SENIOR SYNTHESIS

As an incoming Freshman, service was already a part of my identity. More than that, I had chosen my major because it would allow me to partake in meaningful, community-engaged work in the future as a professional in the nonprofit sphere. However, I did not want to wait to get started. I joined the Community Engagement Scholars Program because I saw it as an opportunity to ground my coursework in real-world experiences. The connection between policy and these service-oriented opportunities was obvious to me. I knew that engaging with community members and working towards sustainable outcomes with them would make me more effective in my future career. Additionally, based on my experience in high school, I knew that this work fulfilled part of me that could not be satisfied in academia alone.

Because of my decision to join the Community Engagement Scholars, my first experience as a college student was service-oriented. I moved into my dormitory a few days early and traveled to southern Delaware with my cohort to work on a Habitat for Humanity build. The organization had a compelling mission and unique approach to service, which I was able to unpack with my peers after the experience as part of the introductory course for the program. By the time that I was heading back to the University of Delaware’s campus, I was already re-thinking what I knew about service. Once the semester started, I joined multiple registered student organizations. One such organization was the Blue Hen Leadership Program. As part of this program, I developed methods to effectively lead teams. I also attended several workshops that taught me how to think critically about ethical service and achieving shared goals. In addition to joining various student groups, I took on leadership roles which allowed me to engage with my campus community. For example, on my residence hall floor, I became a Neighborhood Empowerment Team Captain. In this role, I worked towards creating a sense of community by planning events and supporting my Resident Assistant. I also expanded my engagement beyond my residence hall. Since I knew that I wanted to study abroad, I joined the Delaware Diplomats Program, which focused on preparing students for doing just that. This program gave me the opportunity to engage with the global community on the University of Delaware’s campus through initiatives such as the American Host Partner Program. The lessons that I learned from these experiences strengthened my ability to be an ally and advocate. They also showed me what I was capable of accomplishing while still an undergraduate.

By the time sophomore year came around, I felt that I had a better understanding of my interests and knew that it was time to narrow my focus, at least a little bit, so that I could put my time and energy towards what was most important to me. The previous summer I had started undergraduate research at the University of Delaware’s Center for Research in Education and Social Policy, which I decided to continue. In the fall, I began my work as a volunteer intern with the Delaware Center for Justice (DCJ), which I was immensely passionate about. As an intern with DCJ’s School Offense Diversion Program, I conversed with students facing criminal charges as a result of their school discipline experience. Pairing this qualitative evidence with the program-specific data that I examined, the injustices were undeniable. For this reason, I decided to publish a policy brief that outlines a plan for reducing the impact of exclusionary discipline policies and practices. I continued in this role even when the work transitioned to an online platform in the spring, due to COVID-19. The pandemic brought about a unique set of challenges in my life. After losing my Grandfather, I became the sole caregiver for my Grandmother, who had Parkinson’s Disease. She passed away that spring. From this experience, I learned that service can also manifest itself at the micro-level. While making a continual effort to be involved with my community is important to me, I know that in the future there will also be seasons of life during which my energy will largely be spoken for. During these times, I can still apply what I have learned as a Community Engagement Scholar and be present for those around me.

Coming into the fall of my junior year, I felt that I was a completely different person. A tumultuous time in my life had just ended. My internship in the Office of United States Senator Chris Coons from that summer showed me that I was still passionate about nonprofit work. In this role, I reviewed policy & strategy for the drafting of gender-based violence legislation, among other topics, and directly supported legislative staff in efforts to engage with nonprofits and other stakeholder groups. I was also able to continue pursuing my interest in justice and worked on a project related to a district-level proposal to investigate the efficacy of School Resource Officers within the K-12 education system. However, I had to work to find purpose in my classes again. I took several at the graduate level, including economics and quantitative analysis, which were engaging and sparked a further interest in data which I am continuing to explore. In the winter, I went to Chile to work as an au pair, which was a wonderful, hands-on experience that helped me to feel refreshed coming into the spring semester. From that point on, I decided to take a page out of my Grandmother’s book, and to be content in the here and now.

Starting senior year, I wanted to make time for more direct services work. However, to my surprise, I ended up having to change my schedule to accommodate graduating early, which meant that I was devoting most of my time towards my coursework. It turns out that that lesson in contentment came at just the right time. I was also accepted into Campus Compact’s Newman Civic Fellowship program. With a nomination from the University of Delaware’s President, Denis Assanis, I was recognized as a student committed to changemaking. Through this fellowship, I have expanded my network of civically oriented college peers and have also grown in my relational and tactical skills, such as cultural competence, asset mapping, and systems thinking. I will finish my BA in public policy and Spanish studies this winter and will continue to work towards earning my MPA in the spring. I will also be applying my experience working with youth as a volunteer for the YMCA’s Youth in Government Program, which prepares young people to be civically engaged leaders, during the spring semester. I am still very much committed to the same values that encouraged me to join the Community Engagement Scholars Program. I look forward to applying these skills and values in the future, as I work to solve problems and build equitable communities.