Making a Difference in the Community

Our guest blogger for the post below is Lakshmi Parvathinathan, a second-year student majoring in biological sciences.

Civic engagement has been a huge part of my life ever since high school. My experience growing up as an immigrant in the United States has always inspired me to actively make a difference in my community. As a biological sciences major in the College of Arts and Sciences, I have been involved with a wide variety of student organizations ranging from Tri-beta, a national biological honors society, to the Campus Activities Board. I have also been working with Drexel's Lindy Center for Civic Engagement since my first year, and I am incredibly grateful to attend a university that values civic engagement as much as Drexel does. 

Likewise, being a part of the Coffee and Community student group has allowed me to create and lead opportunities to discuss and reflect on current social issues alongside other students.

Civic engagement is not just about providing direct service, it is also about understanding social and political issues and using your voice to enact change. The Lindy Center has presented me with a plethora of opportunities to build upon the service and work that I have been doing since high school and has connected me with a community of like-minded civically engaged peers at Drexel.

As a Drexel Community Scholar, I have the opportunity to provide direct service to a non-profit Philadelphia organization. In the spring, I worked with the Lindley Academy and assisted them in creating culturally responsive morning advisory lessons, reaching out to students and families, and creating marketing materials for student events. This student leadership program is allowing me to gain a deeper understanding about specific social issues and connect with people of all backgrounds.

Likewise, being a part of the Coffee and Community student group has allowed me to create and lead opportunities to discuss and reflect on current social issues alongside other students. For example, around Martin Luther King Day, we read and reflected on literature from the Civil Rights Movement. The safe space and feeling of community in our discussion group provided students with the perfect outlet to come together. 

The Lindy Center truly strives to ensure that Drexel students have the opportunity to closely connect with the greater West Philadelphia community, providing us with the resources to work towards fulfilling Drexel's mission of being the most civically engaged university in the country.