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Emily Eckardt 鈥�13 combines coursework and community service to learn how to make an impact.

As a women鈥檚 & gender studies major and political-science minor at Dickinson, Emily Eckardt 鈥�13 isn鈥檛 just learning about cultural stereotypes and policy making鈥攕he鈥檚 learning how to make a difference. That鈥檚 because, in addition to her coursework, Eckardt has taken on a full slate of service-learning projects ranging from Serve the World trips to New Orleans, Philadelphia and Arizona to volunteer positions at the Carlisle C.A.R.E.S emergency shelter and the local YWCA Rape Crisis Center.

鈥淚 notice connections all the time between my volunteer work and my classes,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he interconnectedness of my interdisciplinary academics and community work has been incredible. My goal is to work from the personal to policy level, ensuring that all people鈥攔egardless of gender, class, race or culture鈥攈ave equal opportunity.鈥�

But Eckardt hasn鈥檛 just confined herself to the U.S. She also has studied abroad in Germany and India, adding a vital global dimension to her growing understanding of social justice. 鈥淗aving that opportunity to become immersed in other cultures showed me the validity of different approaches to individuality and justice,鈥� she says.

鈥淭hat understanding of multiculturalism will be really important to any nonprofit or counseling work I do鈥攅specially in a diverse community.鈥�

Eckardt isn鈥檛 waiting until graduation to start that work. She recently earned her certification to teach English as a second language at Carlisle鈥檚 Employment Skills Center, and this semester she鈥檚 trying her hand at grant writing for Carlisle C.A.R.E.S. and establishing support groups for the shelter鈥檚 previous guests鈥攁ll while working on an application for a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in India.

鈥淚 found it was easy to step off campus and get involved in the community,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e gotten comfortable working with any population, and I鈥檝e gained a lot of amazing skills.鈥� This wouldn鈥檛 have been possible, Eckardt notes, without the scholarship that allowed her to come to Dickinson. In fact, she almost didn鈥檛 even apply; tuition at first just seemed too high. Fortunately, she did, hoping scholarship donors would make up the difference so that she could make a difference as well.

鈥淒ickinson has been transformational for me,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢y life would be completely different without the scholarship that I received. I鈥檝e not only had the opportunity to thrive in a small community here on campus, but I鈥檝e gotten to travel the world鈥攁ll while learning how I can have an impact on the wider world.鈥�

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• Women鈥檚 & Gender Studies
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Published December 17, 2012