Springfield, Ohio – Inspiring and empowering undergraduate students to grow into civic leaders in Ohio was the goal of Propel Ohio, a collegiate leadership summit for which four Wittenberg students were selected to attend and represent the university. The summit took place at The Ohio State University Student Union in Columbus on Oct. 16.
Wittenberg students selected were Ben Brown, class of 2016, Nicole Cooney, class of 2016, Sarah White, class of 2018 and Alisha Genetin, class of 2019.
Propel Ohio is an opportunity to engage with college students on specific challenges that Ohio is currently facing, including food security, mental health and human trafficking. The program featured U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, guest speakers, and workshop facilitators discussing how college students can tackle these challenges in their communities.
“As a first-year student at Wittenberg, it was interesting to see what other schools are doing to combat these issues,” said Genetin, who is majoring in psychology with a minor in German at Wittenberg.
“Some schools had really insightful tips on what they do to prevent these issues from arising. Although other schools differ in the issues they face and how they are able to deal with them, it felt good to be able to reflect on the things that Wittenberg has done to reduce the problems involving these issues.”
In partnership with Ohio Campus Compact, the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Ohio State University, the GAR Foundation, University of Dayton, Print Syndicate, and the John Glenn Civic Leadership Council, Sen. Brown invited emerging student leaders from across Ohio to participate.
“I know that I would not have been able to experience this conference would it not have been for the help of Wittenberg,” said White, who is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in philosophy. “This conference was something I felt prepared to talk about because Wittenberg has set me up with an education that has improved the way I think and learn on a broader scale than just what I need to know for my major.
“Whenever other students from other schools talked about the problems they face at their colleges and cities they live in, Wittenberg and Springfield already had programs set up for that problem, so I was able to give them possible solutions,” she added.
Registration began at 9 a.m. with the program running from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. At the end of the summit, students participated in an internship fair.
“Wittenberg helped me with this opportunity because, well, I don’t think I would have discovered my passions around ending food insecurity without Wittenberg,” said Brown, who is majoring in religion and political science.
“I am active with the Pastors’ Office, Campus Ministries and the (Susan Hirt) Hagen Center (for Civic and Urban Engagement), which have helped me to channel my interest in food security and poverty alleviation from a charitable act into what I hope to be my future career. I think combined, my classes, advisers, and supervisors have given me the tools, the language, the mindset, and the lenses I need to engage in this kind of work.”
Tanisha Robinson, co-founder and CEO at Print Syndicate, delivered the keynote address. Other speakers included: Marilyn Tomasi from the Mid-Ohio Foodbank; Celia Williamson from the University of Toledo; Lee Dunham from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio; Michelle Decker from Rural Action; Jan Trent from Freedom a la Cart; and Quentin Monden from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio.
