Hello!
My name is Madi Cordle, and I am a third year double major studying economics and English with a minor in business administration.
Returning from a semester abroad at the end of my second year, I felt disconnected from the Gainesville community, and dispassionate about my future at the University of Florida. Having worked with Manda through a summer internship with Engage UF before going abroad, I reached out for a meeting in which she suggested I join the Path to Purpose Fellowship. From the date of my first Path to Purpose meeting in early November 2022, my time in Gainesville was radically redefined.
Two weeks into the fellowship, I met with Jeremy Griffith, a 2021-2022 Path to Purpose fellow, to discuss his role with the Neighborhood Revitalization Coalition (NRC). He was interviewing current fellows interested in taking over his directorship, and the opportunity was just what I was looking for: a leadership role founded in communication, collaboration, and relationship building with students, administration, and Gainesville community partners.
I assumed directorship of the NRC in December 2022, and have since been working to build my own relationships with and learn from our community partners about their needs and the systemic issues facing the Gainesville community.
Through Path to Purpose, I have discovered my passion for impactful relationship building, and working with an area's existing human, cultural, and political capitals to affect social and economic development. For this reason, I am seeking purposeful employment opportunities to work toward the advancement of more equitable communities. I have my sights set on law school or a master's in public policy after gaining field experience so that I may become equipped to impactfully advocate for the economic, physical, and mental wellbeing of those in need.