Elon Periclean Scholars

Hey there! My name is Cam Ciesielski and I am part of the Periclean Scholars Class of 2017.  I was born in Birmingham, Michigan, though I currently live in Needham, Massachusetts along with my parents and three younger brothers.

At Elon, I am planning to pursue a degree in broadcast journalism with minors in biology and philosophy.  In addition to the Periclean Scholars Program, I am also involved in an on-campus sports debate television show (One On One Sports), new student orientation, and the club ice hockey team.

I wanted to be a Periclean Scholar because I believe the program represents a critical initiative to help those less fortunate on a global scale.  Additionally, the opportunity to take projects developed in the classroom into the real world is an exciting one.

In terms of what I bring to the group, I have had a lot of experience in communications, especially video production.  I have also been deeply involved in volunteer and non-profit work over the years and consider myself a team player with strengths in leadership and problem solving.

Over the next three years, I hope to learn as much as possible about Namibia in order to determine in what area our project will aim to help the nation.  I am anxious to get started and can’t wait to see what we accomplish!

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Hey there, my name is Mary Frances! I am originally from North Carolina, but I just moved to the Florida panhandle so needless to say my trip home for the summer is much longer! I am a marketing major with a minor in political Science, philosophy, and laughing  (A laughing minor is not actually offered but I do enjoy making others laugh and being around those who make me laugh)!  As well as being in the Periclean Class of 2017 I am Director’s Assistant to Dr. Thomas Arcaro, the director of Project Pericles.  I am also recruitment chair for North Carolina Student Legislature Elon Chapter, a participant in the LEAD program, and a beginner in Arabic!

The reason I applied to Periclean Scholars can be summed up in one fantastic quote from Margaret Mead: ” Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”   The Periclean Scholars Program is unique in that it allows student leaders to conceptualize a service project AND execute it during their college career, which is a tremendous accomplishment and learning experience.  I don’t think it gets any better than making a difference while forming relationships with other students and faculty.  Not only will this program enhance our college experience, but we will create something that will outlast our time at Elon and hopefully inspire incoming students.

As an individual, I think just like everyone else I can contribute experience with leadership, but I would say that what sets me apart is my passion.  I find this program to be so different from anything else on campus and I am ready to throw my heart and soul into not just the project, but bettering the program as a whole! I look forward to raising awareness and educating others on just what Periclean Scholars has to offer!  I hope that the Periclean Class of 2017 can become a group of positivity that not only supports each other in the program, but outside of it as well! My mind is racing with ideas and possibilities and I can’t wait to start this journey!

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Hi my name is Sarah Reynolds and I am from Raleigh, NC! I am a Human Services major with Asian studies and Leadership minors (potentially unless something changes). At Elon, I am a part of Greek Life, Intervarsity, Avalon, Danceworks, and the LEAD program. Outside of Elon I am a dance teacher at Amber’s House of Dance as well as at CC and Dance Complex in Raleigh.

I applied to become a Periclean Scholar because I am passionate about helping others especially internationally. I have done service in Thailand, India, and Africa and I can’t imagine not having international service not be a part of my college experience so Periclean is the perfect opportunity for me to continue these acts. Another incredible part about being a Periclean Scholar is the fact that we get to work together all three years. This gives us the opportunity to grow together through conquering obstacles that I am sure will cross our path. I believe that all of my hands-on work in other countries will come in handy when we are thinking about putting ourselves in the communities shoes. I also have held many leadership positions and love working with groups and hearing everyone’s different opinions.

Overall, I hope to learn as much as possible about Namibia. My expectations also include working together as a group, listening and respecting one another in every project we create. I hope to get to know everyone in this class as well for I believe it is important to know people’s strengths and weaknesses, passionates and dislikes. I am very excited for this class and for the next three years to come!

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Hello my name is Elan Schappler but most people know me as Elli! To begin with I am from Bedford, New Hampshire and am an International Studies major with concentrations in Africa and the Middle East and minors in Political Science and Spanish. On campus I am an Elon College Fellow, the Secretary for Active Minds of Elon, an Office Assistant at the Truitt Center, and involved in Greek Life.

