Student spotlights
Check out these student spotlights and featured videos to discover more ways to get involved.
Antonia
- Class:
- Junior
- Major:
- History
- Minor:
- Psychology
Experiences that mattered
Reflection
My experience working in the First Year Experience has been one of the best work experiences I have ever had. It has given me the opportunity to really open up as an individual. I really enjoy working with the students that stop by the office and the faculty that work there. Through working in the FYE office I have also had the chance to participate in Bulldog Bash, Student Advising and ICL. I have been an ICL TA for 4 semesters and it has been a really exciting time for me to get to know and help incoming freshman discover UMD. Bulldog Bash was another really amazing opportunity to help incoming freshman get to know UMD and each other. As a team lead and a "Rockstar" I was able to assist and meet a ton of cool people!
Uduakabasi
- Class:
- Senior
- Major:
- Computer Science
- Minor:
- Philosophy
Experiences that mattered
Reflection
Being a tutor was a good learning experience for me, because I initially thought that to be a good tutor, all I would need to do was to know a lot about the subject material I would be tutoring. I came to find out, rather quickly, that this was not exactly the case.
Adrianne
- Class:
- Senior
- Major:
- Marketing
- Minor:
- Chemistry
Experiences that mattered
Reflection
I co-founded and have been the president of the Honors Student Association at UMD. We have worked to develop volunteer, networking and social opportunities for the students of the Honors Program. We've worked to engage the students of the Honors Program with the program, UMD and the community. I've really enjoyed coming up with ideas and events to have to contribute to this group. I've gained a great deal of professionalism and positive relationships through this activity.
UMD Alpine Skiing: Skiing has been a great outlet from the academic life of college. I have enjoyed being involved in training and competition as well as the organization of the team. As president, I've helped to coordinate fundraising, practices and competition schedules. The ski team is often a way for students who wouldn't otherwise participate in the UMD or outside community to get involved and it is great to help create and maintain this opportunity.
Autism Association of Northern MN: This is a non-profit organization working to create open channels between families, teachers and healthcare providers of children on the ASD spectrum. I got involved because I had tutored a girl with ASD and watched the struggles she had with social and academic life. The organization's mission is one that is hard to ignore having had exposure to the disorder. I've worked to help create awareness in the community and at UMD for the group and ASD. It has been an educational and beneficial experience and I hope to continue to learn from the committee.
Throughout my undergraduate experience, I have looked for opportunities to peak my interests in a wide range of areas. I've enjoyed working in different areas and learning about new topics. Being engaged at UMD has really added to my college experience in ways that are hard to describe. In addition, many of the activities I've done have added to my application to medical school and will hopefully continue to benefit me throughout the rest of my studies and life.
Dylan
- Class:
- Graduated Spring 2008
- Major:
- Anthropology
- Minor:
- Cultural Studies
Experiences that mattered
Reflection
The first engagement opportunity I had was during a general psychology class. One of the class components of my General Psychology class was to complete ten hours of service learning that I did at the Adult Learning Center in Duluth. The service learning I did at the ALC was rewarding for a number of reasons. Prior to this experience I had no idea about the need for volunteers in the city of Duluth. I went for an hour every Tuesday and did that for ten weeks. For the first few weeks I helped out students with math problems. The last couple of weeks I got to help out in the English as a Second Language class. At the ALC I got to meet a lot of really cool people. My experience at the ALC really opened my eyes to the bigger picture. As a citizen of a community I now feel that it is my responsibility to help those that are less fortunate in ways that are viable and substantial. This experience also made me realize that I was a citizen of Duluth and not just a college student living in Duluth. I would hope to continue working in the field of civic engagement, but if that is not possible I hope to continue to be an actively engaged citizen of whatever community I may be living in.
Leah
- Class:
- Graduated Spring 2008
- Major:
- Anthropology
- Minor:
- Environmental Studies
Experiences that mattered
Reflection
My experience with MPIRG taught me a lot about student organizing, working in a non-profit, working in and leading a large group, and running issue campaigns. I learned how to function in a large, busy and ever-changing organization. I also spent time thoroughly learning about the issues and working to use activities and campaigns that played a part in a solution for social and environmental justice.
Do you have a profile or video you would like to see posted on the Engage! search?
For student spotlights: e-mail engagedl@umn.edu with your reflections on 2-3 experiences that mattered to you.
For videos: Send us a link to a YouTube or Media Mill video that highlights your engagement with an undergraduate opportunity, and we'll consider adding it to the site.
