Institute Report Shepherd Poverty
- 1. Alleviating Poverty in the United States Cadet Shepherd Interns Assist At-Risk Youth, Victims of Domestic Violence By Mary Price Not many college students would willingly, much less eagerly, sign up for an inner-city, poverty-focused internship that pays only $14 per day but thats just what five VMI cadets did this summer through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty. Since 2012 VMI has participated in the Shepherd program, which began at neighboring Washington and Lee University. The program offers eight-week internships to students from 19 participating col- leges and universities across the country, with the goal of encour- aging students to make a difference by serving both disadvantaged individuals and their communities. In years past, VMI has generally had two Shepherd interns each summer, but this year, all of the consortium member schools were asked to supply five interns. This was a big uptick for us, noted Maj. Dorothy Hayden, assistant director of career services and facilitator of the Shepherd internships at VMI. As might be expected, the Shepherd interns diverse experienc- es reflect the many facets of poverty in the United States. Laura Siles-Suaznabar 17, whos double-majoring in modern languages and cultures (Spanish) and international studies, interned at CitySquash, a nonprofit organization in the Bronx area of New York City. CitySquash seeks to lift at-risk youths out of poverty through a program that includes tutoring, mentoring, community service, travel and learning to play the game of squash. In an email interview, Siles-Suaznabar wrote that she chose CitySquash so she could use her Spanish, as the area served by CitySquash is a mixture of Spanish- speaking and Italian-speaking communities. Life is very loud, Siles-Suaznabar wrote, which is typical of New York. The Bronx is always loud and hectic, very different from the serene life at Lexington, but it has its unique beauty that cannot be found anywhere else. After a two-hour commute via the subway and a city bus, Siles-Suaznabar would arrive at work by 9 a.m. each weekday. In the mornings, she assisted with paper- work and phone calls, and then she helped to serve lunch to elementary and mid- dle-school students. This is slightly tricky, because the lunch- es are healthy lunches, and I have to make sure the students eat their food, even though they may not be used to eating in such a way, she observed. After lunch, Siles-Suaznabar taught fourth- through sixth-graders, using lesson plans and themes she developed herself, and then tutored individual children, including some ninth-graders headed to boarding school this fall. As the summer advanced, Siles-Suaznabar found her- self getting to know not only the children but also their families, and she discovered that some common stereotypes about the economical- ly disadvantaged are simply not true. Many of the parents Ive met and gotten to know are extreme- ly hard-working and are really proud of their kids for being part of such a great after-school program, she wrote. The parents and children are some of the most hardworking people I have ever encountered. Like the other Shepherd interns, Siles-Suaznabar signed an honor pledge to live on a poverty wage of $14 per day, a figure that does not include housing costs. From living on such a limited budget, shes learned that fun doesnt have to cost a lot of money. She wrote, For example, in the city there are so many free events from Bastille Day to the hundreds of parades that it is nearly im- possible to be bored. Shepherd has let me experience an amazing program in New York City, which seemed unimaginable, but now I am seriously considering moving here at some point during my life. Several states away, in Georgia, Samantha Alexander 18 also found herself learning, stretching, and growing in new directions this sum- mer as she works with Tapestri Inc., an Atlanta-based nonprofit that Samantha Alexander 18, Laura Siles-Suaznabar 17, Amanda Smith 17, and Bria Anderson 18 attend the annual Shepherd symposium in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo courtesy of the VMI Shepherd Poverty Program. 12 VMI Institute Report
- 2. serves foreign-born women who are victims of human trafficking or domestic violence. Alexander, who is pondering a career as a lawyer, worked this summer as a legal advocate in Tapestris domestic violence depart- ment. Working with the victims of domestic violence is an expe- rience I will remember forever, she wrote. The majority of the women have experienced abuse most of us could not imagine, and yet they continue to move forward. Alexander assisted a woman who was kicked out of her home by an abusive husband, who left her without her personal belongings and access to her children. Alexander and others at Tapestri helped the woman to receive a temporary protective order, through which she also received custody of her children. Next, Tapestri staff will help the woman, who is not a U.S. citizen, apply for a temporary visa through the Violence Against Women Act. The visa, if approved, will pave the way toward a green card and work permit. Alexander said that shes learned that escaping abuse, particularly for women who do not speak English, is a long and difficult process. Tapestri has taught me how complicated the world really is, and how difficult it can be for individuals to overcome boundaries, she wrote. There are so many barriers for immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence, and the language barrier is only one of them, Alexander continued. Learning about these barriers has certainly opened my eyes to the world, and to see these women overcome the boundaries amazes me and gives me hope. Also participating in the Shepherd program internships this summer were Amanda Smith 17, a biology major who worked at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio; Angelique Barlow 17, a biology major whose internship was with the Christian Appalachian Project in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky; and Bria Anderson 18, an international studies and political science major who was with Code Interactive in the Bronx. All of the interns have either taken a required class, Poverty and Human Capability, or will do so upon conclusion of their internship. To see the slide show, visit VMINews.tumbr.com, post date Aug. 16. Piegari Launches VMI Campaigns Faculty Initiative By Scott Belliveau 83, VMI Foundation George Piegari, a member of the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees, spoke briefly at the General Faculty and Staff meeting Aug. 22 in Marshall Hall. The purpose of his appearance was to announce the beginning of the Faculty-Staff Initiative, a special effort within the context of An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI to engage those who work at VMI to support it. In his remarks, Piegari, who retired from the VMI faculty after many years of service, thanked his former colleagues for inspiring me to be the best professor and mentor I could be and described the importance of the faculty and staff to the Institute, especially to its cadets. The VMI mission truly is uncommon, the cadets are a remarkable group of young leaders, and it is you, the faculty and staff, who make all the difference in a cadets development, said Piegari. From his new perspective on the Foundation Board, he noted, he has learned about what motivates donors to give, specifically those who have provided the more than $300 million in gifts and commit- ments already made to the campaign. People believe in VMI and in what you do every day in the class- room, on the field and on the court, in laboratories and offices, and out on the road. They believe and so they give, he said. Piegari outlined three reasons why the faculty and staff should participate. First, because you, too, believe in VMI. Second, because you are closest to this place, your support of it is the strongest testi- mony you can offer about the important work you and your col- leagues do. Third, I believe and it really is true that all gifts make a difference, no matter the amount. Piegari concluded his remarks by saying that a high rate of par- ticipation by the faculty and staff also would send a strong message to other members of the VMI community. The faculty and staff are closest to cadets. Think of what a powerful statement it would make if you supported it 100 percent. All of us at the campaign are grateful to George Piegari for his willingness to make the case for faculty and staff participation in this effort, said Brian Scott Crockett, CEO of the VMI Foundation. His decades-long record of giving as an active professor and an emeri- tus professor makes him a true example of consistent and generous support of the Institute. We also are thankful for all that the men and women who make up VMIs faculty and staff do for the Institute and its cadets and for their consideration of how they can participate in this campaign, Crockett concluded. George Piegari addresses the VMI faculty and staff in Gillis Theater. VMI Photo by Kelly Nye. September 2016 13