A blog about exploring life and my random thoughts.

Would you move halfway across the country and work for under $10,000?

That’s the choice I was presented with a year ago. I accepted the challenge. I’m an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. VISTA stands for Volunteers In Service To America. VISTA’s mission is to eradicate poverty by helping nonprofits and educational institutions establish sustainability. Being a VISTA entails signing a one year contract to serve. We have the option of receiving a modest cash benefit or a more substantial education award at the end of our term of service. We live at poverty level to help us better understand the daily struggles of those we are trying to serve.

VISTA’s can fill many roles in the community but never direct service. For instance, a VISTA member might help a community organization set up an after school tutoring program for kids but would not be the ones doing the actual tutoring. I have worked in 2 educational institutions helping them to establish and sustain service-learning programs. Our students go out and fill needs in the community as a part of their coursework. For example, a student in a mental health class might go work at a long-term care facility for people with mental illnesses. The residents benefit from increased social interactions and the students benefit by getting the chance to more fully understand what they are learning in class by getting to experience mental illness in real life.

VISTA can really be anything you make of it. For me, VISTA has taken me out of my comfort zone and given me countless learning opportunities. I’ve met fascinating people and had the chance to grow as a person outside of the familiar influences of friends and family. While it’s not without its challenges, I have truly enjoyed my term of service thus far. I have a few months left and I hope I can make the most of it!

I hope that if you (or anyone in your life) are considering national service, you give it some serious thought. It’s a unique opportunity to learn and gain experience in any field you choose!

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6 Responses

It’s an admirable thing you’re doing and even greater for you to get the word out! I didn’t really understand VISTA (honestly I thought it had to do with Microsoft OS!).

To be able to do what you’re doing has immeasurable value to the community while providing you with a once in a lifetime experience. It can only serve to help you as you move on in life helping other as a Physician’s Assistant.

To answer the question, I would love to say I would move across the country for 10k and the opportunity to help others, but the truth is that you and those like you have made an incredible sacrifice. It’s easy to say “If I could I would” but that’s cheesy. So I won’t say it and leave it at that – the answer is in there somewhere!

Thank you for posting this and keep telling us about it. I know I’m interested.

[…] of mine since this time last year. Joining Americorps*VISTA and moving to Nebraska (see my post here) were the product of keeping an open mind. Being more open to possibilities and suggestions has […]

[…] so I’m hoping this post can serve as a response. I’ve talked a bit before about what being a VISTA entails and what it means to me but this will hopefully be a bit more in depth. Let me set the […]

[…] so I’m hoping this post can serve as a response. I’ve talked a bit before about what being a VISTA entails and what it means to me but this will hopefully be a bit more in depth. Let me set the […]