Miami University - Office of Community Engagement and Service

05/08/2019

This week’s student activist of the week is Grace Chaney. Grace is a sophomore studying kinesiology and pre-medical sciences, and is actively involved with the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House as a Guest Services Volunteer Coordinator. She is currently involved with working with the board to develop a workout center for the families staying there and publishing a workout manuscript for these families.
Grace’s passion for fitness and helping others workout originated in high school after a career-ending soccer injury. She loved the sport and was planning on signing to play in college, so when she had to get surgery and stop playing, she did not know what to do. Through her rehabilitation experience, she found a new love for exercise training and got certified for Olympic weightlifting, and even started her own fitness center called Evolve Training.
From this new love for fitness, she realized she wanted to help others with their own fitness journeys and started volunteering with the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati. The Ronald McDonald House has its own fitness center but Grace wanted to update it and make it more usable for the families staying there. The manuscript she is working on, called Evolve, will go through different workouts and teach users the many different options they have to work with because everyone has a different fitness journey. There will be a breakdown of different forms and techniques to use through photos while highlighting the importance of recovery, treatment, how to work out, and the basics of fitness. She wants people to understand that their journey is unique and it is about changing not only on the outside but in the inside too.
Grace is currently working on fundraising on campus for the fitness center. Construction is planned to take place in January of 2020 for the expansion of more rooms for patients in the Ronald McDonald House, and for a larger fitness center. Her long term goal is to expand this project to all the Ronald McDonald Houses in the nation and provide her published fitness book in all the facilities.
The word Evolve has been consistently important to her throughout her life. She has grown so much personally since her injury and has become stronger inside and out. She believes that everyone’s life up to their fitness journey is unique. Through her experience, Grace recognizes how we are constantly evolving into better, stronger people and this has become really meaningful to what she calls her “why.”
In addition to her Ronald McDonald project, she is also involved with the Stop the Bleed Initiative. This project educates anyone with or without medical backgrounds on how to stop blood loss during emergencies that could potentially help save lives. It empowers any individuals to help someone in need. Grace is working on getting wall mounts with the necessary emergency supplies in university buildings.
When asked what activists she looks up to, she said that she loves hearing about the stories of all the different activists and what they are passionate about. It’s not always about what exactly they are advocating for, just that they are advocating for what they believe in. Her advice for other students trying to get involved with their community would be to find your passion and your “why” and then make a plan and make the necessary connections. Once you know your “why”, it’s simple, but you need to reach out for help when you need it. One of her favorite phrases that she references a lot is “Like the turtle, you need to stick your neck out to make progress.” She knows that these projects she is working on are not just her own, she may have created them but there are so many voices involved and she knows the importance of recognizing all the different people that have helped along the way. She has utilized the help of the Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute and recommends coming to them for any kind of project you may need help with.
This summer, she will be shadowing at the Cleveland Clinic and help find new surgical techniques. In the future, Grace plans to go to medical school and then work in the orthopedics and sports medicine field. She has always felt a pull to help those who cannot help themselves, and she wants to do stem cell research to find new surgical techniques to make repairs better for the athletes and create an easier rehabilitation process. No matter where her life takes her, the Ronald McDonald House will always be close by and she will continue to be active with it

04/24/2019

This week’s student activist of the week is Adrian Radilla. Adrian is a junior political science major and is the current president of College Democrats and an Associated Student Government senator.

One of his main focuses is supporting the Latinx community and their efforts and events on campus. Adrian is passionate about diversity and inclusion and as a part of this minority group and as an ASG senator, he recognizes that collaboration is a struggle between the different organizations on campus and he wants to help fix this issue. He says that building communities and collaboration between different groups is hard, sometimes it takes student protests for change to really happen. He is working to include everyone in a larger conversation on the diversity and inclusion issues and to find a way to make all the different communities at Miami heard.

Something that Adrian focuses on to engage the Miami community is finding common ground. He is Mexican-American and a first-generation college student and he works on finding connections through different organizations and different people who would help make his programs successful. As the president of College Democrats, he worked with UNIDOS to raise money for RAICES Texas (the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services). He also worked with UNIDOS as the Director of Advocacy to include them in the Global Holiday Party, where they were able to be alongside Miami chefs cooking Latin foods.

His inspiration for being an activist in his community stemmed from his background. He saw the issues with being a first-generation college student and he just couldn’t ignore them. Adrian also pays a lot of credit for his work in the community to his mentors. Former College Democrats president, Charles Kennick, showed him how to run the organization and who to reach out to and how to work effectively as president. He also appreciates the efforts from the ASG Diversity of Affairs Council Member, Courtney Rose. They have helped Adrian with his diversity and inclusion efforts.

