By Lucy Hicks | July 9, 2025 After a year of service at the University of Montana, I have learned a lot. It has been a difficult year, with lots of uncertainty not only for me, but also for my colleagues in AmeriCorps. Even with this, we have continued our service, knowing the importance of what we do.
In the fall, I assisted with Bill Pay at the University, directing students to the proper departments for their questions, as well as meeting with them one-on-one to discuss the issues they were facing and how to address them. Through this, I learned about the emergency financial services at UM, who the other staff were that helped students, and much more. By the end, I received cards and letters of thanks for taking the time in a whirlwind of stress to simply be there and give answers.
I had the opportunity to help IRC and Soft Landing with their FAFSA workshop for refugee students, working through each step of the process with them and providing support. I got to see the amazing work that my AmeriCorps colleagues did every day in Missoula, and it was inspiring to see not only their efforts, but the determination of the students getting ready for college.
I have been able to take lead on getting a career closet started at the University, to provide free and gently used professional clothing for students. This project has included partners across campus, from Sustainability to Alumni, and is very needed on UM’s campus. It has shown me how to organize people, keep a set goal and vision in mind, set up actionable steps to make that goal and vision a reality, and more.
I also visited Philadelphia this Spring for a national conference to share what we had done with our parent and family communications plans. With the Director of New Student Success at UM, I presented to a group of higher education professionals from across the country and learned more about what they do to support their students. We received compliments about our presentation that it was the best one they’d seen in a long time, and people requested that I send the templates I’d built out and gap analysis process.
Finally, I accepted a job at the University for after service, working with the Bear Necessities program as a coordinator. Through this position, I will continue working on the career closet, help with the UM food pantry, and learn about case management and SNAP assistance for students.
At the beginning of my service term, I could not have imagined that all of this would occur in one year. I also couldn’t have imagined how difficult the service would be. But when I reflect on my term with AmeriCorps, it’s clear that I wouldn’t be where I am today in my post-graduate career without this experience. And every step of the way was worth it.