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UD alumni complete Public Allies program RaShaun Davis, BE 03, of Trenton, N.J., Cameron Haughey, AS 03, of Oak Orchard, Robert Justiniano, AS 03, of Frederica, and Amanda Murphy, AS 03, of Newark, were among 17 students who received certificates at the end of their 10-month apprenticeships during the organizations 10th anniversary. Public Allies Delaware is an AmeriCorps program of UDs Center for Community Research and Service, the Universitys focal point for community engagement and action. The program serves as a resource for young adults, ages 18-30, interested in service and community building by linking agencies that serve local communities with young leaders, who receive leadership training. I wanted to give back to the community, Haughey, who plans to learn Spanish while working for Project Mosaic in Guatemala, said. I just got out of college and I felt that this would sharpen my skills. Now I have a large network of allies, the staff and the communities they serve. Since its inception in 1994, Public Allies Delaware has graduated 160 participants, served 151,412 Delawareans, provided 268,535 hours of service and partnered with more than 100 nonprofit and government agencies in Delaware for apprenticeships. Every one of them has progressed so much that its amazing to see what can happen in 10 months, Christina Morrow, program manager, said of the graduates. They are a lot more responsible, more aware. AmeriCorps, a national service network, provides the allies with a living stipend and health and child-care benefits while they serve their apprenticeships. On completion of the program, the allies can use an education benefit to either repay student loans or continue their education. The training it gives you is very diverse and opens your mind to new things, Haughey said. You get to meet people you probably would never meet anywhere else. Weve had to put others well-being before our needs, and its a good feeling. Its great personal and professional development. Article by Martin Mbugua To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |