AmeriCorps Members Begin Year of Service

It never fails to get me choked up when I hear young people take the AmeriCorps pledge as they begin their year of service.

Today, we held a virtual session to initiate scores of recent college graduates into the GO Fellowship. As GO Fellows they will be providing high-dosage tutoring and mentoring to students in urban schools throughout the Northeast. As a part of this orientation we were joined by Jenny Mauk, Chief of Staff to AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith. Jenny (pictured above) ended her remarks by asking the incoming members to raise their right hand and take the pledge, which I have included below.

At a time when news broadcasts, email inboxes and your social media feeds are filled with distressing news about the state of the world. I hope you will find the words of the pledge as uplifting as I do:

I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy, I will take action.

Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.

Huge shoutout to Elie Bilmes, GO’s Chief Program Officer and the entire Program team for their work on-boarding the young people, who never fail to inspire me with their commitment of service to others.