Exploring a New Culture
The most life-giving part of my experience so far is being able to experience and be welcomed and apart of the Navajo culture. I have been to so many different ceremonies, invited over to the homes of co-workers and friends…
Dear MVC SMASE volunteer
Dear MVC SMASE volunteer, Throughout the 2017-2018 academic year, I had the privilege to care for adults living with a wide range of developmental disabilities at St. Michael’s Association for Special Education (SMASE), located in Window Rock, Arizona, on the…
Living Unified
If you know me, you know that basketball is a huge part of my life. If you know me, you know its not because I play (because we all know that I am the un-athletic Rieker), but that it’s a…
The Unknown
A year of service. Eleven months, seven students, four new roommates, one Native American reservation, zero familiar faces, and thousands of miles away from home - that’s what I signed up for. I signed up for the unknown, the unfamiliar,…
Settling In To Navajo Nation
It’s odd to think that in a timespan of just more than three months, I’ve been able to settle into a place almost 2,000 miles away from home and feel as if the town is where my home has really always been.…