New class of Spirit of Service Scholars welcomed at ASU

An Arizona State University program designed to create civic leaders officially welcomed its 8th class of graduate and undergraduate students. The 12 students selected for the 2017-2018 cohort were introduced to local leaders and community partners at a Spirit of Service Scholar event last week at the Security Building ballroom in downtown Phoenix.

Oscar Hernandez, a senior majoring in public service and public policy in the School of Public Affairs, said he’s honored to be chosen for the program.

"I wanted to be part of something that was bigger than myself,” said Hernandez. “I believe that it is my duty to not only represent my school but to also give back to the people that have helped me reach my goal of attending college."

This year’s Spirit of Service Scholars includes undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students majoring in economics, engineering, education, psychology, political science, public service, health, social work and liberal studies.

“This is an incredibly diverse scholar cohort both in terms of their backgrounds but also their interests,” said Alberto Olivas, executive director of the Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service, who oversees the program. “For example, we have scholars that are interested in revolutionizing the practice of health care so that it's more inclusive of patients and their families in decision making and addresses more broadly the community public health issues in a more effective way.

“We've got scholars that are looking at how to apply science and sustainability in ways that address the issues and concerns that local people are experiencing in their neighborhoods and their communities.”

Spirit of Service Scholars can come from any major and any ASU campus. They have to show a track record and commitment to public service and be interested in pursuing careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. Students admitted to the Spirit of Service Scholar program receive a $5,000 stipend.

Former Arizona Attorney General and Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard created the program for the College of Public Service and Community Solutions eight years ago. The first class of Spirit of Service Scholars featured 17 students representing a dozen different majors. Goddard arranged for subject experts to speak to students during seminars held on Saturdays.

It wasn’t easy.

“It was a tremendously hard job coordinating these seminars,” said Goddard.

Then, he realized the scholars could benefit from doing the work themselves.

“I said ‘OK here's a list of critical issues. You pick five or six that you are going to study. You find the speakers and you put together the program,'” Goddard said. “That’s the way it’s been done since and it’s so much better.”

So far this year, Spirit of Service Scholars have had one seminar. It focused on public health and mental health. Over the next five months, they are scheduled to learn about K12/Higher education access, equity and inequality; sex trafficking; bullying/domestic violence; DACA and undocumented families; and criminal justice reform.

Public health and mental illness was a seminar topic that proved insightful to Oscar Hernandez.
“I was amazed by how much I learned in a single Saturday morning and afternoon,” Hernandez said. “It was a topic that I had never really researched. I've never really had it impact my life as directly as others have been impacted by this matter.”

Throughout their year, Spirit of Service Scholar mentor students from three local high schools, Camelback High School in east Phoenix, Caesar Chavez in southwest Phoenix and ASU Prep Academy in downtown Phoenix. Scholars are also paired with a mentor in their field of interest.

For Allie Bones, CEO of the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, mentoring helps her stay current with students. Conversely, she hopes her knowledge and contacts can lead to opportunities students may not have otherwise.

“I think that that's one of the things that we bring to bear is that we have relationships they can benefit from, we can foster different conversations and hopefully help open doors for folks,” Bones said.

Attending this year’s event was Katie Curiel, a 2014-2015 Spirit of Service Scholar. Curiel earned her master’s degree in global technology and development from the School of Letters and Sciences and then worked abroad in the Arabian Gulf before taking a job in Washington D.C. last year. She’s now managing a scholarship program for the United Arab Emirates Embassy and looking to make a difference in her new community.

“This program instilled in me is the seed that you can always get involved in making change and making a positive contribution to society regardless of what your position is,” said Curiel. “I know we have lots of levels of power in D.C. that can seem daunting.

“But I think one thing that this program prepared me for is that it doesn't matter. You're a citizen and you contribute and can be effective and important to others.”