Jill DeLorenzo

Class of 2009

By: Megan Griffin

Jill DeLorenzo moved to the Washington D.C. area after graduation in 2009. She held various positions before having children.  Jill is currently the Marketing and Events Coordinator for a local cafe and is an advocate for breastfeeding families. She recently earned a mention as “Mom of the Year” in Washington FAMILY Magazine.

Jill is the founder of PositiveBreastfeeding.com. Jill has worked passionately toward creating a positive culture regarding international breastfeeding.  

“The goal of the #PositiveBreastfeeding movement is to create and curate positive stories about breastfeeding, bring awareness to laws and legislation, and ensure that the media coverage of breastfeeding is in sync with health organizations’ advice.”

PositiveBreastfeeding.com is a network for breastfeeding mothers and supporters. The online initiative is an opportunity for people to share their positive breastfeeding stories.  Through weekly blog posts, Jill promotes the content of supporting pages and encourages followers to click on positive stories published worldwide that week. The website also encourages the global breastfeeding community to unite and fill the media with positive stories.  Jill started this initiative immediately after the Nurse-In at the Today Show, because she wanted to do something about the influx of breastfeeding being portrayed negatively on all media platforms.

“People are clicking on sensationalized, negative articles about breastfeeding online. Television and movies portray breastfeeding as selfish and wrong – or they are not portraying it at all. Many media outlets makes it seem like there is something wrong with breastfeeding even though it’s an important part of motherhood and our international public health.”

Her work for PositiveBreastfeeding.com has earned mentions in Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Normalize Breastfeeding, The Asian Parent, Latched On Mom, Mama’s Milk No Chaser, and more.

Jill organized the Nurse-In at the Today Show in New York, NY as the precursor to Positive Breastfeeding. Two days prior to the Nurse-In, Kathie Lee and Hoda discussed breastfeeding photos on social media and said that sharing these photos is “too much information.” The comments immediately sparked international outrage and Jill launched a petition to NBC to stop shaming and censoring breastfeeding moms. Jill and other supporters congregated in disagreeance on the TODAY Plaza in response to the statement made.

Her passion for breastfeeding stems from a personal experience. She was harassed for breastfeeding her baby in a Gold’s Gym in Virginia by the franchise’s Vice President and Controller. The Owner of the Gold’s Gym franchise defended the harassment by stating that Virginia did not have a law to support the rights of breastfeeding women. At this point, the Commonwealth of Virginia did not have a law saying that a breastfeeding mother was legally protected to feed her baby wherever she needed to. Jill shared her story through social media and word of mouth and caught the attention of local lawmakers in Virginia.

Jill testified at the Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee of the House of Delegates in Richmond, Virginia while breastfeeding her youngest child. In her testimony she stated the following:

“I ask that the Virginia General Assembly challenge this notion that our state is a bastion for people who wish to harass and degrade women for feeding their children. Nobody should interfere with a mother feeding her child – no matter how that child is fed – when that mother is in any location where she is authorized to be. I respectfully ask that you take this opportunity to make the harassment that I faced a relic of the past. Please help millions of moms and babies to come who have chosen to provide the very best for their babies while in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Virginia passed the “Right to Breastfeed” law unanimously!

When I asked about how Periclean may have influenced her response to the harassment, she said:

“When thinking about solutions I incorporated the principles of Periclean. This made my passion more impactful.”

Jill was a part of the Class of 2009. Their Class partnered with Habitat for Humanity-International in Zambia. . Their relationship with Voster Tembo has been sustained since their graduation. His work and their partnership, helped to constitute the Zambian Development Support Foundation. The foundation gives out small business loans to primarily female Habitat homeowners in two villages in Zambia. The work of the Class of 2009 impacted so many lives. Jill continues to impact others with the same tenacity and determination that she had at Elon.

After graduation, Jill continues to be an active member of the Periclean Scholars Program.

“In 2011 I ran the Marine Corps Marathon and raised funds for the Periclean Scholars program.” When I asked why she stays involved, she stated that “the Periclean program really makes an effort to connect the alumni back to the program through the Periclean Foundation.”

Many of the alumni we have spoken to have found value in travelling to the country of focus. Jill said that travel “opens up the eyes to the realities of life in the country you are studying. You learn things that you cannot learn from a textbook when you travel – sights, smells, customs, mannerisms. This helps to understand the true needs of the country.”

Overall, because of her experiences in Periclean, Jill is comfortable with advocating for change.

