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Outreach at Auburn University has the power to expand hearts and minds.
As a student writer for Outreach, I have had the pleasure of connecting with many of the movers and shakers on campus. This includes my fellow graduating peers.
Our time here and elsewhere on campus has instilled in us many Auburn virtues, but we especially “believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.”
Former Campus Kitchens President Jake Gaertner shared his time at Auburn has taught him the value of hard work, friendship, and involvement.
As a pre-med Biosystems Engineering student, he entered Auburn with perfectionist pressures until he realized college was more than a letter grade.
“Some of the most valuable and important things throughout college has been serving with Campus Kitchens and being a part of Outreach,” Jake shared.
“Having resources and talking with Dr. Vickers about not just Campus Kitchens stuff but life in general” deeply impacted his experience at Auburn.
Gaertner plans to work as an emergency medicine physician in the future. He plans on applying the lessons he has learned by being involved in student organizations and serving with Outreach when approaching difficult situations.
Another exceptional student I have met is Davicia Oliver, a sociology and creative writing double major.
She worked with Outreach’s Office of Public Service for three and a half years as a work study student and was as an Outreach Ambassador.
Oliver also served as president of Korea X Dance (KXD) student organization at Auburn University, where she embraced cultural expression and student engagement through K-pop dance.
She is excited to begin her master’s program in sociology but also feels sad to be leaving Outreach. “That’s my baby now,” said Oliver.
After working here for most of her time at Auburn, “Outreach had the biggest impact” on her college experience.
“My campus aunts are all over Outreach, so it was really good to be able to go to someone on campus…for advice and stuff like that,” Oliver confessed.
Anthony Espinal, IT assistant at Outreach, is now graduating in Biomedical Sciences and Spanish.
“Outreach allowed me to experience Auburn,” Espinal confessed. As a transfer student, he had struggled to connect with the Auburn community until he became involved with Outreach activities and with campus organizations.
The environment encouraged him to prioritize school and campus life, which made a significant difference in his college journey. He plans on furthering his education through a biomedical sciences master’s program before pursuing a dual Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degree.
“I hope to be able to understand how I can help bridge the gap between healthcare and poverty, “Espinal stated.
I, Dioselin Cruz, have had a remarkable experience at Outreach and Auburn at large. Writing for Outreach has allowed me to glimpse into the many worlds that make up the AU community and its partners across Alabama.
My writing has been colored by my training as a history major and experiences as the Founder and President of the Latinx Student Alliance. I appreciate the wonderful women I work with at Outreach who have supported my stories and other endeavors elsewhere.
After graduation, I plan to take an exploratory gap year to help me on my path before pursuing a PhD in Latin American history.
I did not truly grasp the beauty Auburn creates and fosters in the organizations and individuals it serves until I began working here. Thank you to everyone who helped me get to where I am now.
In the future, I hope to be the voice or helping hand Outreach was for me.
War Eagle!
