This past year has been one of the most transformative chapters of my life. As an AmeriCorps Member and United Readers Literacy Mentor through United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierras (UWNNS), I had the honor of serving in the classroom of Cottonwood Elementary School in Fernley, Nevada. But I wasn’t walking this path alone, my eldest daughter, Donica Davis-DeLoney, served beside me at Cottonwood, and my youngest daughter, DonRica Davis-DeLoney, mentored students at EC Best Elementary School in Fallon. Together, we were not only literacy mentors, we were mother figures, life coaches, safe space holders, and, most importantly, part of a village nurturing the next generation of readers. My Youngest daughter @DonRica Balancing full-time service and full-time online college was no small task for any of us. It demanded early mornings, late nights, and a deep, unwavering commitment to our students and our studies. But we poured ourselves into this work because we believe in the p...

   From Dismissed by DOGE to Rooted in Renewal: Lessons from the Soil After AmeriCorps On April 28, 2025, I received a text message from my project manager inviting me to a "required Zoom meeting." Like many other AmeriCorps members, I joined, unaware that it would be my last official acts of service, ending May 9, 2025. Within minutes, I and hundreds of others across the country were dismissed. Not for misconduct. Not for poor performance. But because the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decided our roles were expendable. Just like that, my position as a Literacy Mentor with The United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierras was over. For months, I had poured my energy into helping children unlock the magic of reading. I tested, tracked progress, encouraged hesitant learners, and celebrated every small victory. The work was slow, like planting seeds. And suddenly, it was gone. But life has a way of continuing, and so does growth. Finding Grounding in the Ga...