Welcoming Immigrants Home
Where to begin? Six months have passed, yet I feel like I just began to get the hang of things. Growing up the daughter of two immigrants and biracial, I can empathize with the feeling of existing in between; as…
Impromptu Concerts
Part of life as a volunteer living in Queens is taking the subways everywhere. I know this is a normal part of a New Yorker’s life but it does not cease to be an experience every time. I’ve recently thought…
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,…
Four Reasons Why Community Life is the Best Life
In addition to people questioning my sanity and judgment when I decided to move across the country to volunteer, they also questioned why in the world I would intentionally decide to move in with three strangers. Most found the idea of…
Count It All Joy
I am three months into my year of service and I have experienced both unexpected joys and difficult moments. This year is challenging because we are engaging in the lives of people who face daily hardships. They live in poverty. They live with language…