{"id":282,"date":"2022-11-22T10:06:07","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T15:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/community-programs\/?page_id=282"},"modified":"2023-10-17T16:50:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T20:50:38","slug":"featured-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/community-programs\/community-engaged-learning\/featured-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Featured Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dulce Lina \u201919<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe best part of service learning for me has been the relationships I\u2019ve built with the people I\u2019m visiting.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dulce Lina had limited experience with community service before enrolling in Contemporary Social Problems (SOC-131) her second semester at Middlesex College. After learning that she had the option to complete 15 hours of service for a class assignment, Dulce was eager to get started. \u201cI was excited about service learning, especially after hearing our site options,\u201d she says. Dulce ultimately decided to complete her hours at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, meeting with undocumented immigrant detainees during weekly visiting hours. Dulce\u2019s main role as a volunteer is to spend time with detainees who are often held for long periods of time awaiting trial or deportation. Volunteers like Dulce offer a reprieve from life inside the detention center by way of a friendly face and conversation. Of her experience Dulce says, \u201cit\u2019s been really great, I love going there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Pre-Social Work major, Dulce feels her service has given her hands-on experience in her field of study, specifically communicating with people going through difficult times. Dulce recommends students take service learning courses because they have the ability to \u201cchange your mind completely and offer experiences that enhance what we learn in class.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dulce will graduate in spring of 2019 and plans to transfer to a four-year institution to continue her studies in Social Work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alexander Lewis \u201919<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI hope service learning courses will inspire students to take action and volunteer in their local communities.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Alexander Lewis is no stranger to social issues. At the age of 20, Alexander found himself estranged from his parents and without a place to live. With all of his belongings in one big suitcase, Alexander bounced between friends\u2019 houses, acquaintances\u2019 homes, abandoned buildings, and the street. He was homeless for months. During this time, Alexander slept in the 24-hour Dunkin Donuts in Highland Park whenever possible. Fast-forward to the present, and Alexander is no longer homeless and is studying Liberal Arts at Middlesex College. He enrolled in Contemporary Social Problems (SOC131) during the Spring 2018 semester and completed his service hours at The Table, a homeless outreach program organized by the Reformed Church of Highland Park. In a little over decade since experiencing homelessness himself, Alexander is giving back directly to local homeless communities. As a volunteer with The Table, he prepares large meals and serves them to the homeless in New Brunswick. Through this work, he has had the opportunity to connect with individuals whose situations are often similar to his own past experience. Of his service learning experience, Alexander has come to realize that \u201csociety needs to do more as a whole\u201d to support those in need. Alexander believes students taking service learning courses will \u201cbenefit from seeing how what they learn in the classroom applies to the real world.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander is a second-year student majoring in Liberal Arts General. He plans on studying Journalism at a four-year institution after graduation and intends to pursue a career in videogame journalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amir Wright \u201919<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThis experience has opened my eyes and helped me understand how others view the world.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

After learning about the service requirements for his Spring 2018 Contemporary Social Problems course, Amir Wright knew he wanted to do things a little differently than the majority of his classmates. Rather than select one of the service sites offered to the class, Amir specially requested to work with A Seat at the Table. This student-led initiative provides an open space for students from the Highland Park High School to express their thoughts and concerns about their experiences with discrimination. \u201cI wanted to do something that would impact where I\u2019m from,\u201d Amir said. As a lifelong resident of Highland Park, he describes the town as \u201cdiverse but not inclusive,\u201d and recognized that many marginalized students feel they do not have a voice in their own community. During his senior year of high school Amir, along with some of his peers and teachers, founded A Seat at the Table as a place for students to discuss and tackle these hard issues. Amir planned to continue working with A Seat at the Table throughout his college years, and knew this site would be a perfect fit for the service component of his course. As a volunteer with A Seat at the Table, Amir facilitates bi-weekly community meetings, represents the group at Board of Education meetings, and helps implement action items posed by members. Most recently, he helped establish designated space in the high school for Muslim students to pray. In regards to his coursework, Amir says his service has allowed him to better understand the institutional nature of social problems. In terms of the future of A Seat at the Table, he says \u201cI just hope we can push forward and create a loving environment for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amir is in his second semester at Middlesex College studying Communications. He plans to transfer to a 4-year institution after completing his Associate\u2019s Degree, where he will continue to study Communications with a specific focus in radio. His goal is to become a radio personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Abraham Saint-Vil \u201919<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cFor those few hours, that little time, I felt like I was making a difference for someone.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to taking on a challenge, Abraham Saint-Vil\u2019s believes you\u2019re either all in or you\u2019re all out. Despite his go-getter attitude, Abraham\u2019s first thoughts after learning he would be completing 15 hours of community service for his English Composition (ENG121) course last spring semester were not positive ones. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018man, I\u2019m so busy and now I have to do this too.\u2019\u201d Despite his apprehension, Abraham decided to complete his service hours at the Salvation Army homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Perth Amboy. His first shift was spent cleaning and washing dishes but left him feeling great about the service he was offering the community. True to his motto, Abraham decided to go \u201call in\u201d and dedicate himself completely to his service work. Following his first visit to the shelter, he decided he was ready to take on bigger responsibilities at his site, including cooking a full-course chicken dinner from start to finish for all of the residents in the shelter. Abraham\u2019s service experience had a lasting impact on him, and he continues to work with the homeless and uses his skills in content creation and media to develop projects raising awareness of the issue of homelessness. \u201cService learning helped change my perspective on the homeless,\u201d he said. Abraham believes service learning will help students challenge their beliefs and get in touch with their humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abraham is a second-year student studying Computer Science. His ultimate goal is to help develop and built new technology in his home nation of Haiti.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dulce Lina \u201919 \u201cThe best part of service learning for me has been the relationships I\u2019ve built with the people I\u2019m visiting.\u201d Dulce Lina had limited experience with community service before enrolling in Contemporary Social Problems (SOC-131) her second semester at Middlesex College. After learning that she had the option to complete 15 hours of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":223,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-282","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFeatured Students | Middlesex College<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/middlesexcollege.edu\/community-programs\/community-engaged-learning\/featured-students\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Featured Students | Middlesex College\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dulce Lina \u201919 \u201cThe best part of service learning for me has been the relationships I\u2019ve built with the people I\u2019m visiting.\u201d Dulce Lina had limited experience with community service before enrolling in Contemporary Social Problems (SOC-131) her second semester at Middlesex College. 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