“If I see something, I am not afraid to speak up. I feel like I can speak up in an articulate way,  I have more confidence because of the program!”

In early April 2016, we sent out an email and follow up reminders to 192 Periclean Alumni, we had 107 responses, for a total response rate of 55.7%. In the email was a request to fill out a survey regarding the long-term impact of being a Periclean Scholar. Here is a breakdown of the response rate per class: Class of 2006 — 54%; Class of 2007 — 62%; Class of 2008 — 50%; Class of 2009 — 100%; Class of 2010 — 53%; Class of 2011– 31%; Class of 2012– 56%; Class of 2013—28%; Class of 2014—48%; Class of 2015—46%. The Class of 2009 will be honored at Homecoming 2016 for their response rate of 100%.

The following pie chart is a representation of the number of responses from each class.

In response to the question: Please explain if and how being a Periclean Scholar impacted securing your first or current job,

One alumnus commented,

“The Periclean Scholars Program at Elon University was life-changing. It taught me how to really study, explore, and understand concepts, culture, and other countries. It made me set a high standard for myself and reinforced my strong work ethic. It was so motivating to work with a group of people who were as engaged and driven as I am. Pericles took me in a different direction, since I finished my last college class in Namibia, Africa. I decided to give myself a 2nd education and travel the world. I have been working and traveling for the last ten years and it has been an amazing adventure. “

Another alumnus said,

“It helped me see the world in a new way. I’m a public librarian and I serve my community every single day of my life. Periclean Scholars taught me not just to “volunteer” but to “serve.”

Alumni also commented about how Periclean Scholars has influenced their lives. The following are anecdotes from various alumni.

“I am very active in breastfeeding advocacy. A couple months ago, I learned about an opportunity to get involved with a new organization that would be providing critical breastfeeding support to refugees of the war in Syria who were fleeing to Lesvos, Greece. My passion for seeing the world as one nation of humans – which has generated palpable compassion – came from the Periclean program. I put myself in the shoes of the mothers and babies in danger and knew I had to help.”

“Being a Periclean Scholar influenced my decision to study abroad in Ghana, and that experience, combined with years studying Ghana, has certainly changed the perspective with which I look at the world. It has helped me truly see myself as a global citizen and that is the lens through which I look at many aspects of my everyday life and decision- making – the work I do, how I spend my money, how my purchases impact others, etc.”

“Pericles has had a huge impact on my life – the experience I had and the things I learned as a result made me aware very aware of the fact that honorable and effective service – to the communities you are committed to serving – requires a depth of knowledge and due diligence to ensure you are making an impact. Pericles taught me how to ask questions and dig a little deeper to ensure I know where my money is going when I choose to donate, how it is being spent, who benefits from it – it made me concerned about the impact. Years later there are studies of how people can “give well” and be effective in their altruism – Pericles made me aware of that before it became a trending topic. I am more critical of non-profits and more critical of their impact as the organization my cohort supported – Hope for Honduran Children – was one that made us question many things about its management and impact and I take that critical eye into everything that I do.”

We will be following up later this week with a more in depth summary of the results.

 

Update on Anita Isaacs, partner to the Classes of 2006 & 2017

We have great news about Anita Isaacs, partner of the Class of 2006 and a two time Periclean-in-Residence.  After four years of hard study, internships and a senior project based near her home in Oshakati, on April 14th she received her Batchelor of Social Work from the University of Namibia.  She is now in a position to accept a job through the Ministry of Youth working with HIV positive children in the north.  She will also serve as an unofficial consultant to Namibia’s First Lady on issues related to HIV/AIDS.

She has served as the regional director of Lironga Eparu, an organization that helps people “live positively” with their HIV status.

During her visits to Elon Anita met with and educated the Periclean Scholars as a group, as well as on an individual basis. She had several campus-wide events in which she was a catalyst for conversation and education among Elon University students. Anita had several radio interviews and public speeches on campus, in an attempt to educate and raise awareness among the Elon community. Finally, interviews and filming were conducted with Anita to prepare for a final documentary all about Anita and her story.

Anita’s presence changed lives of the members of Elon’s campus and surrounding community, while experiencing changes to her own life. She took her message and shared her story outside of her country, and beyond her continent.  She developed the Periclean Scholars’ understanding of AIDS in Namibia by providing first hand information from a woman who fights the stigma associated with AIDS in Namibia on a daily basis. Anita’s message affected the Periclean Scholars’ projects and the education shared with others throughout the world and within the United States.

