Student at Bellarmine University
Pursuing a Doctors of Philosophy in Education and Social Change
Class of 2023
2021 Kentucky Newman Civic Fellows
Marcus Stubbs
Personal statement:
“I am a servant-leader, passionate, caring, and a listener. My accomplishments come from being in the ministry at church, loving my neighbors, and taking care of my family and wife. My primary interests are to learn more about food deserts and ways to efficiently create programs to uplift seniors, youth, low-income, and at-risk communities. I currently work as a mobile market manager at Dare to Care where I have the opportunity to engage with different communities and engage with community partners to make sure that healthy foods for an equitable price are within reach. Additionally, I am working on a comparative research study in my Doctoral program at Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education at Bellarmine University on the lived experiences of food pantry access from staff and students. I have volunteered my time through studying abroad and intercultural engagement in San Jose, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Guatemala, and as an intern at International Student and Scholar Services at Vanderbilt University to learn about the complexities of our global world, how to promote positive change in our communities by building together, and learning from each other on what our differences and similarities are.”
Statement from Susan Donovan, President of Bellarmine:
“Marcus Stubbs, a student in Bellarmine University’s Doctor of Philosophy in Education and Social Change program, is a force of positive energy fueled by his desire to help others. Marcus’ entire focus is community-based work. He is connected to a web of organizations within Louisville, KY and brings people and organizations together to remove barriers to success for marginalized people in the community. Marcus recently mobilized volunteers throughout the city to promote voter awareness, registration, and empowerment. Marcus is also strongly passionate about food insecurity, which is reflected by his current work with the Dare to Care Mobile Market. Food insecurity is both a root cause, and an effect of, a multitude of societal issues and Marcus is working at the “boots on the ground level” to ensure healthy foods for an equitable price are within reach, and to empower marginalized communities.”
Student at Berea College
Pursuing a major in History
Class of 2022
Autumn Harvey
Personal statement:
“My passion for service began when I was a kid making sack suppers for children who didn’t have enough food at home. As I continued to study Spanish, my passion led me to tutoring ESL learners so that they could earn their high school diplomas and GEDs. Although I enjoyed giving back to the community I grew up in, I quickly realized that there was one common trait among the populations that I served: they were all people of color. Becoming a history major gave me the tools to understand how systems were intentionally put in place to keep racial minorities in this country marginalized. Being a history major has challenged me to not do service simply because it makes me “feel good.” History not only has taught me how to understand oppressive systems, it has also given me the ability to teach others that these systems are oppressive. As the senior first-year coordinator for the Bonner Scholars program, I have made it my mission to incorporate history into each training that I facilitate so that the first-year students I work with can start their own path to strengthening their communities and fighting oppression.”
Statement from Lyle Roelofs, President of Berea:
“Autumn Harvey, a junior at Berea College majoring in history, is a student leader who uses her skills, knowledge, and creativity to promote dialogue and action, preparing students to engage with pressing social issues. Autumn provides a strong example of the Berea College experience of “learning, labor, and service.” A Bonner Scholar, Autumn works in the Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS), where she trains and supervises first-year students who have committed to making service and civic engagement an integral part of their college careers. Autumn has focused much of her academic, labor (work-study), and community-engaged service on mentoring other young leaders in developing their abilities to promote dialogue and build diverse community. Autumn demonstrates that we can better understand the present by understanding what came before, and that we can prepare for the future by supporting and mentoring those around us now.”
Student at Lindsey Wilson College
Pursuing a major in Biology & Psychophysiology (Pre-Med Emphasis)
Class of 2022
Ashley Smith
Personal statement:
“While I have served in poverty reduction for many years, it is only within the past year that I have started to make connections between poverty and health. While completing my Bonner Summer of Service at J.O.Y Ministries Crisis Resource Center this summer, I gained the opportunity to immerse myself in day-to-day operations, including distributing food and clothing while interacting with clients. I began to fully grasp the issue of food insecurity and poverty, and the role that health plays. I saw firsthand the cycle of how poor health could lead to unemployment and poverty, and poverty could lead to poor health. I changed my career choice from veterinarian to physician, as my service experiences fueled the realization that I wanted to connect my service with and be an advocate for people in need. The root causes of poverty, poor health, and a lack of health education are all connected, building a system that is difficult for most to escape. In order to combat this issue, I plan on performing community-based research to gather data that reveals the underlying causes of systemic poverty. I hope to do my part in creating a healthier community, both physically and financially.”
Statement from William Luckey, President of Lindsey Wilson:
“Ashley Smith is a fourth-year psychophysiology major with a pre-medicine emphasis at Lindsey Wilson College, with a secondary major in biology and a minor in chemistry. She recently changed her emphasis from pre-veterinary science to pre-medicine, based on her experiences serving with a local crisis resource center last summer. Through working directly with clients at the resource center, Ashley saw how poverty, lack of education, and poor health create a cycle that can seem impossible to break out of, and she wants to use her future career as a medical professional to advocate for stronger rural health services, including education about health. In addition to her regular service with the crisis resource center, Ashley also plans to conduct community-based research in the coming year in order to explore actions that can be taken to improve rural health and health education in our community.”