I think public service is an important part of the democratic project. Working for the government is not always easy (and often requires some personal and ideological compromises), but it has helped me understand better how states function, introduced me to a lot of interesting people, and provided me with a several opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives.
I served for 5 years as a Foreign Service Officer in Mexico and Norway, representing the U.S. people at numerous events and providing consular services for U.S. citizens in distress.
I served for 3 years in the U.S. Army as an enlisted musician, playing music for the troops on deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
While not directly government service, my work on DHIS2 (an open-source software to improve global public health) is definitely about contributing to the greater good.