Hey Y’all! My name is Hollis Hubbard and I am serving my second term as a VISTA in beautiful Missoula. I’m originally from Kentucky but my lifelong love for mountains and wilderness brought me out west in 2018 after graduating from college. My favorite things are camping, hiking, skiing, and taking pictures of my constant canine companions; Auggie and Harlow. I cannot wait to experience my first summer in Montana. My partner and I have several backpacking trips planned as well as a bikepacking excursion. It will be my first time riding my bike over fifty miles. I also have never seen a grizzly bear. I am ready to get this Montana milestone over with.

My service site is the University of Montana’s School of Social Work. I’m helping collect data and secure funding opportunities for the 2+2 Distance Learning Program. The 2+2 Program is designed to support rural and tribal students throughout Montana in earning a bachelor’s in social work without having to leave their communities and families. I love my position because I care deeply about rural and Indigenous justice. I have learned (and unlearned) a lot from indigenous educators in my time serving as the 2+2 VISTA. My perspective on allyship has grown from exposure to Native American history and modern resiliency.  The School of Social Work has recently adopted an Anti-Racist Platform and I have got to see firsthand the process of implementing program-wide change. It has been a very rewarding and valuable experience for me to be included in conversations centered on developing and striving for a safer and more inclusive community of learning.

Before coming to Montana I served a VISTA term in Bend, Oregon as a public health equity coordinator at the Deschutes County Health Department. In my time serving in public health I developed a passion for harm reduction work, especially syringe exchange programs. I am happy to say that I am continuing this passion in Missoula. I currently volunteer once a week at the Open Aid Alliance syringe exchange. It has been a great opportunity for me, not only to continue learning about harm reduction, but to actually get out of my house and have conversations with people. My friend and MTCC cohort member, Cas, often volunteers the same day as me and it has been great to get to know a fellow VISTA better. 

The pandemic has me mainly working from home. Like many others in my cohort, I am struggling with some of the challenges that come with moving to a place with limited opportunities to meet people. Even though I have never been an extremely social person, the isolation has been nerve wracking. Working from home has its challenges and I find myself losing focus more easily. However, I do feel grateful for many of the lessons this difficult period has taught me. On a personal level, the pandemic has revealed to me the importance of things I once took for granted. The pandemic has also reaffirmed my pursuit in a career centered on health equity and restorative justice for those facing systemic poverty, lack of housing, and lack of healthcare. 

Overall, I have been very happy with my term as a MTCC VISTA. Now that I have reached the halfway mark of service, I feel sad about leaving AmeriCorps. I know I have gained so much valuable experience in my two years as a VISTA but when it comes to the future I am being very open minded. The pandemic challenged me to be more flexible and accept the fact that many things are out of my control, and that is alright. I’m using my newfound ability of letting the chips fall where they may guide me into a future I have no definite plans for. While I hope to continue working on projects centered around social justice, I have no idea where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing after serving. By focusing on the present, I have seen improvements in my performance as a VISTA and in my general happiness.