In 2014, Anita posted the following,

“I hope you are doing great in the new year 2014. I always feel proud of being a part of you guys. It has been a wonderful 11years together. Every second I think of you I remember on how I met the Class of 2006. By then I was just another AIDS patient waiting to be added to the Namibian AIDS death statistics. Today I am still living to the fullest. My dream of becoming a grandmother became true, today I am a grandmother of three wonderful grandchildren. To be honest the Class of 2006 saved my life, they put life into my days, not only days into my life. They taught me how to plan for my future. Back in 2003 if you are HIV positive you were regarded as a living dead, living amongst the living. But after my initial meeting with the group led by Dr. Tom Arcaro, it was a blessing for our support group. Today the group have change from being the people with AIDS to healthy people, back to work. We are proud parents, who have grown up children.

I never dreamt of going to University, but today I am in my third year [now a graduate!] at the University of Namibia. Thanks to your on-going moral, physical, and financial support. I am looking forward on meeting with Class of 2017. Continue doing the good and wonderful work you are showing to throughout the World. You need to know that what you are doing have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people Globally.”

Today, Anita is graduated from the University of Namibia.

Graduation cake given to Anita by the Periclean Foundation.

Anita is featured in two documentaries, “My Name is Anita” and “You Wake Me Up.”

 

John McGreevy

Class of 2010

By: Megan Griffin

 

John McGreevy is a member of the Periclean Class of 2010, and his Class’ accomplishments were based on the Periclean philosophy that cross-cultural partnerships form a solid foundation for sustainable community development. Their focus while at Elon was “improving access to healthcare and promoting sustainable development in Ghana’s Volta Region through community partnerships, outreach, and education.”

Their Class made possible the construction and staffing of the Kpoeta Community Clinic, with the support of many people in the Ghanaian villages of Kpoeta and Sokode, the Government of Ghana, and partnering agencies, including Heifer International, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Navy. Projects related to the clinic included building a house for the clinic staff, initiating construction on a kindergarten in Sokode, supporting a livestock and beekeeping project in Sokode, and initiating a solar cooker project in the Ghanaian villages of Sokode and Kpoeta. Their Class helped to fund the utilization of specialists in Ghana, including roofers, plumbers, and electricians-these specialists provided services which could not be provided for by community members. The Class also distributed over 500 children’s books to an Elementary School in Abor, Ghana, transported on a U.S. Naval ship. All of their projects were initiated based on the requests of community leaders in Ghana. The members of this Periclean Class all agreed on the importance of listening to local people about the local problems when trying to brainstorm solutions.

Their Class efforts were also impactful in the local community. They hosted talks by experts on development and healthcare in Africa and Ghanaian history. The experts spoke at local schools and churches and on Elon’s campus. These speakers helped to raise awareness about the need to improve access to healthcare in rural areas of Ghana. In 2013, their Class also began to offer scholarships to US students via the organization ScholarCHIPS.

The Periclean Class of 2010 committed to “embrac[ing] lifelong intellectual and personal growth.” In talking to John McGreevy, it was undeniable that he has embraced the importance of his Periclean Class’ pledge.

John graduated from Elon magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Biology. He was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Environmental Studies, was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, and the Biology honor society Beta Beta Beta.  After graduating from Elon, he completed his Masters degree in Anthropology at Colorado State University. In attaining a Masters degree, he was determined to figure out the best way that he could work with people in different countries to produce sustainable, environmental solutions to problems abroad. John then went on to the University of Georgia to work towards a Ph.D. in Integrative Conservation and Anthropology. He explained this Doctorate program as an opportunity to learn about ways to bring together people from different backgrounds to brainstorm and accomplish solutions to global issues.

John found that being a part of Periclean Scholars helped him to realize the importance of establishing an equal partnership in aid. He stated that the idea of both parties learning from one another and benefiting from each other’s efforts is a basic part of human life. This recognition has been a driving force in his career decisions and his efforts in Haiti since graduating from Elon.

When asked about the importance of Periclean Scholars, he stated that very few things in life are transformative. He said that Dr. Frontani’s insight, as their Class Mentor, helped to change their perspective. She taught them how to work together as a Class, which he said was a transformative experience and changed his outlook on what he wanted to do after graduation. Since then, he has used that experience to collaboratively improve environment and quality of life in Haiti. Periclean helped him figure out how best to work with people in other countries and how to prioritize partnerships.

