In my work I capture the stories of people who may not normally have a voice, as well as cover topics like HIV and AIDS, peacebuilding, and food and water issues.

The foundation for being able to both understand and successfully relay this information in an audio visual format to others was formed while I was at EMU through conversations with fellow students, cross-cultural experiences and the technical training of the visual and communication arts (VACA) program.

Joel edits interactive online content for the newspaper and has been with Lancaster Newspapers since 2007. While a student at EMU he interned in the university marketing department and was editor of the WeatherVane student newspaper.

More info

• Study visual and communication arts and the language and literature at EMU
• Read more about Joel on lancasteronline.com

The AFL-CIO is a voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions. The federation’s union movement represents 11.5 million members ranging from teachers and miners to firefighters and farm workers, bakers and engineers, doctors and public employees.

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• Read more about Amy’s work at Willig, Williams & Davidson
• Learn about pre-law studies at EMU

Aaron spent a sum­mer as a wilder­ness guide at Wilder­ness Wind near Ely, Minn. and a sum­mer as pro­gram direc­tor at Lau­relville Men­non­ite Camp near Lau­relville, PA.

He spent the last two years as a leader with Cana­dian Men­non­ite University’s Out­ta­town pro­gram at their South Africa site.

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• Camp­ing, Recre­ation & Out­door Min­istry studies at EMU
  
• Canadian Mennonite website

Social work is making the best of any circumstance that comes your way. People fall on hard times but somehow make it through, and can still smile after it’s over.

I don’t do it for the money. I do it because I love helping people. I do it because I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I bring them something they need. I do it for the children and the families, the thank you’s and the hugs.

It’s about serving people who have less and doing it all with a smile. To know that you’ve made a difference in somebody’s life, no matter how small, is one of the most rewarding things about my job.

More info

• Social work studies at EMU

On life after college

Even more important than giving me a good academic foundation and good technical skills, the visual and communication arts (VACA) professors prepared me to use my gifts in practical and meaningful ways.

On growing and learning at EMU

The environment at EMU was essential to my development as a person engaged in living mindfully and interacting in meaningful ways with the world around me. I had so many opportunities to participate in shared learning moments with wonderful professors like Jerry Holsopple! Their teaching philosophy is to connect with students through sacred conversations and academic inquiry, recognizing we all have so much to learn from each other through shared experiences.

On real-life experience while still in school

During my studies I worked as a business manager at Common Grounds, the student-run coffeehouse, and learned so much about the real practices of business and the day-t0-day matters managers must handle. Real-life experience like that is invaluable.

More info

• Study art, communication, photography, journalism, and more in EMU’s visual and communication arts (VACA) program

I was excited to finally begin my practicum in Washington D.C., the last step to acquiring a social work degree. I work for Capital Hill Group Ministry, a subsidized housing program for homeless families.

Real life in the city

My excitement to finally get out into the field blinded me to the true difficulties of working with homeless families in inner city D.C.

On my third day of work, I accompanied the caseworker to a client’s home. Over the next 90 minutes, the 29-year-old man I’ll call John related to me some of the most horrific experiences of his life. He’d fathered a child with his girlfriend of two years before realizing she had HIV and had carelessly infected him and their son with the virus.

Over the next seven years of their relationship, she’d prostituted herself and spread the virus further, igniting the anger of countless men who physically attacked John and his girlfriend. Now he was left with full blown AIDs and a son who had both AIDs and cerebral palsy, all while living in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in D.C.

Textbook learning comes to life

All throughout college, I read such horror stories in my textbooks and listened as professors warned of the importance of a professional barrier when dealing with problems that could otherwise consume us. That was the beginning of many difficult days struggling to know how to provide a listening hear, which many clients need more than anything, but still hold onto my sanity and ultimately my idealism.

Before D.C., “burnout” was only a word to me, but now I truly understand the importance of grabbing onto every triumph, no matter the size, in order to remain sane in a sometimes depressing profession.

If I was able to help move a family to an apartment where there was hot water, and the children were able to take a shower for the first time in two years, that was triumph enough to keep alive my hope of a better world for everyone.

More info

• Social work studies at EMU
• Intern in D.C. through Washington Community Scholars’ Center

While working with companies and individuals throughout the region, Stephens uses his web skills to blog about community and civil initiative, which he says is “peacebuilding in its most essential form: community action that brings recognized rights into social norms and legal practice.”

Read more on John Stephens’ blog Design Opus

Stephens majored in justice, peace and conflict studies, which in 2009 was refocused into the peacebuilding and development major.