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 for every experience.

From September to December I spent most of my time adjusting and learning and finding my groove within the community of Missoula and at the Historical Museum of Fort Missoula. In those four months I saw over 1000 students for fieldtrips, learned more Western Montana history than I ever thought I could, and became enamored by the museum world from the inside. Seeing the way that exhibits and education programs work cohesively, how the development and advancement of the museum fundraises to allow for restoration projects and programming, how just six full time staff can bring so much knowledge to life is unbelievable. So, while I was back home in Indiana for the new year, I decided to apply to Graduate School for a Master’s in Museum Studies. It seemed strange to be thinking of my after-service life not even halfway through my year, but the last four months had made such an impact I knew it was the right thing to do.

After a quiet winter at the museum, (and hearing that I had been accepted into my grad program!) we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring fieldtrip season. But we got a global pandemic instead. Suddenly I was working isolated at home, relying solely on Zoom and Google Hangout calls for many social and service interactions. Instead of in-person fieldtrips, my spring consisted of reading, research, and developing creative ways to bring education to the community virtually. Having to navigate isolation, remote projects with limited technology, and the sadness of not having as much interaction with students, made for a very challenging end of service. These last 4 months have been challenging and confusing in a multitude of ways. I was able to return to site in the middle of May, but the museum was very cautious about reopening to the public. Since June 1^st, I have only interacted on site with a handful of student groups. However, our weekly education lessons and bi-monthly history activity packets at EmPower and the Foodbank here in Missoula have only been growing. Instead of leading hordes of students around the museum grounds, I am assembling hundreds of packets with clay or ribbons or beads and string and popsicle sticks that tie into a Western Montana history lesson.

From start to finish my time with AmeriCorps has changed its appearance a few times but never its goal. AmeriCorps has given more to me than I thought it would – learning to take things as they come, a “next step” for my career, and a sense of community. It may not have been the second half of service or summer of tours and activities I had pictured, but it was the second half of service I was given, and I will always be thankful for it. Missoula, you will always hold a place in my heart.