A generous scholarship allowed him to graduate university debt-free, so Adam Greenberg is grateful he could even say that his 20s were a debt-free decade

traveling with intention through work with meaning.

Its time we make it possible for more young people to be able to say the same.

We have got to reform our broken student loan debt issues and make college affordability an actual political priority in the United States.

For Adam, some of that work includes peaceful student activism (which nearly lost him that generous scholarship); helping rebrand the mission statement at TOMS Shoes; copyediting in The Obama White House; teaching abroad (and in the woods); art and entrepreneurship in the Gift Economy; touring the US on the Campaign Trail aboard a waste-vegetable-oil-and-solar-powered school bus; two proud terms of national service with AmeriCorps NCCC, helping to rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina; and pre-COVID evacuation, two years with the US Peace Corps in Zambia as the cliche goes, teaching a (wo)man to fish as a Rural Aquaculture Promotion Extension Agent, Peace Corps only current fish farming post in the world.

Plus a few valuable early years in the restaurant and service industry.

While intention is important, impact matters more. Adam tries to remain mindful of the complex challenges indemic to efforts in development (aid vs. sustainability, resource theft and indebtedness, political corruption, the history of colonialism, the presence of white saviorism and systemic racism, the privilege of even being able to volunteer at all, to name unfortunately just a few).

Its all a process. Development is slow. Change is (often) slow; the right kind has to be. Sometimes we ought to be reminded there is no saving the world. Similarly, Africa is not a country.

How we talk about development matters.

But when we talk about talking, impact may at times look something more like listening. (Often, actually.)

And then only facilitating the consideration of a different perspective and encouraging a community to recognize its own ability, to choose to do the work, together.

Or not. Based on their own priorities.

A Fellow of both Young People For and PolitiCorps, Adam is also a graduate of Seth Godins altMBA, the New Politics Leadership Academy, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and the University of Miami (where he was directly threatened with suspension, expulsion, loss of scholarship, and arrest for his role in a peaceful 13-hour sit-in supporting campus janitors.)

During those specific instances of civil disobedience, Adam was probably most concerned with being arrested, but in retrospect, perhaps he ought to have been more afraid of losing that scholarship. Had he lost that very generous scholarship, this entire debt-free path traveling with intention through work with meaning would likely never have been possible. (But also, without that protest, would he even have had the same drive?)

For how many other young people is such a path already not possible?

Imagine

Actually, we dont need to imagine; its already happened and still is to far too many.

How short-sighted are we to strap a generation with $1.6 trillion dollars of ballooning debt while now expecting them us to simultaneously help tackle our worlds most pressing issues and biggest global challenges?

How short-sighted were we—the-old-we—to allow this?

And what are the-new-we prepared to do about it now‽

Prior to Peace Corps, Adam lived abroad for 5 years. After 2.5 years teaching in South Korea, he worked as an editor and consultant while he and Lianne continued to travel volunteering with help exchanges, CouchSurfing, and house-sitting throughout SE Asia and Australia.

After COVID eases, they intend to enjoy some time building and living in a van throughout South America.

A dog-person, he now likes one particular cat, as well as making photos, videos, and time for the guitar.

Trailer: Sí Se Puede. Union and Living Wage Student Activism Campaign at the University of Miami 00:52