Since graduation, he has worked with reforestation initiatives and different nonprofits that do environmental and social work in Haiti. The major initiative that he focuses on now is establishing partnerships between communities in the United States and in Haiti. For example, recently, he gave a presentation in Philadelphia about a partnership between a church in Haiti and a church in Philadelphia. He emphasized the fact that local Haitian people and people in the United States were able to come together and learn from one another-they are valuing each other’s ideas, so it is a two way giving system.  He said that a lot of what he learned in Periclean Scholars is directly implemented into what he is doing now.

While at Elon, John studied human environmental interaction in Haiti. While he was on the ground in Haiti, doing a project on solar energy, the earthquake happened. John said that this experience taught him both about the resilience of the Haitian people and the way that natural disasters are never purely “natural.” Instead, they are products of social processes like urbanization, colonialism, and associated environmental degradation. Likewise, he noted that the only way to attack such problems is to learn from the people that know the most about Haiti and its environment: its people.

Dr. Frontani’s insight, passion and persistence as a Periclean Mentor shaped the members of the Class of 2010. John remembers the day that Dr. Frontani first interviewed him to be a part of the Periclean Scholars program. He remembers that she asked really good questions about why we wanted to be in the program and what he was looking to provide by being a part of Periclean Scholars. From John’s first interaction with Dr. Frontani, he could tell that she really cared, and as a Mentor, she held everything they did as a class to the utmost importance.

Dr. Frontani was a Mentor that experienced many “firsts” of the program. Their class was the first Periclean class to wear the Periclean stoles at graduation. John said that his is hanging on his mantle at home. He said that being able to wear the stole at graduation culminated their class’ efforts in a tangible way. Since the stole was made with cloth from Ghana, it signified the partnerships their class had worked towards. The stole is now a reminder of everything their class accomplished with the guidance of Dr. Frontani. It is also a constant attachment to Ghanaian culture.

In response to the passing of their remarkable Mentor their Class has all been remarking on what Heidi meant to them, and they all agree that she was really a huge part of the Periclean experience.  John talked on the phone with another scholar from his Class. They talked about the importance of their time at Periclean and what they are doing now. They both realized that they pursued their passions because of Heidi Frontani and her encouragement to work collaboratively to better the world and solve complex problems. Their Class hopes that they will continue to reconnect as a Class, while also maintaining their strong community that Dr. Frontani fostered. In this, they hope to endure the legacy of their Mentor.

Elon’s President Dr. Leo Lambert stated in the school newspaper, The Pendulum, that  “the students she taught and mentored, and the values they carry into this world, are perhaps her greatest legacy.”  John McGreevy is absolutely a part of Dr. Frontani’s legacy.

Khara Bauer

Class of 2007

By: Megan Griffin

Khara Bauer is originally from Delaware, since graduation she has moved back to Delaware with her husband and son. She is also expecting her second baby very soon!

At Elon, Khara studied Education, she originally planned to major in Religious Studies, but then realized the power of teaching and being able to utilize a college degree to help others. After graduating in 2007, Khara immediately spent part of her summer in Honduras! She worked with the Medical Brigades and also went to Flor Azul with Karen Godt, founder of Hope for Honduran Children. While in Honduras, she had the opportunity to enhance her Spanish speaking skills in order to communicate better with Hondurans.

She began her teaching career after her experience in Honduras; she first taught third grade and then taught kindergarten for four years. While teaching kindergarten and the third grade, she often had ESL students in her classroom. Through her interactions with the ESL students in her classroom she realized that she adored teaching ESL. She wanted to expand her ESL knowledge, so she decided to go back to school to get her masters. She now works as an ESL teacher in two elementary schools and one middle school. Her passion for teaching translated this past February when Khara was named the Teacher of the Year at Beacon Middle School!

While at Elon, Khara joined Periclean Scholars as a way to link arms with other devoted student-leaders to make a difference in the world. Her Periclean Class spent the majority of their first year researching their country of focus and topic. Khara felt that by the time they got the ball rolling, time had slipped away from them. Rather than focusing on the impact their class had in Honduras, she discussed the impact that their Class had on the program. Their Class enhanced the Periclean Scholars program by laying down the stepping stones for future classes. The Class of 2016 in some ways picked up where they left off and were able to partner with Hope for Honduran Children!

In reflecting about her involvement in Periclean, Khara recognizes how much time the process of finding the appropriate focus and partners takes, that is why helping future classes is so influential and meaningful.

