Deepika Pahari, a Campus Compact AmeriCorps member for Tisch College at Tufts University, is working to better understand community problems and identify potential solutions through antiracist research which leverages community based participatory and actions research approaches. One of Deepika’s major accomplishments during her service year was organizing a community forum at her host site. The Community Forum 2023 was the first ever in-person event hosted by the Tisch College Community Research Center. Deepika’s responsibilities ranged from brainstorming themes for the event, booking event space and selecting research to share at the forum.
Overall, the community forum was a success. The Tisch College Community Research Center received an abundance of positive feedback and was able to successfully connect participating students to various departments on campus to create a healthy conversation on the future of community participatory action-based research. “The forum gave me a unique opportunity to learn about the back-end of research and I can now add this skill to my resume,” Deepika said about her experience organizing the community forum.
As her service year comes to an end, Deepika reflects on her overall experience as a VISTA member at Tufts University. She was able to utilize skills she previously learned during her VISTA year as well as develop leadership skills that she can use in future positions. “Tisch College at Tufts University is a wonderful community that facilitates learning and growth and I was constantly provided with learning opportunities during my service year,” shared Deepika. Deepika thinks VISTA is a great opportunity to learn about yourself in a professional setting and encourages future VISTAs to seek opportunities in areas that interest them. After service, Deepika is planning to apply for a full-time position at a biotech company and attend medical school.