|
Mary Catherine Brake
Mary Catherine graduated in May 2003 with a degree in Zoology and began medical school at ECU Fall 2003. Throughout her tenure at NC State, Mary Catherine was involved in service. She served on the Caldwell Programs Student Advisory Committee, Coordinated the Pre-Med Clubs “Not Yet Docs” team in the Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope, and served as a mentor to younger students. Mary Catherine served as the co-director in the student service project SATELLITE (Science and Technology Enriching Life Long Leadership In Tomorrow’s Endeavors). This program is a student initiated and student run 5-day science camp for 30 high school sophomores from underserved NC schools. Mary Catherine also served as a volunteer at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind and at Western Wake Medical Center. Additionally, she participated in several service-learning courses and was a reflection leader spring 2003—playing an important role with students as they struggled to learn, to serve, and to connect the two. Her nominators wrote that “she takes it for granted that a life of meaning is a life of service, and she simply goes about living such a life quietly, with a gentle strength, a sense of humor and above all compassion and love.”
Mi Familia
Famila was founded just two years ago with the 2002–2003 academic year being the first year they were formally recognized by the university. Their mission is to provide education and cultural awareness to the NC State campus and much needed social connection space for students of Hispanic and Latino background. Given the demographic changes in NC this group has served a critical function this year. Individual members served as upper class mentors to the incoming class of Latino freshman, which welcomes them into the NC State community and additionally provides social events, movies and speakers for all of NC State. They also provided tutoring at Athens High School with a dual purpose: to assist with academics as well as encourage students to seek higher education as Latinos see few role models in this area. Other initiatives included cultural days at local elementary schools and working specifically with children at the community fair sponsored by El Pueblo in the fall. They were also part of the Hispanic Student Summit that attracted over 900 high school students, teachers and parents to the McKimmon Center this spring to learn more about university opportunities. Lastly they presented five cultural awareness programs in the residence halls and created the campus wide event Salsabor—a campus wide cultural event including music, food and dance to again serve the Latino population and educate the rest of the community.
|
