AmeriCorps Service
Dear Editor: As you know, AmeriCorps week is in full swing, and as a service member I hope to add a new perspective on this week of celebration, reflection, and respect for the service members in our community and across the nation.
There is not much more I can say about Sitka that has not already been said. It is a majestic little town where the views are only eclipsed by the kindness of its people. What I can offer to the discourse is my perspective. As much as I hate to admit it, I am born and bred of the Midwest. Having lived my whole life in the shadow of Chicago, I decided it was time to stretch my legs a bit, and after finishing my degree at Purdue University I joined up with AmeriCorps and found myself in Sitka.
The juxtaposition of these two geographically opposite places filled me with an overwhelming sense of awe, a touch of homesickness, and an ever-burning motivation to engage in the novelties of a new home. With each outing and each adventure, this tiny island town grows in scope, and the mountains and seas make for a much better view than corn fields. Never have I lived in the shadows of perfect snow-capped peaks, nor have I been able to wake up to the smell of the fresh ocean breeze on the air. However, in Sitka, this has become my daily joy. For me, Sitka is home to the small joys of life that I have been searching for so long.
For all these joys, I must thank AmeriCorps, for I could not have them had I not been selected to service this community. My host site is with Youth Advocates of Sitka, a proudly non-profit organization that serves to empower the youths as well as promote positive mental health of the community at large. I have found myself feeling so fortunate to serve with such an organization, seeing as I hope to enter the mental health field for my career. Youth Advocates has given me not only an opportunity to learn new skills, but hone ones that I already possess as well as reaffirm my personal convictions regarding mental health care. Engaging with the youths of this place has been a unique challenge that I have come to relish. I must thank my personal young age (a bright eyed, bushy-tailed 22-year-old) for my ability to connect with the youths with whom I have interacted. When told by naysayers I would struggle engaging with apathetic teens, I initially lost my motivation to achieve the goals I had set out to complete. I am happy to say that those naysayers were proven wrong, as the youths of Sitka are intelligent, mindful, genuine and, above all, determined to rise above the stations they have been allotted in life. I have nothing but pride for the young people with whom I have interacted and reveled in watching and aiding in their growth.
However great my current position seems to be, it is always blemished by knowing that much of our country, and the world, is still suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, I have not lost a loved one to this wretched disease, but I have had to be careful. My father is immunocompromised, making my travel plans more anxious than usual. After distancing and hand sanitizing my way through multiple airports, I landed in Sitka. Within a month I am vaccinated against the disease that has caused the worst pandemic in a century. I can only say I am thankful to the hard work and dedication to public health that this community has. As well as allowing someone in my position of relative health to be able to become vaccinated. Soon enough, this will be a distant memory, and I look forward to that day.
I do not think I will ever come to an end of reasons I enjoy Sitka. It is exactly the place I need to be at this point in my life. I has given me a sense of peace and calm that I have struggled to find my entire life. It has given me opportunities to grow as a professional and an individual that I do not think I could have found elsewhere. For as much as Sitka has given me, I hope to be able to give back, because this community, this land, and these people deserve it.
Thank you and Gunalchéesh,
Adam Lechowicz, Sitka
AmeriCorps Week
Dear Editor: My name is Jacqueline Mei, and I am an AmeriCorps member at Blatchley Middle School. I serve as a tutor and help facilitate online classes. As it is AmeriCorps Week, I am writing to share my experience with this program in our community.
While Sitka schools have had the privilege of providing a safe in-person learning environment for students and staff for this school year, some students have opted not to return to school for various reasons. My work ensures that sixth-grade remote learners can have their questions and concerns addressed so that they are not left behind while studying from home.
My story of becoming a member is tied in with the COVID pandemic. Like with all Americans, my life was highly disrupted by the pandemic. As a college student, my life was turned upside down. After spring break 2020, I saw an email saying that a student had caught COVID while on vacation and students would have to return home. During the rest of semester, I struggled with online classes and did not believe I was getting a good deal for my tuition.
After that semester, I agonized all summer over what I would do next. However, I came to realize that going back to college would not be the best use of my time. Knowing that the pandemic was not going away soon, I knew it was crucial to help others during this trying time.
Because of this, serving with AmeriCorps was a perfect fit for me where I could provide disaster relief with my skills and talents. Now I can use my experience struggling with online classes in a productive manner to help others.
I have been blown away by the warm reception I have gotten from Sitka even though I am from a distant part of the country. It has been a pleasure spending the last few months in such a welcoming and beautiful town. Getting to serve in-person at Blatchley as well as getting to know all of the students and staff has been a truly wonderful experience. Though things have been different this year and many events not taking place in-person, I could not think of a better place to spend during the pandemic.
I believe that AmeriCorps has been extremely valuable to both me and the community. It has given me an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the classroom and develop my professional skills while providing critical academic support to students. Due to serving at a school, I have been able to get vaccinated ahead of all of my friends back home. Furthermore, serving here has instilled a lifelong commitment to serving others that I will carry beyond this school year.
I will never forget my service here and living in this community. Thanks to Sitka for everything!
Jacqueline Mei, Sitka
