Dylan Moore, a former CaliforniaVolunteers (CV) staffer, is currently an AmeriCorps Member with Backcountry Trails Program.
I came into the world of AmeriCorps at an interesting intersection in our national discourse. It was a time when we as a country and as a people were reminded of the importance of uniting to move our communities forward. It was also a reminder that even as we move forward, we rarely, if ever, reach the end of our service.
Each year AmeriCorps serves hundreds of thousands of Californians, in schools, parks, local governments, courts, in every nook and cranny of our state. The struggle with service is that the more we do, the more we uncover what is yet to be done. For so many people that prospect is defeating. But if ever there was a group of people equipped to overcome that feeling, it is AmeriCorps members. The resilience and dedication of the members that I’ve met is what compelled me to follow in their footsteps.
When I joined CV and took the Oath of Office, I swore to uphold a commitment to the constitution of our state. When I raised my hand, and repeated the AmeriCorps Pledge, I swore to better our community by bettering myself. Both of these moments asked me to dedicate my life to a cause larger than myself. They asked me to grow, learn, and thrive on behalf of our state. They challenged me to rise above the ease of isolation and ignorance and be the best version of myself. They asked me to embody the ethic of service that no national tension could ever dismantle. They asked me to live out the most American of values and find solace in a hard day’s work and a community of diverse, dedicated, and passionate agents of change.
The first time that I said out loud “I’m going to be an AmeriCorps member”, I burst into tears. It is an overwhelming honor to be a part of the community of people who have made great sacrifices to serve our state and our country. As an AmeriCorps member, I promise to honor the work, resilience, and patriotism of the alumni who came before me and the people who have worked hard to preserve AmeriCorps for myself and the generations to come.