I’ve wanted to join AmeriCorps since I learned about it back in High School. At the time, however, I was far from ready for independence. So, I went straight to college and got my bachelor’s degree. Afterwards— and for some time during for that matter— I was interested in having a radical change of pace. So, I decided to commit to a year of service.

I applied to several sites and eventually took a position at the Boys and Girls Club of Sidney, Montana. Sidney is an isolated town in the north-eastern part of the state, near the Dakota badlands. The community plays host to about fifteen other AmeriCorps members who serve at various locations around the town. Two of these additional members serve with “Communities in Action” and participate alongside me at the Boys and Girls Club.

I should mention that working with kids isn’t new to me. Helping at my church’s Sunday school was a great opportunity to engage with children, but this was in a supportive role, and was nowhere near as demanding as my service at the Boys and Girls Club. Then I decided to teach the kids about computer programming, and that added another level of difficulty. I definitely had no noteworthy experience with computer programming beforehand, so I effectively ran away from home to work in a field I knew next to nothing about, in a state I had never visited, to teach a subject that was new to me!

Despite that, I knew that the opportunities available to kids who knew more about computers would be fantastic, so I decided that putting together a computer programming plan for the club was a great idea.

I quickly found a children’s computer program called Scratch. Instead of writing out the code, users stack blocks that represent separate commands in order to create a complete program. This straightforward and fun system helps to keep coding from being intimidating. I have also been working on setting up a Girls Who Code club to increase participation on the part of the female students.

Of course, the coding program isn’t all I do. The Club runs many programs designed to develop the kids’ athletic abilities, intellectual capacity, creativity, and fine motor skills. We also provide snacks for the children, and we have gathered winter gear for our economically disadvantaged members to have in preparation for the colder months. One really fun thing I’m helping with is putting together an escape room for the whole community to enjoy.

I’ve also been able to travel and see the state, which is great since I grew up in Massachusetts and want to learn more about Montana. In October, I attended training for both AmeriCorps and Boys and Girls Club. All told, I must have crossed Montana four times! I enjoy seeing the many mountain ranges, the sprawling plains, and even a beautiful wind turbine farm. Not to mention half a million cows!

While being independent for the first time is uncomfortable, I’ve adjusted well. I’m getting along with my roommate and we just received our section 8. Everything is within walking distance from my house, which is convenient (even if it’s starting to get colder). I’m an aspiring novelist and poet and I like to write in my free time, so it’s really convenient that the library is nearby. My father also visited me a few weeks ago which was a wonderful chance to show him my new life.

I love doing this service because I love work that has meaning. I think that a lot of the world’s problems stem from the fact that so many people live in a way that has no meaning to them or to others. I love that I am doing something that’s important and valuable, and that I am having a positive impact on the Sidney community. To sum it all up, I love what I do, I love Sidney, and I can’t wait to see what else I experience in my year of service!