Around Town

Want the Key to an Unforgettable Summer? Here Are Four.

BY RAGA CHILAKAMARRI ’23

Ah, there’s nothing quite like summers at Tufts, a campus embedded on the cusp of two cities. From dipping into the Mystic Lakes, to sunbathing on Prez Lawn, to enjoying a long stroll through Davis Square—the warmth just permeates the vibes. But along with taking in all that these vibrant surroundings have to offer, Jumbos leave lasting positive impacts on local communities. Since 2004, the Tisch Summer Fellows program has placed Tufts students in an array of non-profit and advocacy organizations, offering them a dynamic opportunity to directly engage with the critical social issues they care about. Throughout the 10-week program, students can also attend skill-building events, meet one-on-one with an alumni mentor, and gather in reflection groups that foster collaborative relationships with other fellows and a deeper exploration of civic responsibility. Hear from four Jumbos on their meaningful experiences as Tisch Summer Fellows:

Groundwork Somerville

Catherine Quinn ’24

“Through its Green Team Program, Groundwork Somerville employs highschool Somerville students as environmental changemakers. As Green Team leader, I led a group of high school students through a summer of farming, food justice workshops, and team building. We tended to the produce at Groundwork Somerville’s urban farm, all of which was requested by local residents. These fresh fruits and veggies were then either sold at affordable prices through the Mobile Farmer’s Market, or donated to free pantries and soup kitchens. In addition to the farm tasks, the Green Team learned about food apartheid, labor issues facing farmers, and environmental justice.”

Mystic River Watershed

Kyrielle Lord ’24

“As an Environmental Science & Stewardship Fellow, I worked in a lovely team of fellows to gather and analyze water samples, lead volunteer stewardship events, and support some community outreach efforts within the organization. On Mondays and Tuesdays, we would go to water bodies in the watershed to sample for cyanobacteria and analyze our samples. Then for the rest of week we would lead volunteer events, work on generating a database of community organizations across the watershed for MyRWA to determine what relationships could be built across different municipalities, or go on site visits with other staff to learn about what projects they were working on.”

Asian Community Development Center

Katrina Lin ’23

“I was a fellow at the Asian Community Development Center’s youth program called Summer Leadership Academy (SLA), a six-week long summer program that helps develop leadership, collaboration, and self-identity in Asian/Asian American youth in the Greater Boston area.

My day-to-day responsibilities included creating a curriculum surrounding Boston Chinatown’s history, Asian American studies, racial identity development, and urban studies, and facilitating workshops and youth-led discussions about themselves and their communities. Looking back, I think the most significant impact I had was on the youth directly. It was so rewarding to see them take in the things we were teaching and incorporate them into their mindsets, and we truly saw many of them change over the course of a short six weeks. With SLA, we created a space that offered them the liberty to express their creativity and direct their own learning in ways that a traditional classroom often doesn’t allow, and I think that really allowed their enthusiasm and authentic passions to shine through. They still send me photos from time to time to keep in touch, so that’s really sweet!”

Asian Outreach Unit in Greater Boston Legal Services

Josephine Kuo ’23

“With other interns, I assisted attorneys who provide free legal advice and representation to low-income Asian immigrants. Every week, I conducted legal intakes in Cantonese and Mandarin to understand client legal issues, and we worked with other Chinatown community organizations to address client needs. I admire AOU’s community lawyering model because it focuses on collaborating with the Asian community to ensure that AOU’s advocacy and projects align with the community’s needs. It was also inspiring to see how AOU actively facilitated community building and power. I helped review the language access resources of a public housing program. This was part of a bigger project in fighting for language access rights for Cantonese-speaking public housing residents. I was so moved to see the residents come together and voice their opinions and experiences in their own language in front of the Malden Housing Authority administration. It’s comforting that AOU is able to connect with clients in their own language and create a safe space for them to seek legal assistance or advice—something that is usually daunting and inaccessible.”