v

Mary Ann Shaw Centerf o r p u b l i c a n d c o m m u n i t y S e r v i c eSpring 2016 Newsletter

v

Literacy initiatives

community engagement

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

The Shaw Center connects the University with community programs, projects and needs in Syracuse

and beyond. We have several different programs we are highlighting in this newsletter, including Service

Learning, Nutrition, Literacy Corps, Balancing the Books and Engineering Ambassadors. We have formed

new partnerships and programs, and gained new volunteers. Over the past few months, I’ve had the

pleasure to visit and photograph the different Shaw Center programs and see how they directly impact

students, youth and community.

We have chosen to specifically focus this newsletter on the volunteer quotes and senior intern

reflections. We’ve asked volunteers about their input on their respective programs and advice they would

give to those who might be interested in volunteering.

Throughout the newsletter, you will also see different sections on each program, including reflections

from our senior interns and program data. We hope you will click through each section. When the icons

are highlighted in orange, you can click on them and go to that page. Contact us if you are interested in

learning more at shawcenter@syr.edu.

Best,

Nina Mullin, Communication Design ‘17

PR Intern

Each academic year, the Shaw Center supports an average of 25-30 courses that engage students in community-based learning experiences. This semester alone, we supported nine courses and approximately 250 students. Service learning took many forms; for example, student teams designed

and delivered health-related demonstrations and programs, an entire class gathered information and prepared written publicity materials, and individual students volunteered with community organizations to better understand the connections between theory and practice.

Service Learning

Service Learning Volunteers

“I learned the difference between service and true

community engagement.”

“Service learning forces you to interact with

new perspectives, cultures, and communities. It

enables you to impact someone else’s life and

likely change your life in some way as well.”

“My experience helped me understand the

importance of recognizing diverse types of literacies.”

“I think it is important for students to engage in

skill-based opportunities like [service learning].”

The Nutrition Volunteer Coordinators (NVC) at the Shaw Center are involved in several programs in and around the community. Their goals are to facilitate community-based learning experiences so that nutrition students can fulfill their recommended 250 hours of volunteer work. Volunteering prepares nutrition students to develop skills that will make them competitive

in the dietetic internship process. The NVC give nutrition students a place to start when looking for volunteer opportunities, so that they are then able to get more involved on their own. The NVC’s are currently working on three ongoing programs: Books and Cooks, Cooking on the Hillside and Food Busters.

nutrition

Nutrition Volunteers

“[The program] was fantastic and extremely

enriching. It gave me the chance to face the

social issues present in the US and gave me

some background I can use [in the future] when

developing nutrition education activities and

projects.”

“I think this program has broadened my view on

nutrition education, as it gave me the opportunity

to learn how to communicate the nutrition

information I have learned with others in an

efficient manner.”

“This program [was] very helpful in terms of

understanding how the “real world” may look at

nutrition. It is easy to forget that not everyone

loves whole wheat grains and broccoli.”

ChristinaMy role at the Shaw Center as a Nutrition

Volunteer Coordinator was to assist nutrition

students looking for nutrition related volunteer

opportunities. I was involved in managing the

Books and Cooks! ongoing nutrition program

my first year and transitioned to managing Food

Busters this past year. The biggest thing I’ve

learned working at the Shaw Center was how to

work with a community partner and to be flexible

when things don’t go as planned. Working at the

Shaw Center has had a great impact on my ability

to break down scientific nutrition guidelines and

present them in a way that anyone can understand

and relate to.

After graduation I will be going on to complete

my dietetic internship at Brigham and Women’s

Hospital in Boston. This year of rotations will

qualify me to sit for the RD exam, which must be

passed in order to work as a dietitian. I then hope

to start a career in clinical dietetics and eventually

have a larger impact by going into either nutrition

research or nutrition policy.

Christina LiPuma

Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Shaw Center Transportation Coordinators organize

a complex transportation system for Syracuse

University students who need to travel within the

city of Syracuse for academic and co-curricular

community experiences, such as student teaching,

tutoring, volunteer programs and internships.

They take student requests and manage a daily

schedule that accommodates student and

community needs.

tranSportation

The biggest thing I’ve learned in my time here was

effective communication in a professional setting.

As a transportation coordinator, every day we are

in contact with our peers in the office, students,

faculty, and the bus company. Communication is

key to success in this position and I’ve learned

how to handle myself in a multitude of situations.

The Shaw Center has greatly impacted me.