When asked what the biggest takeaway was from being involved in the Periclean Scholars program, Khara said that it was “the recognition that she was capable of educating others.”

Although she educates others directly in her career, she also shares the ideas and values of Periclean Scholars in her everyday life. She portrays these ideals in things such as gift giving and finding creative ways to spread her own knowledge to friends and family.

“At Christmas time I will donate in someone’s name. At my wedding, instead of having a wedding cake, my husband and I gave out chocolate from Chile and a statement about how much money was donated because we decided to not spend money on a wedding cake.”

With the chocolate, they also handed out information about her experiences in Honduras. I was impressed with this creative idea to spread awareness and contribute financially to something they were so passionate about.

She is excited for the future of the program and encourages others to attend Elon because of the unique opportunity to be involved in an academic and extracurricular service organization.

Khara’s statement (below) while she was in Periclean Scholars at Elon shows how passionate she was, and still is, about the Periclean Scholars program.

“There is not another organization that is better suited to use our available resources, our love, will and enthusiasm to help less fortunate members of our global society. We all want to make a difference for the better, and Pericles makes it happen.”

Class of 2007 Slideshow

 

 

Annie Huth

Class of 2012

By: Megan Griffin

The other week, I had the privilege of talking to Annie Huth, from the Class of 2012. Annie was the inaugural fellow to participate in a one-year post-graduate position at CRHP.

Annie’s postgraduate plans were directly inspired by Periclean.

“My first year after graduation was spent with CHRP through our Class’ fellowship program. I had an amazing year, it was the best thing I could have done! Everything I learned from Periclean, and my experiences through the fellowship program have been a huge part in the way I approach my work.”

She now lives in Saxapahaw and is working with Buckner, a local construction company in Graham. She is the Health and Wellness Director.

“I started their wellness program from the ground up, there was nothing formal in place before my position. Now there is support for the construction workers.” In her position, Annie also leads community outreach efforts. Annie mentioned that she was very surprised when she started working at Buckner. She was shocked by how many of the concepts and models that she learned during her fellowship at CRHP could be applied to her position at Buckner.

“Things like hearing about what people need, looking at the environment, building off of people’s strengths have been a huge part in growing the Buckner wellness program organically. The program’s success depends a lot on employee buy in and acknowledgment of diverse cultural groups.”

When asked about whether or not she thinks their Periclean Class had an impact in India, she said that while the class worked together to accomplish a lot, nothing could have matched what they gained from the experience.

The Class of 2012 was able to refund a project in India and bring it back to life. The first time that Annie was in India, she did a month long internship with the adolescent girls program through CRHP. She then went back to India during winter term her senior year to see the progress of the program.

“Being able to enable them to bring that program back to life, and to work simultaneously with girls here in Burlington [at BHA, their local partner] was our Class’ impact.”

She also talked about the Summit that their Class hosted during their senior year. As a fellow in India, after graduation, she was able to see that their partner was still running the summit and wanted to host another conference. Annie helped with the social media and planning of the conference.

As an undergraduate student and a fellow, Annie also did work with Photovoice. Photovoice is a community photography project that enlists community members to tell their stories.

“I did my undergraduate research on a photovoice project at the Burlington Housing Authority and then did a photovoice project my Senior year Winter Term and again as a fellow with a couple of friends from Elon.”

“These projects played a huge role in cementing some key Periclean values for me such as letting people tell their own stories and identify their own strengths and struggles.”

Annie and I also discussed the importance of traveling. Annie finds so much value in traveling anywhere!

“Just travel in general-to a different state, different country is so important. People are not exactly like you-knowing this is a useful tool in understanding our own cultures, biases, etc. Going to India as a class allowed us to look back at how things are in the United States, and we were able to compare and contrast our valuable experience in India with experiences in the US.”

Annie also discussed the value of traveling to the country of focus as a Periclean.

“Being able to directly see the work our partner was doing was life changing for many of us. We were able to go to India to see the realities of young girls, women and farmers in rural India. We saw firsthand how many hardships they face, but also got to see the beauty in what CRHP was doing for the community. There is nothing like seeing that in person and being able to participate in it.”

Periclean, especially by her junior and senior year was her thing at Elon.

“Periclean classes were what I looked forward to!” She said that being involved with such a passionate and visionary group of people was such a rewarding aspect of the program.

Overall, Periclean to a large extent has made her a more informed global citizen. She looks at the world through a slightly different lens which helps her to respond to situations. She feels that she can respond to situations with more compassion and empathy because she is well informed.

