If I learned one thing in college it’s that our country is
lush with inequalities. I could go on for hours about it but I’ll spare you
(this time). However, This is how I see it: the base of the equality problem is
that the institutions in this country are set up in a way that perpetuates the
cycle of disenfranchisement (i.e. low-income neighborhood = public school with
few resources = poor quality education = low-income job = low-income
neighborhood and so on) and unless people with power and means are willing to
fight for programs that will better serve marginalized groups nothing will ever
change. Of course there are extraordinary people who beat the system and find
their own success, but they are the exception, not the rule.
So this brings me back to my decision: I’m young, I’m educated,
and I care…and joining Americorps will allow me to give back as part of a
national service program, what more could I ask for? How could I sit around
discussing and understanding inequalities and do nothing to contribute? Let me
break it down for you, I’m young and living below the poverty line is doable,
it’s not like I have a mortgage and I’m not afraid of roommates. I’m educated
so I’m qualified to do the work the United Way needs me to do. And the last
piece is easy, I care and I want to help. Serving my country in a non-violent
way that has been proven to help people is the dream (for me anyway).
As a millennial I have some unique needs. I need a job that
is fulfilling, and this one fits the bill. I need to feel needed, and I’m in a
position that virtually guarantees it. I need to have an adventure, and what’s
better than up and moving to another state in the middle of a heatwave?
One more thing: I want my life’s work to be to help people,
and this is the first step.
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