During my time here I have seen myself grow

professionally, mentally, and emotionally. Working

everyday has forced me to manage my time better

and helped prepare me for professional life in an

office setting. I would not be nearly as ready for

the next phase of my life without my time at the

Shaw Center.

While my job search is still ongoing, my plan is to

move back home for anywhere from 6 – 18 months

and work in New York City. After I build up a big

enough base to live on my own, I hope to move

closer to or in New York City.

Working on the Shaw Center has been an

extremely rewarding situation. I am proud to have

worked here for as long as I have. The people I’ve

been fortunate enough to meet and work with

have made the job a joy. I will miss the center and

am extremely grateful for the opportunity.

Paul Haramis

Newhouse School of Communications

Paul

Literacy corpS

Literacy Corps, the Shaw Center’s largest and

most longstanding literacy initiative, is a cohort

of Syracuse University students who provide

literacy support to Syracuse City School District

(SCSD) students in classrooms and community

based organizations. Tutors primarily support

elementary students through one-on-one or small

group interactions, and complete trainings and

reflections throughout the course of their work to

explore the connections between their tutoring

work and academic interests. Tutors currently work

at 32 schools and community-based organizations.

Literacy Corps Tutors

“I learned that I really love working in the

classroom and specifically working one-on-one

with students doing intervention work. I learned

that many students need individual attention for

their emotional, cognitive and learning needs.”

“I learned that I want to continue educating others, and myself, about the inequities in the school

systems in Syracuse and elsewhere. I grew such a bond with my students, but I know they need so much

more than just me or what I can provide for them.”

“I learned a lot about teaching in an environment

that is widely diverse and the patience and

ingenuity that goes along with that diversity. I also

learned about the importance of communication

and organization.”

“I’ve learned how culturally ignorant I was before

emerging into the Syracuse City. At LeMoyne, I got

the opportunity to work with an amazing and truly

compassionate teacher that had a great positive

impact on her students’ lives. I’ve learned from her

that I could make a positive impact in my students

as well.”

SeniorsLiteracy corpsClick on each picture to read more

Bravo

I am an intern with the Literacy Corps assisting

with daily office functions. I also serve as a

member of the Corps Council specifically working

with the Corps Council to fundraise for First Book.

This year, I was in charge of working to solicit

donations from area businesses to provide books

and other school supplies for students in the

Syracuse City School District.

The biggest lesson learned during my time with

the Literacy Corps is how important is to be aware

of the community in which you are working. It is

easy to make assumptions and plans to aid a

community, but without fully understanding the

obstacles those in the community are facing, you

are essentially pulling at straws.

The Shaw Center allowed me to work in and learn

about a community much different from my own

which changed my perspective when assessing

the needs of a community. Working in the Shaw

Center allowed me to begin to understand how

change within a community comes about and how

obstacles within a community bleed into other

important aspects of a community – socially,

economically, and politically.

As of right now, I do not have a post-graduation

plan, but am looking forward to pursuing

opportunities in Washington, D.C. with regard to

policy making and the ways in which political

organizing and activism influence political change.

Adam Magill-Goodskey

College of Arts and Sciences

AdAm

Bravo

I am one of the Co-Chairs for Literacy Corps

Council. Most of my time in the office is spent

working on things that need to be done for

Literacy Corps and Corps Council purposes, but I

also help with Literacy Corps administrative tasks,

like handling tutors absences or helping tutors

with any questions they may have.

The Shaw Center has allowed me to improve

my leadership skills in many ways. First of all, I

have been able to improve my communication

skills. Every day I am in the office, I have to be

communicating with the staff, other interns and

tutors. I have also learned to value teamwork.

One thing I have observed during my time

working as a Shaw Center Intern is that each of

the interns of the different programs within the

center realize how important effective teamwork

is. All of us are constantly working together to get

goals accomplished. I often observe the interns

from the Engineering program discuss upcoming

events and how each task will be completed. It is

the same for us in Literacy Corps and the other

interns in Balancing the Books, Nutrition, and

Transportation.

The Shaw Center has allowed me to meet great

people and learn so much from both the interns

and the professional staff. I am very grateful to

have been given the opportunity to work in the

Shaw Center.

Angie Herrera

Whitman School of Management

Angie

Bravo

I am an intern with the Literacy Corps office, and

currently I work specifically with tutor training

on communities and school culture. I have been

with the Literacy Corps since my first semester

freshman year, and been a part of Corps Council

since my sophomore year.

