Staff Members
Dan Flynn, Director of Community Service
Dan
Flynn's background in service began at Merrimack College where he was
introduced to such programs as Alternative Spring Break and service retreats.
He traveled to places such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mexico, Ireland, the
Netherlands, and Cyprus. In each location, he did valuable work in the
community, such as organizing play groups for children in an orphanage or
building a home for a low-income family.
Dan earned his Bachelor's degree in
political science from Merrimack College. He went on to receive his Master's
Degree from Boston College in Higher Education Administration with a
concentration in college student development.
One of Dan's greatest
accomplishments was establishing the first girl's track program at St. Joseph's
Middle School in Camden, NJ. This was part of his year-long commitment to
volunteering in the poverty-stricken community. His year of service, under the
auspices of the Augustinian Volunteers provided him with the insight that he
would always need to involve service in his life.
Combining his love for
higher education and his goal to always serve, Dan took the position in the
Office of Community Service at Lesley University. In four years, Dan has worked
with many undergraduate students and community organizations to create
long-lasting relationships where needs can be met. These relationships include
the 5th Ward Elementary School in Reserve, LA, Habitat for Humanity in
Spartanburg, SC, Tutoring Plus and Bread and Jams in Cambridge, MA. Dan hopes
to increase the number of "quality hours" that Lesley University
students serve as well as increasing the visibility of Lesley University out in
the greater community.
Sarah Chafe, Community Engagement Coordinator
Sarah Chafe serves Lesley University as an AmeriCorps*VISTA
sponsored by Massachusetts Campus Compact. In the role of Community
Engagement Coordinator, Sarah works with the Director of Community
Service to offer quality service opportunities for Lesley students
and local non-profit organizations in the Cambridge and Greater
Boston area. Her goal is to help Lesley students engage their
communities in meaningful ways through service, student leadership
training and community building.
Sarah graduated from Lesley
University in May of 2011. She first became involved with the
Office of Community Service when she attended the R.E.A.L. Retreat
in her freshman year. During her four years at Lesley, Sarah was
very involved as both a participant and a student leader with many
office programs including Alternative Spring Break, R.E.A.L
Retreat, and Federal Work-Study.
Sarah believes that service can
play an important and positive role in students' development during
college, and through her experiences Sarah has discovered the many
ways that service benefits both the participating students and the
recipient communities. She believes in building community
through service and works to achieve this goal.
Sarah is excited to be working in
the Office of Community Service full time. Stop by and visit her at
Doble Hall Room 204 and discover the great ways to get involved and
serve Lesley University, the Cambridge community and beyond!