Fourth Dimension

Scholar Luis Perez Ortiz (Applied Mathematics) works with the Pacific Center for Community Involvement.

I joined the Center for Community Involvement to use the practical knowledge I learned in my courses to give back to the community. Growing up, I always looked up to college students that volunteered their time in my classroom, or that came to do motivational speaking. I knew that one day I wanted to be like them, but in my own way. The CCI gave me the chance to do this through their Data Analyst/Programmer Position. In this position, I take the data from our community service volunteering, and help create projections on how Pacific students can best serve the community. Data analysis is my area of study and my career aspiration, and the CCI gave me a way to get involved in the community using my skills. I have seen our marketing and recruitment efforts come to fruition through the increase in amount and diversity of community service. I often volunteer my time to educate Pacific students on the impact of community service as defined by the CCI - community service with the CCI must be directly with the community, and not just something done for the community. I believe that this is where my efforts are best placed, because the more people that are educated about community service, the bigger impact we can make in our community!

~ Luis Perez Ortiz

Scholar Meredithe Welsh (Business Administration) has worked with the Stockton Impact Corps, helping small businesses in the Stockton area.

I have always been interested in pursuing work in microfinance and not-for-profit organizations. As a Powell Scholar, I want to be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities I can however, so I have worked to secure internships for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. This summer, I will be interning at Deloitte, a Big Four accounting firm. Currently this semester (Spring 2019), I am working as an intern at Stockton Impact Corps, a local non-profit that is “dedicated to bringing financial resources to typically underserved members of the Stockton and San Joaquin business communities.” This organization provides small business loans to people starting small businesses in San Joaquin County, provides free business consulting to small local companies, and also offers free financial literacy training to individuals and organizations. Personally, I have been given assignments to aid startup companies in establishing and developing their accounting practices. I have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with and serve my community, and I hope to continue doing so during the remainder of my time here at Pacific.

~ Meredithe Welsh

Scholar Nasser Saleh (Mechanical Engineering) worked for two sister programs: Students in Prevention (SIP), which teaches high school students to give presentations to elemetary school children about being drug free, making good choices, and living healthy, and Friday Night Live (FNL), a program that organizes high school and middle school clubs to give students healthy alternatives to drugs while encouraging leadership.

Scholar Mina Afnan (Biological Sciences) was a mentor, also known as an animator, for the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment program. This program focuses on guiding junior youth from the of age of 12-15 to "develop their powers of expression, capacities for moral reasoning, and an ethic of service to others". The junior youth she work with in Manteca planned and carried out their own toy drive and successfully donated bags of toys to homeless children.

Scholar John Livingstone (Business Administration) attended the 2016 Clinton Global Initiative University with the Stockton Impact Corps.

Scholar Shelly Zeiser (Music Therapy) organized Pacific's Center for Community Involvement (CCI) in a national Facebook competition “Students With Drive” hosted by Zipcar Inc. and Ford Motor Company. The $25,000 grand prize included $5000 in Zipcar transportation credits, $10,000 in cash for the organization and $10,000 for Pacific's general scholarship fund. This is on top of the $7,500 in transportation credits that the CCI won previously in the monthly Students with Drive competitions, which also put them in the running for the grand prize. Also pictured is Alumnus Christian Tudino (Music Therapy), who has been highly involved with the CCI his entire time at Pacific.

I personally was so touched to see the way in which so many people came together to support the Center for Community Involvement and see this as continuing the passion we have for briding the gap between the Pacific and Stockton communities. This was only possible because of the support and votes of Pacific students, staff, faculty and alumni, the family of youth who receive our tutoring services, and Stockton community as a whole.
~ Shelly Zeiser

Scholar Brianna Juhrend (Civil Engineering) attended the Clinton Global Initiative University conference and made a commitment to raise funds to support the issue of access to clean water. She chose to support the non-profit organization The Water Project, and raised over $6,500 in support of the cause. Juhrend also worked with Assistant Dean Gary Martin in Pacific's School of Engineering and Computer Science to do a fundraiser on campus.

Scholar Farah Shaheen (Biochemistry) worked at Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Scholar Kelsey Negrete (Speech-Language Pathology) organized an inter-denominational group of students who volunteered at St. Mary's Interfaith Dining Room by serving lunch to the homeless. The religious groups that attended were Hillel, Muslim Student Association, Pacific Christian Fellowship, and Catholic Newman House.