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NewsSep 22, 2017

Students spend summer in service

Summer Corps crew work with area nonprofits

By Georgia Sparling

Even though Lesley students log some 8,500 hours of community service a year, it can be challenging to volunteer while school is in session. Never fear, Summer Corps is here!

The program, which just completed its seventh season, gives seven students the chance to work with Cambridge- and Boston-based nonprofits from June to mid-August.

“Summer Corps is important for the students because it allows them to find their passions, to find something that really motivates them, and summer is a time when they might not be as busy as they are during the school year,” said Sarah Viadero, director of community service.

Application to the program is open to all federal work-study students. It provides an hourly wage and the added benefit of living on campus during the 10-week program – an added incentive for commuter students.

Jocelyn Martinez and three young students work on an art project sitting on a floor.
Jocelyn Martinez works on an art project with three kids at the Margaret Fuller House.

“Summer Corps is good for Lesley because it gives us a diverse group of students,” said Viadero, who is also a Lesley alumna. “We definitely get a lot of commuting students that want to be part of this program.”

The seven students selected for Summer 2017 worked approximately 1,000 hours, dedicating between five and 25 hours per week at a variety of nonprofits, including the Margaret Fuller House.

There, the students worked on art projects and reading with kids in the summer program.

“It brings a new face, a new light, a new energy to an already great program,” said Heidi Bluming, senior director of programs at Fuller House. “Student volunteers specifically provide this near-peer relationship that’s special to kids because they’re not their teachers, they’re not their parents, they’re not necessarily their older siblings, but they can relate to them in the way they can relate to an older sibling.”

Seven students stand in a group picture on Doble Quad with two Victorian houses behind them.
Front row: Jocelyn Martinez, Hannah Braun; Back row: Katherine Shannon, Edwina Liz, Rocky Cotard, Layza Espinal Maldonado.

“I can make a difference”

This past summer, Viadero also matched students with opportunities that fit their particular interests.

Katherine Shannon, a junior graphic design major, opted to focus on the homeless population by working at a soup kitchen and shelter.

“I think during the summer it’s nice to focus on others and to realize that there are greater problems out there that need attention,” said Shannon, “and that I can make a difference and help these people.”

Sophomore Joceyln Martinez, a commuter student, opted to focus on youth, which connects with her own childhood in a low-income Boston neighborhood.

“I did grow up in an underprivileged neighborhood, and I’ve also always been surrounded by nonprofit organizations. It just feels like home to me,” she said.

A highlight of the summer for Martinez, a global studies major, was coaching youth through Work Force, a program of the Cambridge Housing Authority. Martinez taught soon-to-be high school students how to do research, cite sources and present their findings on a variety of topics. The experience, along with other nonprofits she encountered during the summer, helped prepare her for her career.

“I really wanted to explore all these different nonprofit organizations because I do want to open up my own nonprofit organization one day in the future,” she said.

Throughout the summer, Viadero debriefed with students about their experiences, and she would like to see the connections they made during the summer translate to increased involvement during the academic year.

“Hopefully they’ll really love it and want to stay connected when they get back in the fall,” she said.

 

The Summer Corps crew:

Rocky Cotard, senior, illustration

Edwina Liz, sophomore, animation

Katie Shannon, junior, graphic design

Jocelyn Martinez, sophomore, global studies

Layza Espinal Maldonado, sophomore, biology

Hannah Braun, senior, early childhood education

Nicole Diaz, senior, counseling