From the president
Madisyn Smith, a second-year student at Lewis University, is a student leader passionate about democracy and justice. For the past year, she has worked to empower her peers to participate in the community by serving as a student leader for community-engaged learning courses in social work. Madisyn, a political science major, decided to add a social work major after being introduced to this critical helping field through her leadership role. She hopes to become more capable of influencing social change through collaboration with community leaders. Madisyn has focused much of her effort on facilitating relationship development during her time at Lewis and she continues to empower her peers to engage with and learn from the local community.
Personal Statement
During the fall semester of my sophomore year, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the Community Engaged Learning Facilitator (CELF) Program. This opportunity has allowed me to engage in community-based work and learn more about what that means. As a CELF, I have had the privilege of working with the Foster Grandparents Program and the Telephone Reassurance Program, both of which are focused on assisting elderly people who are often lonely and connecting with their companions via phone conversations. Over time, I have been able to help students connect and build relationships with their senior companions. The CELF Program has shown me just how fulfilling it is to help others in a positive way. Likewise, working with professors, students, community-based partners, and Lewis staff members has illustrated for me how important collaboration is when trying to lead positive social change.