A&S Magazine
A&S Students Tackle Global Problems
UNDERGRADUATES MEET WITH BILL CLINTON, OTHER LEADERS, AND FELLOW STUDENT- ADVOCATES TO DISCUSS SOLUTIONS THROUGH THEIR OWN FOCUSED PROJECTS
Eight College of Arts & Sciences students, five students from other University of Miami schools, and UM President Donna E. Shalala attended the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) last February—a conference to help inspire and educate future leaders. The goal of the CGI U is to engage young people in their efforts to address global problems. The William J. Clinton Foundation established this annual event in 2007 as a forum and incubator for college students who have ideas to provoke change on their campuses, in their communities, and throughout the world.
In total, nearly a thousand students representing 60 universities attended this year’s event at the University of Texas at Austin. UM A&S participants came with diverse projects to propose that involved education, health, human rights, and poverty reduction, among other critical issues. And they delighted in interacting with like-minded students from other institutions who wanted to make a difference as well.
During an address at the conference, Clinton challenged attendees to learn from one another, follow through on their commitments, and inspire their classmates to get involved. Such participation is especially critical, he said, at a time when traditional sources of support, such as foundations and charities, are hurting for money. “The earth doesn’t know there’s been a financial crisis,” said Clinton. “The ice is still melting. Nobody has convinced the AIDS virus to stop invading bodies around the world. The work is still there to be done.”
The event included seminars on global problems such as health care, climate change, and unproductive agricultural policies, followed by workshops that addressed ways for students to get started on their individual projects. Speakers at the conference’s plenary sessions included Shalala, the Clinton Administration’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; actress and activist Natalie Portman; Osman David Mansoor, senior advisor of UNICEF; and Blake Mycoskie, founder and “chief shoe giver” of TOMS Shoes, a company that donates a pair of new shoes to a child in need for every customer purchase.
“To be among these people and learn how they got started, how they do things to help others so unselfishly, was one of the best experiences of my life,” said UM political-science major Amy Levine, whose project aims to increase environmentally friendly activities on campus and reduce the University’s carbon footprint. “I came back with lots of ideas to benefit the U as a whole,” she added.
Philosophy major Rodolfo Hernandez’s project is to provide clean water, basic medical supplies, and heath training to a rural community in the Ancash region of Peru. Once in place, the project would partner with nonprofit organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross in order to continue functioning.
The A&S students are receiving support from the Division of Student Affairs and the Butler Center for Volunteer Service and Leadership Development, which also are providing guidance and feedback as the projects develop.
“Overall, this conference opened our minds to the pressing issues and world problems outside UM,” said Lindsey Stavola, a biology major. “As students we often get so caught up in tests, meetings, and social events that we fail to pay attention to the world out there and how much work still needs to be done to make it a better place.”
A&S Students' Humanitarian Projects
| Isabel Bonilla-Mathe ’11 Major: Political science | Project: Support for AGAPE, a nonprofit organization that seeks to create a peaceful civil society in El Salvador. |
Amy Levine ’10 Major: Political science | Project: Create Green U, an initiative to stimulate environmentally friendly activities on campus. |
| Alexa Diambois ’09 Major: English | Project: Coordinate Bible, academic, and computer-training camps, both for summer and after school, for 50–75 children from underserved areas of Miami. |
Marissa Orenstein ’10 Majors: Neuroscience and Spanish | Project: Organize a network that would help groups collect medical supplies and monetary donations for people living in San Lucas Toliman in Guatemala. |
| Claire Heckerman ’10 Majors: International studies and anthropology | Project: Educate local residents in Uganda about child soldiers. |
Lindsey Stavola ’11 Major:Biology | Project:Create“Inspire U,” a program to lower pregnancy and high- school dropout rates among at-risk young women in the Miami-Dade area by providing positive female role models in the community. |
| Rodolfo Hernandez ’11 Major: Philosophy | Project: Provide clean water sources and water safety instruction to a rural area in Peru. |
Kartik Telukuntla ’10 Major:Biologyandpoliticalscience | Project: Raise awareness of Miami-area poverty and help alleviate it through a program at UM in which students volunteer at local homeless shelters. |
A group of A&S students are addressing issues such as world healthcare, poverty and the environment with guidance from the Clinton Global Initiative University. Clockwise: Marissa Orenstein, Claire Heckerman, Lindsey Stavola, Isabel Bonilla-Mathe, Kartik Telukuntla and Amy Levine. Not pictured: Rodolfo Hernandez.
