October 9, 2026
I drove around 2100 miles in total to get to training, and then to my host site. It was my first time driving out of state, then my first time in several states, including Montana. I believe it is incredibly important to do good things for others, and I have tried to make a positive contribution to the world to live up to that ideal. But there is simply no comparison to be had between the power of an individual and the collaboration of many. Americorps has been the institution that let me most effectively apply myself in service to others. Joining Americorps is a decision I’m very proud of and I would easily encourage others to do the same.
I feel a strong sense of duty to serve others. I have lived a life where I haven’t had to worry much about food or housing security, and I am very lucky to have that. However, I believe that this should not be a matter of luck. Without exception, I believe in a minimum standard which everyone should get to live by. As I understand it for there to exist a right, there must also exist a duty for others to respect and cultivate that right insofar as it does not cause their own personal loss of liberty. By its nature, if we understand people to have an inalienable right to live a life with opportunity and security, then we must all have a duty to uphold that in one another. Be it through food, housing, education, or any other thing which we can give to one another on the simple grounds that people inherently deserve it. In some sense it is hard to live a life which does not contribute to society in some positive way, but I was personally not content with passively assuming that any work I do will sufficiently uphold my duty to others. The most good can be done by seeking out opportunities to help others.
The modern world has seen a lot of advancement towards this ideal universal standard. But it has hardly been done by individuals. The capacity of one person to do good is substantial, but it is very hard to independently realize the extent of it. AmeriCorps has given the opportunity to an incredible number of people to achieve some of this capacity through supplying the organization that makes individual work so effective. I have relocated to a place of substantially greater need than my home and been given time and direction to accomplish more here than I would’ve had any idea how to at home. I’ve gotten the chance to collect and distribute donated food to people who needed it. Additionally, I have helped develop Aaniiih Nakoda College’s capacity to do the same after I leave. If I were not here, it seems very likely to me that those people simply would not have gotten that food. The consequences of that, even on the relatively small scale I work at, are unknowable. AmeriCorps has given me the chance to accomplish something with my time that I don’t believe I otherwise could have.
Americorps VISTA is a decision I am extremely glad to have made. While I feel a strong sense of duty to others, ultimately no one can accomplish the things the world demands alone. The standard of living I reflected on goes beyond anything I can accomplish, even with guidance. But Americorps has gotten me a lot further than I could’ve gone without it. If more people can have what I do, this opportunity to help others, I believe that together this problem we face would look a lot more surmountable. The ultimate goal of VISTA was to eliminate poverty and, while that is not an easy goal, I am certain it is achievable. I am proud to be one of the people helping accomplish it. And while it was perhaps the largest change of my entire life to come here, I don’t regret it for a second.
