On April 17, our 2025-2026 Community Engagement Scholars Program (CESP) celebrated the end of a successful year of community-engaged learning at their annual showcase. At this event, Scholars shared their year of collaboration with each other and commitment to community-identified capacity-building projects with friends, family, and community partners.

“During their interview, an applicant asked us what characteristics make a great Scholar,” said CESP graduate coordinator Madge Bolek. “When I think of a great scholar, I see all of you. I see a beautiful mix of interests, passions, strengths, and aspirations for the future, which I’m sure you’ll all accomplish.”

The Community Engagement Scholars Program is an initiative offered by the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) and the Office of the President in partnership with community organizations in Michigan. CESP, led by Bolek and program director Stephanie Brewer, Ph.D., completed its 10^th year this spring and has hosted over 100 Scholars since the program’s creation. Students selected as Scholars are paired with a primary community organization on projects ranging from infrastructure to communications and data collection.

“This is where leaders are made – not the polished moments, but the real ones out in the community and connecting with others,” said Vice President for Student Affairs James Hintz, Ph.D., at the event. “[Community engagement] teaches you to listen before you speak, to serve before you lead, and to see the dignity and wisdom of every person that you encounter.”

In addition, the full CESP cohort connects over professional development workshops, reflective learning, and the design and implementation of a cohort project. For this year’s project, the Scholars held a donation drive and built over 100 resource kits to distribute to unhoused neighbors in Lansing. Scholar Roberto Garcia led this effort in collaboration with his community partner, the Tenant Resource Center of Mid-Michigan (TRC).

“[This program] bridges the gap between what you learn in the classroom and actual work and seeing the philanthropy that you can do,” Garcia said at the event. Supplemented by donations collected through the drive, Garcia funded materials for these kits through a grant he received as Michigan State University’s Newman Civic Fellow.

As part of the program, Scholars gave poster presentations about projects they completed with their community partners. Along with Garcia’s work at the TRC, Kennedy Allen served with Capital Area District Libraries; Prachurjo Das served with the City of Lansing Community Development Office; Jannet Garcia and Ainsley McNamara served with the Refugee Development Center; Abigail Livingston served with the Allen Neighborhood Center and supported the CESP cohort with Brewer and Bolek; Jessica Pacheco-Perez served with the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum; Deanna Retland served with the Michigan College Access Network; Anabelle Sanchez served with Todd Martin Youth Leadership; and Madelyn Schurman served with the Michigan Women’s Commission. In addition, Das and Schurman graduated this spring and received their CESP graduation stoles at the showcase.

“What you see in this room reflects what community engagement should look like at a university, not as an add-on, but as a fundamental way of working,” said Assistant Provost for University Outreach and Engagement Elyse Aurbach, Ph.D., at the event. “For the partners in the room, thank you for articulating opportunities for partnership and serving as co-educators with our students.”

CCEL thanks our Scholars for their community engagement and partners for inviting MSU students to join their missions. Congratulations on another successful year of CESP!