The biggest thing I have learned in my time here

is that community is a constant, complicated

struggle. If we are fortunate enough, and work hard

to understand each other, then community is the

best place for marginalized people - particularly

thriving communities of color.

My plans after graduation include moving

to Brooklyn, NY to accept an offer with the

Uncommon Charter School network as an

assistant teacher for Middle School English. I

cannot wait to begin building relationships with

my students and community members in Brooklyn

through similar ways I have been able to do here

in Syracuse through the Shaw Center.

Sophia Bravo

College of Arts and Sciences

Bravo

Bravo

FrancesThis year I worked in the office as an intern and

was also part of the training committee, and for

the past two years I worked in Dr. King Pre-K. The

biggest thing I learned during my time here is that

I am working in a larger institutional system that

does not want me, or the students in SCSD, to

succeed.

Working at the Shaw Center, I built a lot of

meaningful relationships that I am sure will

last, and I worked together with some folks to

start reimagining and recreating what justice

in classrooms could look like. I got to do this

especially as a part of the training committee,

where we developed a different way to engage

new tutors to understand the community that they

will be working with, and their place as Syracuse

University students in the Syracuse community.

I hope that one day there can be more meaningful

conversations surrounding power relations and

privilege held at the Shaw Center, and that my

work has allowed for a space to start that kind of

conversation. I also hope to continue this kind of

work into the future, and find a space where I and

the people around me can come together to be,

heal, and nourish each other with a lot of joy.

Frances Huang

College of Arts and Sciences

Bravo

Weston I am a leadership intern in the Literacy Corps

office and am the Co-Chair of Corps Council.

I think the biggest thing I have learned is working

with people and how important it is to build strong

relationships.

The Shaw Center provided me my first work

experiences as a college student. I think my

experience with Literacy Corps and as a leadership

intern have definitely helped me as I navigated

other career fields.

I will be working for one to two years, then

going back to school for my Master’s in Public

Administration.

Weston Young

College of Arts and Sciences

BaLancing the BookS

Balancing the Books (BTB), a Shaw Center literacy

initiative, engages students form Whitman School

of Management as tutors who work with Henninger

High School and Huntington Middle School

consistently over the course of one year to teach

students financial literacy and general life skills.

BTB intern leaders work with Whitman faculty,

business professionals, and alums to develop

lessons that are relevant and interesting to the

populations with whom they work.

Balancing the Books Volunteers

“I enjoyed working with the students and trying to

make a difference in their lives.”

“My biggest challenge was delivering my lessons.

I was nervous but it worked out alright.”

“The students grew more comfortable talking with

us even about things in their personal lives.”

“The campus visit and mock shark tank exercise

was fun. It really got the students participating.”

“BTB uses what we learn in class to help high school students. Without this program, it’s likely

they would not learn these lessons. I chose BTB because I have other experiences tutoring at

schools and thought it was beneficial and I liked using concept I’ve learned in Whitman at

this program. I would definitely recommend it to other Whitman students.”

SeniorsBaLancing the BooksClick on each picture to read more

Bravo

I am a coordinator for Balancing the Books. I had

a great year with my team and my co-workers;

meanwhile, I have learned so many things from

them. As a coordinator, I have to work with

different groups of people such as the tutors, the

students, and other kinds of people. I had to do

this in order to complete my work, which helps me

learn how to work with people outside my circle

of friends, including those who have different

backgrounds and experience. Additionally, I try

to remember that groups make better decisions

than individuals. We have weekly meetings to go

through all the important things together. That way

five of us could give suggestions from different

perspectives in order to come up with better

solutions.

After graduation, I am planning to work at least

two years, to better understand myself, what I

really want to learn and how it will benefit me in

the future. I will then apply for an MBA program.

I am so glad this is my first official job in my life,

and I love the big family in the Shaw Center that

support each other and share happiness together.

Hailey Hu

Whitman School of Management

Hailey

I am a program coordinator for the Balancing the

Books program. My role is to lead a group of 11

tutors who visit Henninger High School on a weekly

basis. We teach students about financial literacy

and other general life skills with topics ranging

from Budgeting and Saving to Leadership and

Social Styles.

I’ve learned a lot about setting expectations

and dealing with conflict. As a coordinator, there

are multiple occasions where you need to deal

with tutors who have failed to meet certain

requirements. Although these conversations may

be uncomfortable, they are important for the

benefit of the program as a whole. Additionally, I’ve

learned about working through office procedures

from picking up the phone to helping students

with their volunteer requests.

