In this series, you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for Americans. — Bill Chapman (he/him/his), Engineer at USDS. Previously an IT Generalist/Software Engineer/Technical Leader. From Buffalo, N.Y. What led you to become an engineer at USDS? Like a lot of computer geeks, my career tended to follow and grow alongside my hobbies because I was always chasing after stuff that made me…

By Allison Abbott, Coulton Bunney, T. Annie Nguyen, and Pooja Shaw Nearly one million American families benefit from federally funded child care assistance. But it’s often difficult for families to navigate an application process that can be confusing and unnecessarily hard, and for staff working in states to quickly approve…

Every February, Americans pause to remember and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans, past and present. This Black History Month, we asked a few Black USDSers “What does this month mean to you?” Scroll down to get to know Black USDSers: Find out what they do, why they joined the…

By Lewis Mcilwain IV, Talent Operations at USDS In the eight years since our founding, the United States Digital Service has hired hundreds of dynamic and bold innovators working to make positive change. Many of our alumni continue their careers in public service, going on to hold roles such as…

In this series, you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for Americans. — Lewis Mcilwain IV (he/him/his), Talent Operations at USDS. Previously a Management Analyst with the Department of Agriculture. From The Chocolate City! Washington, D.C. What led you to Talent Operations at USDS? Before joining USDS, I had done everything from retail to higher education to human resources. By the time I…

This Veterans Day, we’re honoring our current and former service members by highlighting a collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Digital Service, which improved Veterans’ access to critical health and benefits information. The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care…

In this series, you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for Americans. — Alyssa Kropp (she/her), Service Designer at USDS. Previously international development to strategy and design. From Dorset, Vermont. What led you to become a service designer at USDS? There’s a couple of things that I think are vital in my journey to get to USDS. Namely, I grew up in a…

In this series, you’ll hear stories from USDSers and learn why they decided to join, why they stay, and how their work is making an impact for all Americans. — Stephen Massoni (he/him/his): Product Manager with the Refugee Coordination Center for the United States Refugee Admissions Program. Previously at a political tech firm during the 2020 election cycle. Prior to that, a career in EdTech and kids’ media, including a decade long stint at Nickelodeon. Currently, Chestertown, MD after 20…

By Suzanne Chapman, UX designer, researcher, and content strategist at USDS Designing for inclusion isn’t just about coding for accessibility or section 508 compliance, it’s about providing equitable and easy-to-use websites and services for diverse populations. Because good design is design that works for everyone. This post aims to describe…