When asked which activists Adrian looks up to, he started listing off some major historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and even the Founding Fathers of the United States. He looks up to their collective knowledge and the brave and courageous work they selflessly did to better their communities. History has a moral arch to it that leans towards justice. He learns a lot from history and wants to continue to grow from it.

Some advice that Adrian has for anyone wanting to follow his footsteps or have more of an activist role in their community is to know that there is no archetype for being an activist. You have to be yourself. The issues you deal with will be stressful and difficult, but you must persist and work hard for what you are passionate about. Activism is not for the faint of heart.

Adrian has one more year at Miami and will continue his efforts through College Democrats, ASG, and the Latinx community. After graduation, his goal is to go to a Law School and work with civil rights and fight in the larger conversation in the United States.

04/11/2019

This week’s Student Activist of the Week is Jonny Maxwell. Jonny is a junior Diplomacy and Global Politics and History co-major and is President of Student’s for Israel at Miami. In this position, he has spearheaded many initiatives to increase awareness about Israel and causes which Israeli organizations have supported. He is focused on providing resources to encourage students to learn about issues and start a dialogue.

As President of Students for Israel, Jonny is dedicated to making students feel comfortable to practice and celebrate, and promote Jewish life. Students for Israel is open to anyone who would like to join and learn more and celebrates an open dialogue where everyone's voice is heard and opinions are valid. Once a month, they host a free Israeli dinner, where educational topics and news are discussed and debated.

Jonny’s inspiration for being an activist for the Israeli community stems from his family background and upbringing. Something really unique about Jonny is that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Growing up learning about their history has made him realize that it was statistically improbable that he would be here today. With this knowledge and the empowerment from his family’s history, he has always felt the need to do something about it. In high school, he visited Israel for the first time. After this first visit, he felt a special connection and knew that he wanted to be more involved. Jonny has since been back to Israel two other times, once his freshman year for his birthright trip, and this past year he studied abroad in Israel. After graduation, he plans to move to Israel where he plans to serve in the army for two years, and then attend graduate school there.

One piece of advice that Jonny would give to those hoping to take on more of an activist role is to focus on building relationships with people. If you have a solid support system and strong relationships with many people around the community, the programs you create will be more successful and problems will be solved easier.

If you’re interested in becoming involved with Students for Israel, their next dinner and discussion is April 16th in Armstrong 1086 from 6-7: 30 pm. They are also hosting the Israel Festival uptown on April 29th from 6-8pm.

03/23/2019

We don’t know what’s brighter - the sunlight or the smiles on these 40 faces as their RISE Alternative Break trips departed this morning☀️☀️☀️ @ Miami University

03/20/2019

The Miami University Wilks Leadership Institute is the on-campus hub for leadership located in the Armstrong Student Center. Their office's mission is to inspire action and help students do the same through supporting individuals and student organizations through our Leadership Certification Program, U-Lead, Clifton Strengths and org-focused workshops, and more!

MPACT is part of the office’s mission and project to help target individuals and student organizations who are trying to make change on campus and recognize those who are already enacting change. Because of this, we are offering two awards, one for the individual and one for a student org, that will be presented at the annual SEAL Awards event on April 16th. Please see the applications below for more information! Both applications are due Friday, March 22.

https://miamioh.formstack.com/forms/mpact_award_for_service_and_leadership_development_individual_

https://miamioh.formstack.com/forms/organization_mpact_award_for_service_and_leadership_development

Purpose: The purpose of this award is to aid development of an action plan and celebrate the passion proposed by a driven individual on a matter on campus, in the community, or amongst the greater population they deem needs to be changed. 

03/12/2019

Tomorrow is our last day of the Advocate for your Rights Workshop Series. Learn how to stand up for what you believe in and how to protest more effectively! Join us in Shriver's John Dolibois Room for this unique opportunity from 7-9pm

03/11/2019

This week’s Student Activist of the Week is Angel Raymundo​. Angel is a third-year graduate student studying Student Affairs in Higher Education and works within the Latino community to help organize events, cultural activities, and activism. After graduation, he wants to work with Student Contact at a prestigious school so that he can continue to represent and recruit Latino students, faculty, and staff on campus.

As a graduate student at Miami, Angel has been involved in the Graduate Students of Color Association, where he served as Vice President for two years. He realized that there was a lack of Latino community on campus at the grad level, and wanted to find a way to create more unity. He founded the Latino organization Somos, which has since merged with the Association of Latino Students, which focuses on raising awareness of the Latino and Hispanic cultures by hosting cultural activities and serving and engaging with the community. Angel engages with the Latino community by creating a family feeling to support each other and to feel engaged and a part of something.

