General VISTA Activities or Projects: Building the Park County Open Lands program's capacity to support food producers in the region and ensure the long-term success of local agriculture. This includes community outreach and needs assessment, developing and implementing resilience models, and connecting stakeholders to resources and resilience building opportunities.

Reason why you chose the VISTA Program: My senior year of college, I participated in a direct service program where I worked with unhoused individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area on getting access to social services. I found there were many systemic issues that made the work much harder but that I had no way of impacting from within my role. I grew interested in indirect service as a way to better address the root issues behind poverty and chose the VISTA program as a way to engage in meaningful indirect service while still early in my career.

Why you chose this VISTA position, experience, location: While I have always lived in urban areas, I recognize that rural communities make up a large part of the population and that without the agricultural work done in rural areas, urban living would be impossible. I chose this position out of an interest in better understanding rural poverty and living as well as a deep passion in conservation, climate issues, and sustainable food systems. I was particularly drawn to northwestern Wyoming out of a deep love for the region's landscape. The rugged mountain ranges, the big open skies, and the abundant wildlife make this place truly special.

One thing you want to do other than your service tasks, in your year of service in WY: Climb the Grand Teton!

If you could create a book series, movie or TV show about your life, what genre would it be and why? Probably a sitcom -- something silly and unexpected is always happening!

What genre of book, movie or TV would you like to have if stranded on a desert island or at the top of the Big Horn Mountains? A long, suspenseful science fiction novel.