Eli Bowe
AmeriCorps Senior Leader, University of Montana
Gabe Alderson
AmeriCorps Leader, Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Helena College
Camille Gianaris
AmeriCorps Leader, Drummond Schools, Helena College
Emily McMath
AmeriCorps Leader, Historical Museum of Fort Missoula, University of Montana
Madison McDonagh
AmeriCorps Leader, Montana Technological University
Chandler Padgett
AmeriCorps Leader, SpectrUM, University of Montana
Megan Ahern
AmeriCorps Leader, Upward Bound, Salish Kootenai College
Kate Dantzlerwald
AmeriCorps Leader, Rocky Mountain College Office of Community Engagement
Shakira Glenn
AmeriCorps Leader, Crow Agency Public School, Little Big Horn College
Ethan Marston
AmeriCorps Leader, Missoula Food Bank, University of Montana
Lana Petrie
AmeriCorps Leader, Indigenous STEM Research Education, University of Montana
Everett Walker
AmeriCorps Leader, Broader Impacts Group-Empower Place, University of Montana
Eileen Lamble, VISTA Leader,
Montana Campus Compact,
University of Montana
Jordan Blow
AmeriCorps VISTA, Partner with Place, University of Montana
Julian Costantini
AmeriCorps VISTA, National Native Children’s Trauma Center
Octavia Jimenez
AmeriCorps VISTA, National Native Children’s Trauma Center
Krya Kronberg
AmeriCorps VISTA, Office of Commissioner for Higher Education, Helena College
Grace McGrath
AmeriCorps VISTA, Office of Commissioner for Higher Education, Helena College
Kim Minch
AmeriCorps VISTA, 100 Fold Studios, Montana State University
Hilary Rosa
AmeriCorps VISTA, University of Montana Food Pantry, University of Montana
Greg Wagner
AmeriCorps VISTA, Dawson Promise, Dawson Community College
Alex Moore
AmeriCorps VISTA, Missoula Writing Collaborative, University of Montana
Gabe Alderson
AmeriCorps VISTA, Montana Department of Labor Career Lab, Helena College
Jerico Cummings
AmeriCorps VISTA, Montana Racial Equity Project, Montana State University
Hollis Hubbard
AmeriCorps VISTA, University of Montana School of Social Work, University of Montana
Cas Kendley
AmeriCorps VISTA, Moving Mountains Foundation, University of Montana
Ingrid Lindquist
AmeriCorps VISTA, Greater Gallatin United Way, Montana State University
Tessa Miller
AmeriCorps VISTA, Families First Learning Lab, University of Montana
Bri Morin
AmeriCorps VISTA, Rural Institute, University of Montana
Mary Sullivan
AmeriCorps VISTA, Pursue Your Passions, University of Montana
Courtney Bentz
AmeriCorps VISTA, International Rescue Committee, University of Montana
Naomi Simmons-Thorne
AmeriCorps VISTA, Great Falls LGBTQ Center, Great Falls College MSU
Katrina Tillapaugh
AmeriCorps VISTA, Veterans Advocacy Clinic, University of Montana
Member Monthly Highlights
Transitions by Nicole Lemaster | August 9, 2019
As my AmeriCorps service year nears its end, I try to piece together all the new ideas and skills that I’ve learned and package them into just a few sentences. How do you compact a whole year’s worth of experiences into a few… Read more
Legacy by Everett Walker | August 12, 2019
As I near the end of my first year of service, I’m looking at this paper and quite frankly I’m at a loss to capture it all. There have been numerous things that have had an impact on me both large and small. There… Read more
Don’t Underestimate Us: The Power Of Teen Girls by Clara Moser | August 19, 2019
This summer I had the opportunity to continue my work with the YWCA’s GUTS (Girls Using Their Strength) program as a Summer Adventure Leader. On the Summer Adventure trips middle and high-school aged… Read more
The Second Year: Over Snow And Underground by Eli Bowe | October 11, 2019
The snow is falling wet and heavy, the sky above is gray, and the streets are quiet. Nothing to be surprised by, until you realize it’s still September. Did the early cold-snap make me regret my decision to live in Montana a second… Read more
I Took A Nap At The Wrong Time And Now I’m A VISTA Leader by Paxton McCausland | October 11, 2019
I had everything set up, the skype call, the blazer, the notes, yet nothing was happening. The Peace Corps interview was meant to have started ten minutes ago, but I was the only one in attendance. Knowing that something was off, I frantically searched… Read more
Serving The Future Workforce by Gabe Alderson | October 29, 2019
There are so many reasons that people decide to take part in national service. For some it’s the prospect of the education award and resume building, and for others (such as myself), it’s the opportunity to take part in something bigger than yourself and to… Read more
I Can’t Hide My Trojan Pride! by Nolan Blankenship | November 13, 2019
So far, my service here at Montana State University has been a very rewarding experience. I’ve been a part of a few large projects already that have really excited me, and being able to directly help students find housing has also been very worthwhile. Despite all of this… Read more
Amber Mountains by Chloe Weber | November 19, 2019
So far, my service here at Montana State University has been a very rewarding experience. I’ve been a part of a few large projects already that have really excited me, and being able to directly help students find housing has also been very worthwhile. Despite all of this… Read more
To Be Continued by Emily McMath | December 4, 2019
One of the first things we learn to do as humans is communicate. Maybe it’s just through coos, wails, and large amounts of flailing, but we’re trying our best. This is where telling our story begins. Gradually, we learn to speak, and in my case… Read more
Finding Value by Ethan Marston | December 13, 2019
It was 2:29pm, and I heard a knock—I was so busy getting the room ready that I hadn’t noticed the police officer’s approach. I waved at him through the glass door, shuffled past the ball wall and the tables and reading nook, and hurried over to let him in. “Hi! I’m so glad you could… Read more
