Going back to our nation's founding, men and women have stepped up in various ways to defend our independence, freedom, and peace. Whether on domestic soil or serving in foreign lands, our Veterans give their all to those of us who call the United States of America home. But how does national service shape the lives of those who serve? Their families? Celebrate Military Appreciation Month and explore the impact of two veterans' service, both in and out of uniform.

It's hard to imagine the 9/11 attacks inspiring someone to serve, but that's exactly what happened with AmeriCorps Alumna and 9/11 Day Ambassador Cait Leavey. Cait lost her father, Lieutenant Joseph Leavey, on that day in the World Trade Center attack but found ways to heal through service. Cait chooses to remember her father by inspiring others to give back and doing what her father loved – helping others in need. Tune in to hear how she inspires others to serve on this day and continue her father's legacy of helping others in need.

When she tells people she's an AmeriCorps alumna who’s working to open doors to higher education for incarcerated youth, headed to Harvard graduate school, they make certain assumptions about her life. When she tells them she was working as a stripper before 18 years old, inducted into a fraud ring, and spent more nights in jail, they’re almost certain to make assumptions about how the rest of her life will play out. The thing is, both stories of her life are true.

Meet AmeriCorps alumna Shani, who found her true calling through service. Shani was incarcerated, healing from a traumatic past as a single mother. Despite roadblocks in her life, Shani invested in herself, attending University of California, Berkeley, and serving with Impact Justice to help young people who face challenges like her. Today, she's completing her master's at Harvard University. Tune in to hear Shani's inspirational story.

Learn more about AmeriCorps.