Annie said that “understanding people better has been a big take away from Periclean.”

Katie Hadobas Arms

Class of 2014

By: Megan Griffin

The Class of 2014 consists of passionate students from all different areas of study. Katie Hadobas Arms is one of these passionate members. Their Class’ area of focus is Appalachia, they decided to focus specifically on regions in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia. They were the first Periclean Class to have a location in the United States as their focus and they were successful in forging deep and meaningful partnerships with people and organizations in the region. As they studied the region as a Class, they agreed that they would focus on issues related to mining.

They partnered with an individual who helps ex-miners and with a Community Center in the area. The purpose of the Community Center was to break down the barriers between community members with opposing views concerning mountaintop removal (a type of coal mining). The founder of the Community Center recognized that there was a need for community cohesiveness because of the divisiveness around the topic of mountaintop removal.  The Center held dinners and other community events to foster an accepting environment for the entire community. The Class’ other partner, Ron Carson, utilizes his knowledge about the law to ensure that ex-miners, with black lung disease, receive necessary health benefits.

 

The Class of 2014 also partnered with several artists and authors in order to continue raising awareness about issues in Appalachia.  Ann Pancake, one of their partners, is the author of the book Strange as this Weather has Been, which is a story featuring a West Virginian town affected by mountaintop removal. Although it is a fictional story, Pancake talks about real issues in order to draw the reader’s attention to a social problem in the Appalachia region.

Katie said that they were able to partner with several people and organizations because they traveled to their area of focus several times. She also mentioned that it was really meaningful to be able to read about an individual or organization while doing their research at Elon and then to be able to meet them in person. This  was definitely one of the benefits of partnering with a location in the United States.

When I asked about what kind of impact she believed their class had in Appalachia, she said that they made a difference because they approached the task as learners, rather than fixers. This was something that their mentor ingrained in them from the very beginning of their experience as a Class. Katie also referred to the impact the Periclean program had on her and the rest of the people in her Class. Periclean has changed the way she views serving and loving other people. Her ideas about serving and loving others changed after reading Toxic Charity. That change, while in Periclean, has impacted the whole way she approaches her job, what she values, and her recognition of harmful charity/philanthropy.  

Since her Periclean experience was so influential, Katie and her husband have joined a church that values many of the same things as the Periclean Scholars program. As a member of the church, Katie strives to always think critically about how she can help to build a better community. She also does this everyday at Elon through her work with InterVarsity. Her job is to build a community on a college campus. Being able to ask questions and learn about what would benefit the community the most has been a really challenging and rewarding aspect of her position. For example, Katie had the opportunity to ask people if there was any interest of building a Christian community in the Greek system. She had to ask the questions because this was a community that she was somewhat unfamiliar with. Asking questions reminds her of what she learned in Periclean in Central Appalachia, because she was unfamiliar with the community, she and her Class had to examine what the community wanted.

Katie is constantly thinking about what she learned as a Periclean Scholar. Her experience impacts how she makes new friends and family and how she decides to serve her community. One of her favorite things to do is host a pancake breakfast at her house to get to know her neighbors and other members of her community!

Jessica Zollinger

Class of 2012

By: Megan Griffin, 2016

 

The other week, I had the privilege of talking to Jessica Zollinger,  from the Periclean class of 2012. Since graduating, she has pursued a graduate degree at the UNC School of Social Work.

Jessica attributes Periclean for a lot of her postgraduate decisions and successes.

When she first started at Elon, she had no idea what she wanted to do or what direction she wanted to follow in her life. Jessica ended up majoring in Human Services and Public Health, which is a decision she directly attributes to Periclean. After graduation, her majors and Periclean led her to UNC Chapel Hill, where she completed a Masters degree in Social Work in 2014. Jessica now works at the Orange County Department of Social Services, where she is an Adoption Social Worker for children in the foster care system.

Jessica said that Periclean was probably the number one most impactful organization that she was involved with at Elon. It was all encompassing because it was an academic and extracurricular organization. One of the Class’ partners, the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) embodied an amazing model of community social work, that was often referenced in Jessica’s graduate program. Specifically, CRHP’s model of doing “with” someone and not “for” them is also a main tenet of the social work profession.

In the CRHP program, “women are chosen from their villages to learn about medical interventions, counseling skills, etc. to take back to their villages and teach their peers.” This model empowers others to serve their communities, instead of telling people what to do and how to do it. Jessica mentioned that the UNC School of Social Work has also partnered with CRHP!