I chose to apply to Periclean Scholars because I strongly believe in the ideas of Basirico and Bolin who, in “The Joy of Culture”, write that the only way to overcome ethnocentrism is to pursue cultural relativism. I believe that the engaging environment of the Periclean Scholars, and the hands-on experience will help me attain cultural relativism. And I believe that the commitment to social responsibility to both the domestic and international community with help me grow as a person. Additionally I know that working with and getting to know all of the students will be a great experience over the next 3 years.

This semester my only true expectation is that we will learn a lot about Namibia. Starting from a place where I can admit that I know almost nothing about the country means that we can start from the basics of government, population demographics, environment, and more, and then move on to what we see as the main problems. I am excited that each of the students offers up a different perspective, interest, and voice because it will create dynamic discussions. I hope that this course and the years to come will help me improve my collaborative and leadership skills. I am looking forward to seeing where this program takes us!

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Hi my name is Claire Rayburn! To start off with a brief introduction, I’m from Davenport, Iowa. I am currently deciding between a major in either International Studies or Public Health and am minoring in French. At Elon, I am also a tour guide, was an Orientation Leader, and am involved in Intervarsity and Greek Life.

I chose to apply for Periclean Scholars because I am interested in international human rights and enjoy learning about current events and cultures worldwide. The Periclean Scholars program provides a unique link between extracurricular activities, in-class learning, and global responsibility that I find so fascinating. Additionally, I love the idea of working with the same cohort of students for multiple years because the group dynamic is able to grow and progress.

I am able to offer various skills to our unit of Periclean Scholars. In high school, I was involved in Girls Learn International, an international non-profit that promotes equal access to education by partnering schools in the United States with those in developing countries. Because of this opportunity, I believe that I have helpful background knowledge in leadership and non-profits. Additionally, I have had various leadership and team experiences in my time at Elon that help me work with groups cohesively.

My most basic and primary expectation for the course is to learn about Namibia. Currently, I do not know very much about the country and its culture. In order to proceed with our work with Periclean Scholars, an extensive knowledge of Namibia is really necessary. I also expect to get to know the other Periclean Scholars and learn how to work together; I’m very excited to work with a group of students my age with such diverse skills and interests. Everyone brings something very interesting to the class discussions. Even though I have lots of experience working in groups, I hope to improve my skills on group work and collaboration. Overall, I am really looking forward to the experience of being a Periclean Scholar and everything it will offer throughout this semester and the following years!

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Hello again everyone!

I’m Sam Lubliner and I’m so excited to be in the 2017 Periclean class! As amazing as this summer was, it feels like home to come back to Elon and begin on this adventure.  This summer I went on birthright with Elon (and met Kendra!!! Attached is a picture of us after climbing Masada in the Israeli desert) and then worked as a camp counselor at a day camp near my home in NYC.

I discovered the Periclean program approximately 11 days before the application was due. I called my mom and said “I don’t know much about this yet, but you know how our Elon tour guide said that Elon, for right now, is a hidden gem? That’s how I feel about this, I think this program is a hidden gem of Elon”.  I couldn’t find a clear-cut definition of what it meant to be a Periclean Scholar but I went on applying anyway. I was really attracted to the idea of building something from the bottom and developing something we create. This angle toward service work is foreign to me. I have volunteered and worked at initiatives that were already well grounded. So far, I’m so pleasantly surprised by the freedom we have and the potential we all carry. For this semester I expect to learn more about everyone, Namibia, and Project Pericles. I think before we move forward it is so important to learn the strengths, weaknesses, context, talents, and experiences in our group. Just from listening and reading some introductions it sounds like combined our class has been all over the world (both figuratively and literally!). I would love to hear more about everyone’s travels, professional backgrounds, and service experiences. By learning about each other I think it will become easier to work with one another.  I hope we all learn to balance our skills and come together to make something absolutely amazing, sustainable, and meaningful. Before we begin I think we should write a letter to ourselves to be opened at a later date. The next three years have enormous opportunities of growth and change. I think a great way for us to see that would be privately writing to ourselves and reading our expectations and thoughts a year later, two years later, during graduation etc. or whatever we decide. Working together long term gives us a really rare opportunity to get to know each other and encourage one another like a family. I want to be present and take advantage of our journey to not only have a learning experience but a fulfilling experience as well.

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