The inaugural cohort of the Brodhead Fellows convened for a reunion and reception with their alumni mentors to discuss highlights and challenges of the first summer of the Brodhead Service Program. The consensus among the fellows was that their Brodhead Service projects allowed them to take a deeper and broader dive into civic engagement and to explore potential professional connections.
Fellows who worked with their original DukeEngage community partners (Zhao Ma with TechTown in Detroit, Grace Mok with Community Empowerment Fund in Durham, and Caroline Kealoha with Waipa Foundation in Hanalei, Kauai) found they were able to build stronger connections to the communities and organizations they served. Students working with new partners, especially those not familiar with DukeEngage, found themselves taking a larger role in project development and management.
Mentors enjoyed getting to know their Brodhead Fellows and offering advice on everything from office culture to how to build a sustainable STEM program. The Brodhead Fellows are committed to continuing their relationships with their mentors, as well to continuing to work on many of the issues addressed in their summer projects.