Sarah Lindsay '08
As a scholar in the College's Holleran Center Certificate Program in Community Action and Public Policy, I have been able to take advantage of a true liberal arts education: taking classes outside my major, volunteering in the New London community and completing an incredible internship in the Dominican Republic.
My particular interest is sustainable community development - ranging from improving a community's socioeconomic status to education - in Latin America. This past summer, I interned with Cambiando Vidas (which translates to Changing Lives in English), a non-profit organization with a mission to create sustainable community development. I was especially drawn to this particular organization because, rather than operating like a charity, Cambiando Vidas stresses community involvement and has a long-term goal of community self-sufficiency.
In the DR, I helped design a preschool program and build affordable, hurricane-safe houses for rural families. This work is so important - these houses forever change the lives of the people who live in them. Ultimately, their presence will improve the community's overall socioeconomic status, positively affecting all community members.
Currently, I am working with a group of Connecticut College students to raise enough funds to build another one of these houses in the DR during our winter break.
These experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom, continue to influence my choices in life. My Connecticut College education has given me the tools to make the positive sustainable change I want to see in this world.