by Xypher Pino

There is a new program on campus making strides and attracting the attention of the Pride – the Civic Leadership Program (CLP). CLP is a highly exclusive experiential program for qualifying students that demonstrate high potential in being a civic leader on campus and show major interest in involving themselves in an active civic life. This program hopes to cultivate a civically engaged and educated student community by providing a clear and established platform for select students to freely grow as a civic leader.

This school year is the inaugural year for the Civic Leadership Program and its Civic Engagement Ambassadors. Four students were selected to be part of this inaugural group – Payton Bell, Grace Garraghty, Shaniah Taylor and Elmer Ventura. The Collegian had the pleasure to speak with each of these individuals and learn more about them.

Payton Bell is a sophomore double majoring in psychology and health science with minors in data science and humanities. Besides the Civic Leadership Program, Bell is involved in many other extracurricular activities – she is a second-year player for GC’s volleyball team, a member of the honors program and the vice president for National Alliance of Mental Illness club on campus. Recently as well, she became a writer for The Collegian and the treasurer for the Kinesiology Club.

When asked why she wanted to be a part of the Civic Leadership Program, Bell said, “I thought this would be a great experience for me to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself. I have always loved being involved so when this opportunity was presented to me, it was perfect.”

After her time at GC, Bell plans to get a master’s in occupational therapy. She wishes to help people with disabilities or injuries to be able to live independently by helping them improve and maintain skills necessary for daily tasks. When asked how she envisions CLP playing a role in her future career, Bell stated, “CLP allows me to further my interest in helping others who needs it the most. Allowing others to have the opportunity to succeed is how I envision my future, and CLP is the perfect program for me to develop that passion of mine.”

During the spring semester of the CLP, the Civic Engagement Ambassadors are tasked to develop a project that directly addresses a specific civic issue on campus; Bell is looking forward to this challenge. When asked as to why, she said, “I want to help GC students become more civically engaged. For my project during the spring semester, I plan to organize a sports mentorship program with local elementary or middle schools. Through my project, I plan to not only empower GC students to make a positive impact in the community but also to help out in youth sports in general.”

Grace Garraghty is a sophomore majoring in business administration and economics with minors in data science and humanities. Garraghty is also a very active student on campus, despite this school year being her first year at GC – she is a member of the women’s soccer team, a student in the honors program and works at the data entry department of GC’s admission office.

Garraghty transferred from Guilford College to receive a better academic experience. She loves how there are so many ways to get involved and gain hands-on experience at GC. When asked how her brief experience with CLP has enhanced her collegiate experience, she stated, “CLP has enabled me to continue my passion for helping and serving others. More specifically, for causes I am very passionate about. I love using my passion to get other people involved in causes they also care about; that is why civic engagement is important to me because it brings people together to create a happier, more positive environment. In my short time with CLP, it has only further ignited my passion for civic engagement, and it has made my experience at GC so much more fun to be a part of!”

Coming into GC, Garraghty has had numerous experiences leading community projects and is eager to continue doing this type of work as a Civic Engagement Ambassador. During high school, one of the main organizations she was involved in was the Prayers for Elijah Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds and awareness for childhood cancer. Established in memory of Garraghty’s best friend who unfortunately lost his battle with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, Garraghty’s passion for civic engagement stems from this organization. She organized numerous effective fundraising efforts while fostering community engagement around a common cause, making her a perfect fit for the Civic Leadership Program.

Shaniah Taylor is a freshman majoring in games and interactive media. She is a part of GC’s cross country and Esports teams and is a member of the fashion club and gardening club. She is also a first-year student of the honors program.

One of the few freshmen that applied to this program, Taylor is ready to leave her mark on the GC community. She believes that this program would further develop her leadership skills and teach her the necessary skills she needs to succeed in college and her career: “Becoming a Civic Engagement Ambassador would enable me to enhance my skills to the point where I can use them at a much larger scale. This program would allow me to benefit more people by providing me with the valuable experience that I need to eventually organize city or even nationwide events.”

Taylor also wanted to be part of this program to inspire others to be involved in an active civic life. When asked as to why civic engagement is important to her, she said, “Civic engagement allows us to advocate for social issues and influence policies. Without civic engagement, we would not be able to address pressing issues like homelessness or food insecurity. I want to contribute to the growth of my community and society as a whole, which is why I try to be as civically engaged as possible.”

Elmer Ventura is a senior biology major minoring in chemistry and psychology. Ventura has spent his years at GC being involved in things that enhance his collegiate experience – he played for the men’s soccer team during his freshman year, was a member of the Lion Walkers for more than two years and served as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for math courses. Currently, he is the vice president for the Greensboro College International Club, a writer for the Collegian and spends a lot of his time volunteering at the police department in Burlington, NC.

When asked how CLP has differed from his previous endeavors, Ventura stated, “This program is truly unique; it has its own format with engaging activities and events that make participation very enjoyable. Learning about civic engagement has been fun, largely due to the program’s approach to teaching us. We not only learn but also get to apply that knowledge in practice, which I believe is crucial for any worthwhile program.”

Ventura has found his stint so far with CLP to be very enjoyable and meaningful. He loves the creativity and uniqueness of the program’s activities and is very thankful for the ample opportunities presented to him that allow him to comfortably grow as a student leader. He very much recommends other students who wishes to be involved and learn more about themselves to be part of this program,“People should definitely consider joining this program because it the best choice for those seeking an engaging and enjoyable experience while remaining serious about its mission. In CLP, you will learn a lot about becoming civically engaged, making connections, developing leadership skills and other fundamental tools that are beneficial in many aspects of life.”

The Civic Leadership Program and its ambassadors have been very active on campus. One of their main projects for this semester is hosting the civic engagement workshops for GCS classes, the course that all first-year students have to take. The goal of the workshop is to teach students about the meaning of civic engagement, why it is important for society to be civically engaged, and how someone can be civically engaged both on and off campus. The civic engagement ambassadors have also been involved in volunteering events happening around campus such as events hosted by the Pride Pantry for the 2024 Hunger Challenge and Neewollah, a fun-filled event for kids from the Boys and Girls Club to celebrate Halloween. The program has many more events and projects in store for the future as well, and without a doubt, the GC community will be looking forward for what else they have to show.

As the world progresses, it is extremely crucial for citizens of today to uphold the values that make our society a strong democracy. The Civic Leadership Program aims to help with that by creating strong and capable civic-minded leaders that are ready to make a powerful impact on society. Greensboro College hopes that Bell, Garraghty, Taylor and Ventura succeed in this program as they prepare themselves to become highly involved on campus and civic life as a whole.