble where I grew up.

We heard you’ve started your own construction business; can you tell us about that?

Yes, I just started my own construction company called Officium Construction Group LLC. After obtaining my Florida General Contractor’s License in September 2021, I made the step in creating the business.

Tell us about your experience being a woman in the construction industry.

Quite frankly, I do not have much to say on it just yet. I am in the process of kick starting the business as I look for job opportunities and apply for certifications on the state and county level. I hope to work with Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade in the future and use my license to help homeowners both retain and generate their own wealth and [increase] rates of homeownership. I also am excited and open minded about all the ways I can utilize my license from here on out, especially in an industry that is predominantly male dominated.

Is there anything else you would like to add about Rebuilding Together, AmeriCorps or your own career?

I am very grateful for the experience I gained from working at Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade. I will take with me the perspective and experiences I gained into all my future endeavors.