'Excited to Learn More'
Ohio Wesleyan Student to Build on Spring Break Service with Yearlong AmeriCorps Appointment
Name: Gabrielle "GK" Magid '24
Hometown: Germantown, Maryland
High School: Friends Meeting School
Major: Data Analytics
Minors: Physics, Mathematics, and Music Performance
OWU Connection Experience: Participating in a Spring Break Service Week trip, "Building and Rebuilding: Lakota Nation, South Dakota"
After her spring break experience on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation, Magid sought and obtained a national AmeriCorps program appointment to spend a year on the reservation working with the Lakota Youth Development. The nonprofit organization is committed to "reclaiming Lakota language, culture, and spirituality by promoting education and healthy lifestyles for our youth through culturally based strategies." She will begin her AmeriCorps service on June 3.
"I was originally supposed to go to Costa Rica to volunteer with a conservation organization after graduation," Magid says, "but I changed my plans when I learned that they had an open AmeriCorps position that they were looking to fill."
An Ongoing Mission
In addition to Magid, Ohio Wesleyan students Aaron Gonzales of Richfield, Ohio; Jenni Le of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Raazia Aamir of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan; Radhika Agrawal of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India; Mo Carntal of Newark, Ohio; Rukevwe Diohwo of Dayton, Ohio; Ryleigh Jones of Newark, Ohio; and Mylah Morris of Seville, Ohio, also participated in the spring break service experience. They were mentored by OWU staff members Newton Kimberly '13, a career catalyst in the Career Connection office, and David Soliday, instructional technologist.
The team's goal was to continue ongoing work at the University to help rebuild Lakota-Anglo relationships through respectful conversation, deep critical reflection, and dedicated service.
Peaceful and Invigorating
"This was my first spring break service trip," Magid says, "and I'd never had the opportunity to meet people of the Lakota Nation before, let alone visited that part of North America.
"I'd wanted to attend a service trip in past years but passed up the opportunity thinking I wouldn't have the time to go on the trip with my course loads. …
"I felt more at peace than I have at most points in my life while I was there, and getting to learn about a culture I knew almost nothing about, and that's very different from the cultures I've grown up with was such an invigorating experience."
My Favorite Moments
"All of the times we got the chance to sit down with a Lakota elder and learn about Lakota culture. Getting the chance to sit down with Joe M. Marshall III and learn some about Lakota history, culture, and language was one experience that really drew me to return."
Experiences like this one allow people to look outside of themselves and find inspiration in places they never thought to look.
Lessons Learned
"I got a chance to experience education in a style outside of the classroom, and it reinvigorated my passion for exploration and approaching subjects I know nothing about without fear of mockery or shame. I also learned about an entirely different way of living that I was, and continue to be, deeply ignorant about, but I'm very excited to learn more.
"In the last year or so, I've realized that my passion truly lies in language, and I'm hoping to get to learn more about the Lakota language and revitalization and educational efforts for reinstilling native languages in their communities after suffering linguistic and cultural suppression by oppressive forces (namely the U.S.'s forced attendance of native boarding schools).
"Experiences like this one allow people to look outside of themselves and find inspiration in places they never thought to look."
My Faculty Mentor
"Many of my professors have served as mentors to me as I explored various fields of study. My academic adviser is Dr. Bradley Trees, who has been greatly supportive in spite of the very rocky journey I've taken through the years. The mentors for the (Spring Break Service Week) program, David Soliday and Newton Kimberly, were also incredibly helpful and supportive in connecting me with this opportunity and supporting me in pursuing my passions."
My Campus Involvements
"I am a member of the House of Linguistic Diversity, I've participated in theater on campus, and I was pretty heavily involved in music at OWU."
Why I Chose Ohio Wesleyan
"The generous scholarships and aid I received allowed me to attend the school at a lower cost than everywhere else I applied to."
My Plans After AmeriCorps
"I'd like to pursue a master's degree in linguistics, but I'm hoping this experience will help me find more direction and purpose in my life and studies/career."