Angel was inspired to become an activist by watching his parents and going on marches with them, although at the time he didn’t really understand what it meant. During his undergrad at Iowa State, he learned about the racial tensions there and started to become more active in the community. The first steps he took towards becoming an activist began with understanding himself and what he is capable of, some people are more geared towards the front of line marches, while others are more comfortable in the background in logistics. He started off in the front line but has since become more policy driven and focused on the logistics of starting organizations, raising awareness, and bringing in people to speak at a national level.

When asked who his favorite activist is, he thought about someone who has influenced him in his life most recently, Dr. David Pérez II, an Associate Professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education Department. Angel has had Dr. Pérez for multiple classes and they share similar backgrounds. Dr. Pérez II has taught him ways to step back and work on the logistical side of planning and creating Latino community events.

Angel’s proudest accomplishment as a Latino community activist was presenting at The National Conference of Race and Ethnicity last summer in New Orleans. He attended the conference his junior year at Iowa State, and his dream was to one day be a speaker there, which he was able to accomplish. Some advice he gives to those who want to take on an activist role in their community is to know that it is okay to fail a lot because you have to start somewhere and learn and to take it one step at a time.

Get involved with Angel and Unidos, Association of Latin American Students on the Hub and on Instagram: unidos_miami

Miami University Student Affairs in Higher Education Ph.D. Program
Miami University Office of Diversity Affairs

03/01/2019

YOU ARE INVITED! On Sunday, March 17, Oxford Empty Bowls and Miami University Best Buddies will host "A Collaboration for Good" mini-conference and bowl-painting party from 2:00 - 4:30 pm at the Miami University Armstrong Student Center. Participation is free and open to all, but registration is required at https://goo.gl/forms/FxIolY91rdJ5BVtu1.

02/26/2019

Wednesday, February 27th is the first night of our Advocate for your Rights Workshop Series. Join us from 7-9PM in Shriver John Dolibois Room to learn about voting, engaging elected officials, running for office, and the value of civil discourse.

02/25/2019

This week’s Student Activist of the Week is Katja Diekgers and Madison Olds, co-founders of Zero Waste Oxford, an organization that raises awareness on how college students can live a more sustainable lifestyle. In their roles, they have proposed a composting system for on-campus housing and organized various events to engage students and the wider Oxford community with environmental issues. Recently, they have also organized a pop-up thrift shop in Oxford that was incredibly successful, they received numerous donations from many students and faculty and raised over $500.
Katja is a senior zoology and environmental studies double major, with a minor in individualized studies. She is passionate about animals, nature and working to make the planet more sustainable and better than we left it before, so as not to let it crumble away. After graduation, Katja plans to move to Alaska and get an assistant research position hopefully working for a wildlife conservation. She will continue applying zero waste by starting recycling teams and other initiatives wherever she works, as well as continuing to live by it in her personal life.
Madison is a senior psychology major, with a minor in sociology and individualized studies, and is interested in the social and psychological impact of what we are doing to our planet. In the future, she wants to apply psych and sociology with something related to conservation and hopes to continue to inspire people to live with less waste.
Madison and Katja’s advice for taking the first step towards zero waste:1) Start the process with a buddy (roommate, friend, sibling, etc.) - having a support system keeps you both accountable and helps you overcome the challenges. 2) Begin by taking little steps like using reusable water bottles and grocery bags and make a habit of it. 3)Stop and examine your trash can. Find one-purchase products that can be eliminated by using alternative sustainable options. For example, instead of using disposable razors, invest in a metal razor that is reusable and sustainable. Your wallet will appreciate this change too! 4) Everybody has an individualized journey, while it will be challenging, you should seek out resources like Katja and Madison for inspiration on how to keep growing in this experience.
When asked which activists they look up to for inspiration Madison immediately thought of Lauren Singer, the CEO of Package Free Shop and Instagram influencer. She works to reduce waste and give alternatives to single-use products, through her company and posts about her sustainable lifestyle. They also mentioned Stevie Van Horn, another sustainability activist who has motivated their efforts.
In the future, Katja and Madison have planned two more pop-up thrift shops in Armstrong, from April 1-6 and April 21- May 1. They are also working with Engineers Without Borders to create a better composting site, and teach students in dorms how to compost. If you are interested in helping out or joining Zero Waste Oxford, they hold biweekly meetings on Tuesdays at 6:45 in Upham 131 or assist in trash pickup on Saturdays at 10am at 201 South Main Street.