The Shaw Center has shown me what it means

to work in a professional setting with a diverse

group of people. Not only do I have to ensure

that I successfully complete the work related to

my program, I must also help with other office

procedures from transportation to Literacy Corps. I

have enjoyed working with people from all walks of

life and gaining invaluable interpersonal skills.

After graduation, I will be working at Ernst and

Young in their Structured Finance department

located in New York City.

I’ve loved working in the Shaw Center this past

year mostly because it has allowed me to meet

people that I might not have had the chance to

interact with otherwise!

Imran Khanbhai

Whitman School of Management

Imran

Bravo

I have been working with the Shaw Center in one

way or another for all four years of college. My

freshman and sophomore years I was involved with

the Literacy Corps, then I interned over summer

2014, helping run the summer Literacy Corps

program. That summer I learned more about the

center and heard about Balancing the Books.

Colleen told me that they were looking for a

program manager. Since the fall of 2014, I’ve been

working with Balancing the Books in the Program

Manager position.

I love my job at the Shaw Center. I feel like I am

constantly learning new things and mastering skills

that are going to helpful in any job I have after

graduation. When talking about some of the things

I have to do in this position during job interviews,

interviewers are always impressed to hear about

how many responsibilities are entrusted to us by

the Shaw Center staff. Whether be something as

simple as answering phones or as extensive as

generating a final report, I am constantly being

challenged.

As for my plans for next year, I am not completely

sure what I will be doing. I am currently deciding

between a sales job and management program

with a company in New Jersey or a marketing and

communications internship with a nonprofit in San

Francisco. Either one that I choose, I am confident

that the skills I’ve learned at the Shaw Center will

prove to be extremely beneficial.

Jose Godinez

Whitman School of Management

Jose

Bravo

I am one of the coordinators for Balancing the

Books, a financial literacy program designed to

engage Whitman School of Management students

into the local community and encourage local

Syracuse City School District students to pursue

their goals for the future.

During my internship in Shaw Center, I have

made awesome friends, got to know a lot of great

people, and learned various skills that could not

be gained from textbooks or any of the classes

I have taken. The biggest thing I have learned is

communication with people with totally different

backgrounds. As an international student myself,

I was shy with expressing my opinion and had

trouble describing things clearly at first, but now

I speak English confidently and am willing to

express myself.

I am going to continue my graduate study in

Syracuse’s master program. The time I spent in

Shaw Center will be treasured in life and the

experience I have gotten from interning in Shaw

Center will be extremely valuable to my future

career.

Run Zhang

Whitman School of Management

Run

Engineering Ambassadors are Syracuse University

College of Engineering and Computer Science

students who work with Syracuse City middle

school students, facilitating ‘discovery model’

science and engineering lessons. The program

supports Engineering students in the development

of leadership and career skills to enhance and

complement their coursework while fostering

middle school participants’ interest in the

sciences.

engineering amBaSSadorS

Engineering Ambassador Volunteers

“The program gave me a look into the Syracuse

school system and a fulfilling tutelage relationship.

I would be very willing to participate again.”

“It was very fun, informative, and challenging. The

workshops really pushed the kids to work hard and

be creative, and I could see that most were having

genuine fun and were genuinely interested.”

“I enjoyed this program and would definitely be

willing to participate again. ‘10/10, would do

again!’”

“I have really enjoyed participating in the program and am glad I decided to join. I will definitely

participate again in the future.”

MonicaI am a site coordinator for Engineering

Ambassadors and I work as an intern in the Shaw

Center and Literacy Corps office. I have been part

of the Shaw Center for a year and a half and now

it’s my time to graduate.

The biggest thing I have learned in my time here

is how working with the Syracuse community has

allowed me to gain knowledge of the positive

impact that our program has on others and on

myself as a coordinator. This program impacted

my experience as a college student immensely; it

has provided me with motivation to give back to

the community and to become a better leader and

better self. It has helped me improve my personal

skills such as time management, planning ahead,

communicating effectively, being thoughtful of word

choices, and working with a team.

After graduation I plan on having a well-deserved

summer break back home in Puerto Rico. In

August, I will be moving to East Lansing, Michigan

to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering from Michigan

State University. I am excited to take what I have

learned in my time here and be able to engage

with the community over there. I already started

looking for similar programs like Engineering

Ambassadors and I’m excited to continue using my

skills to create a greater positive impact.

Monica Setien-Grafals

College of Engineering and Computer Science