Path to Purpose

The P2P fellowship offers me the opportunity to learn about community capacity building and engagement from key stakeholders in the Gainesville community. Through workshops, presentations, meetings, group projects, personal reflections, two virtual exchanges, and research on community initiatives done in partnership with community organizations and members, I developed competencies that empower my ability to affect social change within Gainesville and beyond. I now have a more complete understanding of unconscious power dynamics, listening skills, and effective communication techniques which enables me to develop meaningful relationships with people I aim to serve. Over the course of the semester, I met with community members and listened to issues of inconsistency and insensitivity that they faced accepting student volunteers. I also developed confidence in my own leadership abilities through self reflection and practice, and feel empowered to lead the Neighborhood Revitalization Coalition team to enhance volunteer impact in the Gainesville community.

Fellows at Lake Wauburg retreat

Fellows engaging in restorative justice dialogue with Cindy Grimes and Eric Estling

Moments of Great Impact

Over the course of the fellowship, I felt there was not a single futile presentation or activity, though some resonated more strongly with me than others. Here are some key points from community members which continue guide my work in the community:

Terri Bailey, Fellows Retreat at Lake Wauburg

"When you believe you are a victim, you become your own oppressor"

In regard to reversing negative patterns, you must claim and proclaim who you are and who you want to be. For example, the affirmation "This which I offer to others is valuable because people often feel safe and empowered by me," has helped me claim and proclaim the value of my interpersonal skills and empowers me to be an impactful leader and community member

Cindy Grimes and Eric Estling, River Phoenix Center for Peace-building Presentation

"Dialogue is a conversation about people's lived experiences, not general accusations."

Peace is fostered through conversation and collaboration. Restorative justice can be attained through dialogue which helps people see eye to eye.

Opportunities and solutions are often ridiculed and violently opposed before their impact becomes self-evident.

Cindy and Eric facilitated a dialogue-centric activity, asking us to move around the room according to our opinion on contentious issues. Together, we were able to become more educated about the root causes of issues, and fellows often changed their position in the room after hearing about their peers' lived experiences surrounding the topic at hand.

Fraleigh Krause, Sustainable Impact Practice Master's Program

Defining the seven spheres of a community: human, natural, cultural, social, political, built, and financial capitals. Mapping these spheres is an integral part of asset-based community development.

Fellowship Work

As a Path to Purpose fellow, I frequently worked collaboratively with in teams of other fellows to influence social change.

Virtual Exchange

In groups defined by career interest, each fellow contributed to the virtual exchange, sharing their stories and engaging South African school children in dialogue and reflection that helped them learn how to share their own stories. I was personally in charge of the ice breaker section, and gained experience engaging peers and cultivating a safe, comfortable environment for people to share their stories, thoughts, ideas, and aspirations. This skill is highly translatable, as it helps me tremendously in the work I do with the NRC.

For two years in a row, I had the pleasure of facilitating a virtual exchange with students in Pretoria, South Africa. Our cohort taught them about the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and connected cross-culturally over shared values. Listening to their interests, stories, and goals offered personal and grounding perspective on global challenges, and inspired hope in a future generation of impact-makers all around the world.

Lightning Talk

Each fellow was required to practice presenting on a social issue that they feel passionate about. Because art therapy has had a great impact on my life, I chose to present on the power of art as a force of personal, relational, and community healing. Practicing presentation and synthesis skills like these has equipped me to advocate for social change, and to communicate clearly with team members and community partners. I now have confidence that my voice is valuable, and can contribute to positive impact in my community.

Lightning Talk Art in Healing.pdf

Lighting Talk 2024

As a second year fellow, I took the opportunity to teach my cohort about the research I did on the social and economic implications of the Child Tax Credit. Learning about effective policies which aleve poverty on a grand scale encouraged me to pursue a career in policy research, implementation, and development. In turn, I was able to inform my fellow cohort members about this effective, and perhaps lesser known, route to high impact and positive change.

Professional Development

The Brown Center for Leadership and Service at UF, which hosts my Path to Purpose fellowship, goes the extra mile to invest in their students. I, along with 9 fellow student leaders within the BCLS, was selected to travel to the national Impact conference, hosted this year (2024) at Stephen F. Austin University in Nachogdoches, Texas. As a graduating senior, my Impact experience was the most fulfilling opportunity for reflection and gratitude around my work with the BCLS and the work I am deeply moved to continue after graduation. Building community and sharing ideas with peers motiated in scial justice from across the United States brought new energy and perspective to our projects at the BCLS, and energized me in my own search for purpose outside of college. From learning about innovating program models, to workshopping hurdle to success in our home programs, to discovering the ways entrepreneurial empowerment affects communities, Impact conference offered innumerable tangible takeaways for the improvement of our community-driven work at UF. This experience highlighted the importance of community building across diverse perspectives, and emphasized the power of service to change lives.

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