This article discusses the partnership in more detail.

When asked about her travels to India, Jessica said she travelled there in the summer of 2010.

“I mainly worked with the adolescent girls program in order to get a feel for who CRHP was as an organization.”

She stayed at the CRHP campus for three weeks, which gave her an opportunity to get to know the adolescent girls in the program. The program itself invited adolescent girls to the CRHP campus to teach them about empowerment, self-esteem, and various other lessons. Jessica observed that at the beginning of the program,

“The girls  shy at first, but by the end they really came out of their shells.”

During her time in India, Jessica also worked with medical teams, learned about water safety and was able to go to the farm at CRHP. The farm was for individuals who have leprosy, HIV/AIDS, etc. and was an unconventional rehabilitation center. The individuals would work on the farm and serve the vegetables on the CRHP campus. After being in India for three weeks, Jessica realized how vast the country is.

“India is so huge, you can be in a super urban area and then very soon after be in a rural area.” This recognition helped to explain the needs of the country to the rest of her class.

Jessica believes that there is so much value in traveling to the country of focus as a Periclean.

“I think it’s really critical in making decisions. Going to India so early on in the process was a huge jumpstart.” She believes that their Class would have had a really hard time thinking about their impact if they hadn’t met their partners in person.

Being involved in Periclean also impacted Jessica’s personal life.

“I grew up in a small midwestern town that was wonderful, but was pretty sheltered. Having this experience and learning about other cultures, religion, government was something that exposed to me the fact that there was a whole world out there. The lens through which I view the world has changed because of Periclean. I now pay more attention to what is going on in the world. The opportunity to focus on global issues for three years has definitely been a huge influence in my life.”

The way she views philanthropy has also changed.

Before her involvement in Periclean she felt that if she could give money or her time once or twice, then that would be enough.  She now recognizes that real philanthropy is investing in people’s lives over a period of time. “Making a commitment to give your time and finances after vetting the organizations and using this as a platform to educate others is real philanthropy.” Jessica believe that her Class has committed to this by creating the CRHP Fellowship. Her Class really wanted to focus on how their efforts could be sustainable and they seek to do this by having an expectation that each member of the class donate to the Fellowship each month.

 

Sarah Oldham

Class of 2012

By: Megan Griffin

I interviewed Sarah Oldham, from the Class of 2012. Here is a glimpse into how her life after graduation has been impacted by the Periclean Scholars program.

Within three months of graduating from Elon, Sarah moved to New York City. This was a big move, originally being from Raleigh.

“I got a job working in Admissions at Metropolitan College of New York in lower Manhattan. I worked in this position for a little over two years, working with domestic students and then taking on all of international admissions. My original interest in Admissions was sparked from being a tour guide at Elon.”

Through admissions, Sarah worked with non-traditional student, many who were older and working while attending school, had families to take care of, etc. that made their College experience somewhat unconventional. This was interesting for Sarah because it was an opportunity for her to get involved with a  very different setting than her experiences at Elon. From this, she was able to confirm that she enjoyed working in Higher Education.

Sarah was accepted into a Higher Education Master’s program at Columbia University for the Fall of 2014, but she deferred her acceptance one year to  live abroad before continuing on a traditional career trajectory.

“I taught English for six months in Thailand. This decision was very dependent on my experiences in Periclean.  Maybe I wouldn’t have been as comfortable living abroad for a long period of time in a very different setting if it wasn’t for the Periclean Scholars program. I also found out about the opportunity through a Periclean classmate, Katie Kenny! Without talking to her at length before committing, I am sure I would not have gone.”

 

Sarah is now attending Columbia University, and will be graduating in May. She plans on finding a job in higher education, either in a study abroad office or academic affairs.

Just like the majority of Elon students, Sarah was involved in many things as an undergrad. She found that being involved with Periclean was the most unique experience.

“Periclean is not merely a service organization, it is not just an academic or honors program, and you are never done being a part of it-you are a  part of it for life. That is such a unique combo.  It taught me the way to approach collaboration and partnerships, which is very important when considering the civic mission of higher education and the duty a University has to it’s community.”

In addition to understanding partnerships, Sarah also learned to work with people, rather than for them. This is a concept that is taught in many of her classes at Columbia University and was a core value of the Periclean Scholars program.

