CITIZEN ALUMNI AT METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY Danielle Hinrichs

Citizen Alumni Contact Julie Ellison, National Coordinator of Citizen Alum  Create a Campus Team  Launch a Listening Project  Inventory and Identify Possibilities  Participate Nationally

citizenalum.org

Metro Module The Interview Questions 1. How are you involved in your community or in efforts to solve public problems? 2. How do you address community issues through your work? 3. What motivated you to become involved in community and public problem- solving? 4. How did your experience as a student at Metropolitan State University influence your efforts? 5. Who are your role models? Who inspired you to become involved in community work? 6. How has your life changed because of your community involvement? 7. How would you describe a good citizen? 8. What advice would you give Metropolitan State University students about community engagement? 9. Is there anything else you would like to share? Developed by Jodi Bantley, Institute for Community Engagement and Scholarship

Students and Alums Students Kei Tilander and Myrna Abrego Alum Mary Vang Director of GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduates)

Alumni Voices: Partners in Higher Education’s Civic Mission “When I’m reading articles on what community means, [they don’t] include me, my Hmong community. That’s part of my life: being, knowing and growing up in this community that is so rich and beautiful and, at the same time, has so much need. And so I wanted, when students were learning about what community meant, for that to be included.” --Mary Vang

Student Interviews  Alum: You know, I never used to vote much or care about what happened outside of my family, outside of my neighborhood but now I feel like especially after my graduate degree here, being a student here, I feel like I care about what’s going on beyond myself. So even breaking it down to something as simple as recycling. I never really cared before about recycling because I didn’t see my impact on the community and on the world but after being a student here everything I do and even my work especially, I see how whatever I do is going to impact the world. It’s those drops in the bucket that I’m very conscious of now and even if I’m just working with one school and these students, I know that someday it’s going to have this ripple effect.  Student: How little things can create something big.  Alum: And you would think that the experience of being a student wouldn’t be able to change your mind like that but I think that just the way the school is situated and the way the professors are involved in the school here they’ve been able to do that for me.  Student: Amazing.

Transcript Themes  Importance of role models  Community engagement within and outside of profession  Influence of course content and assignments  Informal, individualized support from faculty and staff  Learning from other students

Student Voices: Intergenerational Mentorship and Student Success “It definitely was reassuring. It was inspirational. […] To know that she had [grown up] like me, and she was able to work and come to school, and now she’s done. It’s really what I wanted to hear. […] I thought, ok, I can do this. I can do this.” --Myrna Abrego

Benefits for Student Learning  Expanded understanding of researched writing  Increased connection to the university community  Experience with cross-cultural conversations  Practical understanding of professional pathways  Inspirational examples of meaningful work

Citizen Alumni Task Force on Intergenerational Learning for College Students  Annotated Directory of Intergenerational Learning Projects  Creating Alliances, Building a Team  Curricular Materials: Course Modules, Syllabi, Assignments  ISRB Applications  Interview and Survey Methodology and Equipment  Locating and Recruiting Alumni  Organizations That Support Intergenerational Learning  Potential Projects: Ideas for Future Intergenerational Learning  Sample Assessment Projects  Useful Readings and Reports Web Repository

Questions and Discussion