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Odd hours. New challenges. Roommates. No, I'm not still in school, but I am learning each and everyday. How can I not? I work in a foreign land right in the middle of the country where I've grown up. Each day is a new experience. Each day, my eyes open a little more. Each day, I realize more and more who I am.

I am a second year Jesuit Volunteer (JV). I work on the Rosebud Reservation in south-central South Dakota at the St. Francis Mission, a Jesuit Mission that was founded in the late 1880s. This is a place where yesterday still impacts today—the people, the places, and the culture. You can still see the hurt in the eyes of the people you meet, the pride in the culture that seems to be slipping away with each new generation.

At St. Francis Mission, I work in a number of roles. I started off as a full-time deejay (and part-time producer) for the Mission-owned radio station, KINI 96.1 FM. As time went on, I started to work more closely with the Mission in helping to form and establish a Media Department.Today I do both. I run the Mission's social media and websites, host and produce a couple of radio shows, take pictures and film videos…and whatever else is needed of me. I'm kept busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's been said that you should find the things you're passionate about and do those things for as long as you can. Well, upon graduation from Marquette University back in 2010, I dreamed about that—how I would do that and how long I could make it last. Almost two years removed school, it has lasted just that long. I wake up everyday and love the work that I get to do, the people I get to work and interact with, the things I get to learn both on my own and with others. Everyday is a new adventure.

When I first decided to become a JV on an Indian Reservation in the middle of Nowhere, South Dakota, as my community members and I sometimes like to refer to it as, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had never been to an Indian Reservation before in my life and could only imagine (with much Hollywood influence) what it would be like. Well, Hollywood didn't get it all wrong, but what they seem to overlook is the hope. Working for St. Francis Mission has put me in a position to see that hope, to see the potential for the people and the place we are working for. No, it's not always pretty. No, it's not always joyful. But, when it really comes down to it, there is a lot more to smile about than first meets the eye. The people I have the joy of working with show me that on a daily basis, and for that, I couldn't be more blessed.