On May 29, 67 Harvard College seniors were honored for their dedication to civic engagement, graduating with a special Civic Engagement certificate.
These students, committed to making a difference, have completed extensive work in community service, academic courses, and practical projects that focus on social issues and community improvement.
Among them were students like Sophia Scott, who demonstrated remarkable commitment by traveling to the Suffolk County Jail in Boston each week to teach inmates, and others like Jana Amin and Gavin Lindsey, whose contributions spanned mentoring, social change, and public service.
A Deep Commitment to Service
Sophia Scott, a human evolutionary biology concentrator, has been traveling to the Suffolk County Jail since her sophomore year to teach a high school equivalency class to inmates hoping to earn their diplomas.
Her dedication to public service was key to her receiving the Civic Engagement certificate, a program that requires students to complete three classes, including an engaged scholarship course, a 300-hour practicum, and a capstone retreat.
For Scott, the experience has been life-changing, helping her to connect her academic knowledge with real-world social issues and engage with underrepresented communities.
“This program is very intentionally designed to help students think about their path through Harvard and how to make the most of the College experience,” said Travis Lovett, assistant dean of civic engagement and service.
The program’s strong link between theory and practice proved invaluable to students like Scott, who felt it reinforced her passion for public service and allowed her to connect with peers who shared similar interests.
Mentorship and Leadership in Civic Engagement
Jana Amin, another recipient of the Civic Engagement certificate, worked as a mentor for high school students in the Emerging Leaders Program at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
Amin guided her mentees through leadership development and social change projects aimed at making a positive impact in their communities.
Amin believes that mentorship is a unique role that requires active listening, learning, and offering support to others.
Amin’s academic path aligned with her civic engagement work. She took a course called “Oral Histories with History & Literature,” which tied directly to her senior thesis on Palestinian women in Cairo.
For Amin, the certificate program provided a way to grow as both a leader and mentor while helping others in meaningful ways.
Learning and Serving to Make a Difference
Gavin Lindsey, a double concentrator in environmental science and public policy and economics, completed his final course for the certificate in the spring.
The course, “U.S. K-12 Schools: Assumptions, Binaries, and Controversies,” helped him understand the disparities in the U.S. education system.
This knowledge will be essential as he prepares to work with Teach for America, where he plans to apply what he learned to address educational inequalities.
For Lindsey, the certificate represents an opportunity to merge his academic background with a commitment to public service.
Anthony Miguel, another graduate with the Civic Engagement certificate, is focused on addressing health issues in his community in Santa María Tataltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Miguel, who is concentrating in computer science and molecular and cellular biology, sees public service as a bridge between academia and the community.
His goal is to use his education to tackle health concerns like diabetes, a significant issue in Mexico, by creating solutions tailored to his community’s needs.
These 67 graduates exemplify the values of public service and social responsibility, using their time at Harvard to make a difference both on campus and in communities far beyond it.
The Civic Engagement certificate program has enabled them to bridge the gap between their academic studies and the communities they serve.
Their work, whether in public health, education, or global issues, demonstrates how dedicated individuals can shape positive change.
As these graduates move forward, their passion for civic engagement will undoubtedly continue to guide their future careers and contributions to society.
