Bio for Dominique Hughes

Community service, which has been an influential part of my college experience,

has contributed to my passion to serve at the Lorain County Urban League as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Ohio Campus Compact this summer.  While attending Oberlin College, I served as a Bonner Scholar.  The Bonner Scholars Program provides students who have demonstrated outstanding community service with the financial support needed to attend college and continue to be involved in the community.  In three years, I was able to work as an activities facilitator, youth summer camp counselor, and an administrative assistant all of which have contributed to my decision to attend the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University next fall. As an activities facilitator in the creative arts department at Kendal at Oberlin (a residential retirement center), it was my responsibility to encourage residents to engage in intellectually stimulating exercises.   These included news currents, Uno, trivia and crossword puzzles, which were all beneficial to residents who were undergoing mental changes.  I also helped residents cope with their transition from independent to assisted living.  My sophomore summer I coordinated and taught age appropriate curriculum to support the intellectual growth of 25 2^nd and 3^rd grade students at Save Our Children (an afterschool and summer development agency providing intellectual and social enrichment opportunities to at-risk children and youth who reside in South Elyria).  My last two years at Oberlin College I had the pleasure of assisting in organizing Zion Community Development Corporation’s (Zion CDC) Community Garden.  I helped initiate seasons by informing local gardeners and helping them complete their garden agreements.  I have also enjoyed hands on experiences through preparing garden plots and laying woodchips.  As with Zion CDC, it is my hope that through my position at the Lorain County Urban League more Lorain County residents, specifically youth can reap the benefits of fresh and healthy foods.  Over the next 8 weeks, I will be organizing over 58 hours of service learning activities for 6^th – 8^th grade and upcoming 9^th grade students in Project Ready.  Project Ready is an early college access program for middle school students.  Youth will engage in a mix of formal instruction, service activities and reflection concerning how food access, job creation and preparation for the workforce relate to each other.  I am ecstatic to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA this summer, and I look forward to helping youth academically, socially and culturally mature as they become knowledgeable about food security.