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‘OACS’

A Summer in D.C.

Mar. 30, 2017—Last summer, going into my sophomore year, I interned at the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center in my hometown. I had never really been involved in this type of advocacy, but I wanted to stay home over the summer, and oddly enough ZCenter was right around the corner from my high school, but I had never...

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My Month in Ecuador (thank you Vandy!)

Nov. 8, 2015—This summer I went to Ecuador for a month, thanks to a program in Vandy's OACS (Office of Active Citizenship and Service). This program taught me more than I could have asked for. We had a reunion dinner to reflect on our experience, and I was asked to write a speech. Here it is!

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Student Orgs for Days

Nov. 7, 2015—“College XYZ has over 300 student-run clubs and organizations. If you can’t find one that you like, you can start your own!” If you’re a high school senior, you’ve probably heard some form of this declaration way too many times during an info session or campus tour. Colleges love to talk about how involved their...

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Redefine

Jan. 23, 2015—The dilemma of many Vandy students is how to fit everything into just 24 hours a day. But one email from the International Student and Scholar Services and the Office of Active Citizenship and Service caught my eye, and I simply could not let go of this opportunity.

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Just Another Manic Monday

Dec. 19, 2014—Experience the exciting conclusion to a day of the week that is mondane but certainly not mundane!

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EVOLVE is Present Tense

Oct. 24, 2014—After eight weeks, EVOLVE has come to an end. We've explored ACCESS and accomplished the following goals: Examine and describe personal leadership style; develop relationships with peers through cluster and 1:1 meetings; identify, explore, and apply personal strengths; apply Leadership Excellence Philosophy to our Vanderbilt experience.

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Ethical, Service-Oriented, and Supportive Leadership

Oct. 23, 2014—The first three sessions of EVOLVE covered accountability, collaboration, and communication, and the last three session of EVOLVE covered ethics and values, servant leadership, and identity and inclusivity. A Leader is Ethical Ethics, which we defined as standards of conduct based on socially-accepted values, are necessary to promote productive functioning and well-being of groups/societies (OSLD)....

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SOUTH AFRICA {an acrostic}

Sep. 9, 2014—olving problems was never the goal. I understood from the beginning that the parallels between our own great nation and the southern-most tip of Africa were strong enough that if I wanted to tackle the issues of poverty, community health, civil rights, or education, I needn’t look farther than my own ZIP code. No, it...

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uMzantsi Afrika

Jul. 20, 2014—Since I still can't give a coherent answer to the question "How was South Africa?", I'm contenting myself with writing more detailed summaries. Enjoy this edition, featuring children, expectations v. reality, and WiFi drama »

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Tips for International Travel

Jul. 19, 2014—So that you can prepare as much as possible for your next trip abroad, I share my mistakes and triumphs in the world of airlines, travel companions, and free time.

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