Community Service

Most Evans Scholars enter Swarthmore with a history of public service. They take advantage of the many opportunities for volunteering and activism offered by Swarthmore's student clubs, the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, and organizations in surrounding communities. They have also been known to initiate a project or club, sometimes with the help of Evans opportunity funds, to fill an unmet need or contribute a specific skill to help others, as in the case of TopSoccer, Club Despertar, Dare 2 Soar, Chester Noise, and SibShop.

Ana Rosado '12 — Club Despertar and Immigration Reform

At Swarthmore, Ana has been active in several community serviced based groups, including Club Despertar, a program founded by fellow Evans Scholar Linda Corchado '08 aimed at tutoring and mentoring Mexican immigrants in nearby Kennett Square. "We try to supplement and enhance the students' educational experience by exposing them to the resources that Swarthmore has to offer. This has included workshops with the Photography Club and Capoeira group." Ana also participates in Swatties 4 a Dream, a group that advocates for the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act and comprehensive education reform that would expand access to higher education and work for young adults who were brought to the U.S. as undocumented children. She traveled to Washington, D.C. with the group to call for immigration reform. In summer 2009 Ana traveled to Venezuela with Pemon Health, which engages Swarthmore students to volunteer in a medical clinic in rural Venezuela.

Grace Chang '09 — SibShop

Grace created Swarthmore Sibshop, a student-led campus organization dedicated to providing peer support workshops for siblings of children with special needs. Sibshop provides age-appropriate games and activities to provide a safe and fun bonding space for siblings, a population often overlooked by mental health organizations. It partners with Swarthmore TOPSoccer, another campus organization founded by fellow Evans Scholars Ryan Kuker '06 and Rhiannon Graybill '06, that allows young athletes with disabilities to play soccer in a supportive environment.