Sarah also appreciates that her Periclean class was so eclectic! Other groups she was involved with at Elon were comprised of people who were more similar.  She liked that her class was comprised of different types of people outside of her conventional social groups, which made it a very special experience.

“It was a great community. We all formed a special bond and I found lifelong friends in Periclean.”

Similar to many participants of the program, Sarah found great value in travel. Though she emphasizes the importance of staying humble regarding her travel experiences.

“I know that I have travelled a lot compared to many people I interact with. I think it is easy for people to be arrogant about their travel. Because of Periclean, I am more aware of how much I still have to learn about other countries and cultures! Periclean instils in you that you are not an expert and you will never be, which has informed the way I interact with people. I know that I need to consider all of the perspectives.”

When asked about whether or not being involved in Periclean has impacted her political awareness and involvement, Sarah discussed the important parallel of global and local partnerships and how it relates to politics.

“I now realize and understand the importance of being aware of local and national politics. Maybe people don’t usually think of local politics as much as national politics. This was something we always did in Periclean, we focused on Burlington and India-creating parallels between both of them.”

Sarah travelled to India twice during her undergraduate experience, taught in Thailand, and is very invested in encouraging people to travel. Her blog talks about her time in India with her Periclean Class!

Sarah believes that it is beneficial to travel to the country of focus as a Periclean.

“After more of our group travelled to India, it was easier to talk about projects, partnerships, etc. It put more people on the same page.”

Her experiences in Periclean and abroad through other organizations have been a driving force in her passion to work in international education at a University after graduation from Columbia University. She hopes to help low income students find opportunities to go abroad. In breaking down barriers that keep people from traveling, such as financial constraints and family and peer attitudes, she hopes that others will be just as inspired by travel as she has been.

 

Kristin Schulz

Class of 2010

By: Megan Griffin

Kristin Schulz currently lives in San Francisco and works at SolarCity as the Marketing Strategy Manager. She is responsible for gathering consumer and market insights to inform marketing campaigns, business plans, and efforts to acquire more customers while reducing costs. She works with various teams internally on strategy development and manages primary research vendors. .  

Before working for SolarCity, Kristin was working and living in Washington D.C. for another clean energy company. After a couple of years on the job she pursued her MBA part-time at The George Washington University-School of Business. She was involved in Net Impact, served as an international student ambassador, was a teaching assistant for undergraduate business courses and conducted independent research on clean energy start-ups in emerging markets.

For one of her courses, Kristin was able to study abroad in Ghana and took extra time to visit Kpoeta and spend time with Dr. Amedahe. Being able to travel to her Class’ country of focus after graduation was incredibly meaningful.

After returning from Ghana Kristin collaborated with Briana O’Neil and Olivia Ackerman, two other 2010 Periclean Scholars living in DC,  to organize a fundraising event for the Kpoeta Health Clinic. The event raised funds for the clinic and was the first official gig for her neighbors’ band who have gone on to become a successful local band!

Kristin said that this event was one way for her to honor the pledge of being a lifelong community partner. It was also an opportunity to reconnect with other alumni from the program.

During her time in DC, Kristin also volunteered at LearnServe, a program that helps high school students develop and lead a social impact project (coincidentally the same progra
m that led Yasmine Arrington to develop her ScholarCHIPS program when she was in high school!). Kristin enjoyed her involvement as a mentor and felt the program embodied many of the same principles as Periclean Scholars. As a volunteer, she would help to solidify various student’s social entrepreneurship ideas.

While at Elon, Kristin was involved in many activities in addition to being a Periclean Scholar. She was an orientation leader, worked at Campus Rec, participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to Bay St. Louis, and was a member of Elon Volunteers. Kristin was also a Presidential and Dean scholar and was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.  Kristin said that when she thinks back to her experiences at Elon, Periclean Scholars and Campus Rec were the most formative experiences. Her involvement in these programs helped to shape her values and defined the person she wanted to become. Kristin was a devoted member of the 2010 Periclean Scholar and was the inaugural recipient of the Periclean of the Year award.

Kristin is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Heidi Frontani., she said that Dr. Frontani’s emphasis on the academic aspect of Periclean Scholars strengthened her Class’ experience and has helped shape her as a person. Kristin said she would like to find ways for the class to connect with one another despite their geographic separation. She says one of her favorite things about the organization was being part of this inspiring, driven group of individuals. Kristin hopes that her Class will work together to ensure the longevity of their community projects and uphold their lifelong commitment to their Ghanaian partners.