Student Stories

Chad

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

Particularly, it highlighted the reciprocal nature of learning and growth gained when mixing two very different communities.

Which community did you volunteer at, and what did you work on while you were there?

I went to Forks twice (once as a participant, next as a team lead) and worked with the Literacy ASB. We worked with 2nd grade students to help them plan, write, illustrate and finally create their own books, working on themes that focused on sense of place and the uniqueness tied where you live/grow up.

How has being a part of ASB impacted your goals and dreams for the future?

Participating in ASB reinforced my love of service and community work. Particularly, it highlighted the reciprocal nature of learning and growth gained when mixing two very different communities. To see how the environment of Forks so greatly influenced the personalities and interests of the children I was able to work with gave me a new lens to consider my life through. Additionally, it feels good to hear the young students speak so earnestly about their dreams and goals, and to be able to see their excitement when you offer your encouragement and support.

What is a favorite memory you have during your time with ASB?

There are too many fun times to select just one. My favorites have been goofing around with the students in order to get them more comfortable working with me for the week. I’ve been chased around the entire grounds of Forks Elementary School, have worn drawings of me as a cat/a minion/ a flamingo/etc., this most recent time I had quite long hair and so on Crazy-Hair day I went through about 7 different hairstyles throughout the day. It’s also been great bonding with my teams and our host-mama Sally Milici. We’ve gone on hikes to Second Beach and visited the Twilight museum (complete with photoshoots with the cast cut-outs), and of course always finding time to play music with Sally.

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Abigail

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

I think many students come into the university with these grandiose goals to change the world, sometimes forgetting about the small human-to-human relationships that these large changes need to be rooted in.

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Alisa Torres

Jumpstart: Early Education

My involvement with the Jumpstart program has truly shown me what it really means to serve others altruistically in our communities.

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Alyson McGregor

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Ann Margaret

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

The needs of these communities are often neglected in science, so I hope to do something in the future where I can advocate for communities that are close to the land, and be able to bridge the gap between social and environment needs.

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Ariana Westbrook

Jumpstart: Early Education

As a result of my service with Jumpstart, I have confidence in the methods I use when I work with children.

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Ashley

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

I have made it my personal/professional goal to support others in sharing their stories as a form of personal empowerment.

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Auston Jimmicum

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Christine Young

Jumpstart: Early Education

I went into UW thinking I had wanted to become a Pharmacist but when I volunteered as a Jumpstart member, I knew teaching was my passion. After I graduated, I was hired as a teacher at the site I had volunteered at.

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Dawn

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

ASB allowed children to have a voice, adults to hear those voices and lend resources, and communities to show each other what their homes and journeys were all about.

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Easiea’s STEM Riverway

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Feben Gebremichael

Ellis Civic Fellowship

As part of the fellowship, I worked with a number of different organizations. First I explored local food banks, then a brief internship with Ventures, a non-profit that helps equip people with the tools they need to start their own businesses, then with the Dream Project.

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Geetika

CELE K-12 Tutor or Mentor

I was initially going back and forth between major and career options, but being a tutor has helped me find a home in the School of Social Work.

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Gloria Johnston

Jumpstart: Early Education

Eight years later, I am still close friends with my fellow teammates.

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Heaven Tesfamariam

Ellis Civic Fellowship

The Ellis Fellowship had an impact on my post-graduation plans because of the service component, which made me more involved in my community–especially the Eritrean Community Center. One of my biggest commitments with them has been mentoring YPFDJ (Young People Stand for Democracy and Justice).

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Jillian

CELE K-12 Tutor or Mentor

I love the one-on-one work with students, and strongly believe in the value of mentoring young children.

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Joy Levine

Ellis Civic Fellowship

Twelve thousand of our neighbors are currently experiencing homelessness and countless more live with unstable housing due to high rents. My Ellis Fellowship service commitments with Mary’s Place, Pike Market Senior Center, and ROOTS Young Adult Shelter gave me a passion for affordable housing policy and bringing down barriers to housing for our at-risk neighbors.

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Kaylen

CELE K-12 Tutor or Mentor

Being a tutor has definitely opened my eyes to see how important it is to be a consistent person in these kids’ lives.

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Kiss’Shonna Curtis

Ellis Civic Fellowship

I’d like to be active in being a part of the change for Seattle’s homeless population and advocating for more mental health resources.

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Monika

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

Experiential learning gets you to begin to connect theories of social life with performances and social action, and is rooted in the human-to-human connections you get when you are embedded in a community.

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Nancy Huizar

Ellis Civic Fellowship

As a young woman of color, I researched and have experienced how historically and in present-day communities, People of Color have been intentionally kept out of decision-making on important environmental issues.

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Neah Bay: Telling Our Stories

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Shruti

Riverways Rural & Tribal Programs

My experience gives me hope for the future, because I know that there are people out there, such as the ones at CELE who are trying to elevate under-privileged communities and their youth and bringing us closer to equity in not just education but all aspects of society.

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Steven Rowe

Ellis Civic Fellowship

As a fellow, I participated as a Union Gospel Mission front desk assistant, a youth tutor for the Seattle public library (Delridge branch), a Somali Community Services tutor, and a Juvenile Detention Center activity facilitator.

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Tehya Widmann

Jumpstart: Early Education

I joined Jumpstart because I wanted to keep working with children even though I was pursuing a non-education major.

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Vy Tran

Ellis Civic Fellowship

The majority of my time was spent organizing events, working on the curriculum, and getting more mentors onboard. We were also placed in special storytelling and community classes together, which were pretty amazing…some of the most interesting topics I’ve ever been presented with in college.

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