Mentoring Awesome MT AIMS Students by Lan Petrie | December 19, 2019
American Indians in Math and Science (AIMS), a program through Indigenous Research and STEM Education (IRSE) at the University of Montana, serves middle school students in the Browning and Missoula areas. AIMS encourages… Read more
Sometimes No Plan Is Best by Madison McDonagh | January 16, 2020
It’s always important to have a plan set for the future; you plan where you go to college, what your career will be, and what you will do afterwards. I never had a plan for anything; my attitude toward the future was that I’d figure it out along the way… Read more
The Gears Of Change by Haransh Singh | January 16, 2020
As I surge into my 5th month of what truly has been a spectacular AmeriCorps VISTA service term at the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), I am struck by how the experience has given me a detailed look at the gears of change… Read more
Crossing: A Tale Of Two Montanans by Chandler Padgett | January 22, 2020
I’m in my second year as a Montana AmeriCorps Leader, and my experience has been one of contrast. In the fall of 2018, I left Georgia and crossed a great swath of the country, prompted by a combination of necessity and a desire for meaningful education work. I ended up in Sidney, a small sugar beet town… Read more
Getting To Know Montana by Kate Danzerwald | January 30, 2019
Long-time Montanans love to talk about their famously arctic winters. “You live in the east, so this isn’t something you’ll be used to,” they would say with a smirk. Or: “Get ready. Layer up. Be prepared.” These wisdom nuggets were delivered to me at least twice a week. So… Read more
When One Door Closes, Another Opens by Megan Ahern | February 4, 2020
From the personal benefits and life-long connections to the professional development and education award, there are myriad reasons someone may choose to serve in AmeriCorps. For me, the decision was easy… Read more
The Warrior’s Way by Joe Wagner | February 10, 2020
When I started my service year I was lost. I was a lost warrior, a United States Marine fighting a battle I didn’t understand. It’s so funny to think about now, because of how the story turned out. But anyways it is always good to start from the beginning. That is where this story begins… Read more
You’ve Got Mail by Bri Howerton | February 24, 2020
My relationship with the United States Postal Service has been a tumultuous one. A new piece of mail in my box nearly every day not actually addressed to me, ever increasing postage prices, medical bills which arrive beyond their due date. The most egregious offense, though, was the failure of a “stop package”… Read more
Meeting The Most Resilient Children by Kelcie Murphy | March 2, 2020
I became a volunteer, family mentor, and intern for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in 2016 when they reopened their field office in Missoula to resettle refugees into the community. The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, and helps people… Read more
Who Would Have Every Thought by Laurie Berg | March 30, 2020
In the summer after my college graduation, I was working at a bed and breakfast and trying to figure out what I was supposed to do with my life, now that I held a degree. I really had no idea what was next. I found myself looking at tons of jobs, but nothing looked exciting. I somehow came… Read more
Champions Of The Pandemic by Madison McDonagh | June 17, 2020
We all sat in anticipation waiting to hear who would win the Inspire award at the First Tech Challenge robotics state competition at MSU. This award would determine who would compete at the robotics world championship in Houston, Texas… Read more
What I Learned From Three Years Of Volunteering by Sarah Poole | June 12, 2020
I started my service journey more than three years ago, when I decided to join the Peace Corps with my partner. We accepted positions in the Nepal Food Security program, where we practiced sustainable agriculture with community members, encouraged folks to eat more nutritious meals, built… Read more
Look Ugly And Do As Much As Possible by Elie Bowe | July 18, 2020
No one looks pretty on a Zoom call. Of all the national awakenings in 2020, perhaps this is the smallest and easiest to digest. I haven’t just come to terms with it, however; recently, I’ve found it to be something worth embracing… Read more
Lessons Learned by Megan Ahern | July 23, 2020
When I began my service term as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps Leader, I viewed it as merely something to fill time while I attended physical therapy. I had recently torn my Achille’s tendon, making it physically impossible to do my job as a wildlife biologist technician and leaving me… Read more
Expecting The Unexpected by Emily McMath | July 29, 2020
It is hard to believe that 11 months have passed since I came to Montana. I feel as I have only just been introduced to this magnificent place and it has come time for me to leave. I do not think I could have predicted a single thing that has happened in these last months, but I am glad and thankful… Read more
Summer At Soft Landing By Mabel & Lorraine Gardner | August 18, 2020
It was the last week of June and by this point, Summer was in full swing. Activities and outings with Soft Landing’s youth had kicked off to a great start and everyone, including myself, seemed eager for more. After introducing the kids to mountain biking and campfires… Read more
Adding My Impact By Ethan Marston | August 5, 2020
It’s been nearly a year since I began my AmeriCorps service term, and I didn’t really imagine it ending like this. I was assigned to the EmPower Place’s after school program, where I planned and executed fun and educational activities for… Read more