Maddie Poindexter - Impacting My Community

​Hello! My name is Maddie Poindexter and I am serving at Davenport University. I am happy to be serving in the same community where I attended college as this helps me navigate the city of Grand Rapids with greater ease. Here at Davenport University, I work in the Center for Campus Life office, mainly with the Student Life team. My main responsibilities are running the four annual service days throughout the year, coordinating the HEROES mentoring program, and working with the athletic teams and other students as they volunteer in the community. In November, I was given the opportunity to help start a professional resource closet at Davenport that will be accessible to all students. I am currently creating marketing materials, organizational signs, taking inventory, and requesting donations for the Panther Resource Closet. The closet will officially launch in January, so I have a lot of work to do before then!

Every Monday and Wednesday I have been serving at The Refugee Education Center here in Grand Rapids, MI. I have been creating a workbook/curriculum that will be used by all 7th-12th graders at the center to prepare them for college or a professional career. As part of this project, I have been meeting with community organizations that focus on college access and/or career readiness. This process has been incredibly impactful because I have been able to advocate for better resources, translated materials, and bring general awareness to the issues that refugees face while applying and once they are admitted into college. I am grateful for the opportunity to hear our students' stories, work alongside them twice a week, and encourage them as they explore their future goals.
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As the semester comes to a close, I am focusing on collecting all of the Adopt-a-Family gifts that were donated by staff and students. I am hosting a wrapping party on campus next week as part of stressbusters for finals week. Over my holiday break I will be busy planning for our MLK Day of Play service project that is being hosted at the YMCA. This service project will be jam packed with activities focused on diversity and will all be led by Davenport student volunteers! I am so excited that 94 students (three athletic teams) have come forward expressing interest in volunteering for this event!
I have enjoyed every single busy moment I have experienced since August! I am looking forward to seeing all that I can accomplish as the second semester quickly approaches! I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season!