Advocating for Farmworkers: Natalia Ospina, '13
*Interview by Jessica Lucas, '13

How has the University Scholars Program inspired you?
I went on the OLS Mexican-US border trip last March. I went out on a limb because I’m really interested in working in non-profits on the border. I’m also really interested in immigration issues. So, I went on the trip. It was my first time backpacking. Backpacking for four days with people I had never met was interesting in a good way. The reason they had us backpacking first was so we could experience how immigrants would feel crossing the border. The trip completely changed my perspective on immigration. I had applied for an internship with a non-profit called Student Action with Farmworkers, and the day I got back from the Border trip, I found out I had gotten the internship. I accepted because Ryan Nielson (USP alum and co-leader of the trip) worked with the SAF the previous summer. I was really stepping outside comfort zone by going on the trip and then taking the internship, but they were both really rewarding experiences.

Can you tell me a little more about your internship?
It was a ten-week internship with 25 interns from around the nation. We were placed in a location where there are a lot of farm workers. I was placed in Virginia on the Eastern Shore. During the day, I worked in a “community health center” where I interpreted and translated. At night, my roommate and I went into camps to see if anyone needed health outreach. I really learned from this experience.  

Has anything changed because of this experience?
Going into this experience, I didn’t know much about farming, and it was kind of scary, but it was a big eye-opener. I was not aware that people still live in the conditions they do, and some people are completely unaware of it. Also, I had never thought about where food comes from in that way. An individual – not a machine, but a person – really picks our food.

Building Traditions, Brick by Brick: Sam Dennis '12

Sam Dennis, originally from Jamestown, N.C., is very involved in keeping traditions alive at N.C. State. He is the Traditions Commissioner co-chair, an Alumni Association Student Ambassador, a biological sciences major and a Caldwell Fellow. When discussing his accomplishments, Dennis is most enthusiastic about his part in developing “The Brick” – a student-run publication that describes N.C. State’s history and some of its most beloved traditions. Another big achievement: being selected (along with fellow Scholar Chandler Thompson) as a 2010 Leader of the Pack recipient. The Leader of the Pack award recognizes students who make outstanding contributions in leadership, scholarship and community service to the university. Regarding the application, Dennis says, “The Leader of the Pack application really made me look at not only the things I do at State, but why I do them.”

When asked what the University Scholars Program has inspired him to do, Dennis answers, “Scholars has given me the inspiration to explore. Scholars taught me you do not have to have a one-track mind, but that college is a time for exploration. Through Scholars, I have taken classes about bugs, gotten involved in organizations centered around N.C. State traditions, and pursued a science degree. No other organization at N.C. State fosters so many students to do so many different things.”

Dennis’ advice to freshmen is simple: “Take advantage of every opportunity Scholars provides.” Dennis frequently mentions that Scholars opened his eyes to different issues and perspectives. His favorite forum activity was a service event on Halloween of his freshman year. He also says that while "there were a few forum events that I didn’t have much of an interest in, I was always glad I went to experience something new.”