Meet the Spring 2021 Service-Learning Assistants (SLAs)
Duke Service-Learning is delighted to welcome the Spring 2021 SLA cohort. Service-Learning Assistants (SLAs) work closely with faculty teaching undergraduate and graduate service-learning courses, performing tasks such as facilitating community placements; serving as a liaison between faculty, students, and community partners; and leading critical reflection activities. We are so grateful for the work they do to assist faculty, students, and community partners in service-learning and community-engaged courses. We couldn't fulfill our mission without them!
Spring 2021 Cohort
AZANA GREEN, DUKE ‘21, Senior, Majoring in Spanish and Global Health
SLA for Translating Spanish-English and English-Spanish (SPANISH 310) with Melissa Simmermeyer and Joan Munne
From: Asheville, NC
Fun Fact: I'm a transfer student from UNC Chapel Hill (now at the better blue, haha).
What do you love about Durham? I love that Durham has such a rich and unique history with so many ways to invest yourself into the community via a variety of community service projects.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I’m truly looking forward to immersing myself back into one of my most enjoyable and practical classes I've taken during my university career. I look forward to sharing helpful insights with the class but also learning a lot from their perspectives as well.
KATIE ELKIN, 2nd year, Master of Divinity program
SLA for Death and Dying (SOCIOL 264) with Debby Gold
PHOTO: Katie (on the right) in front of the elementary school in Madagascar where she taught English during her volunteer year. She is pictured with the headmistress of the school.
From: Mooresville, NC
Fun Fact: I lived in Madagascar for one year after undergrad.
What do you love about Durham? I love how bike and pedestrian-friendly it is!
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I am excited to learn more about the history of Durham and to learning from the community partners.
PIERCE HOLLIER, DUKE ‘22, Junior, Majoring in Neuroscience, Minoring in Global Health
SLA for Advanced Intermediate Spanish with Service-Learning (SPANISH 205) with Eileen Anderson
From: Born and raised in Houston, TX.
Fun Fact: I am in a Turkish YouTube video with almost 3 million views
What I love about Durham: I love that so many things are so close and everything is walkable. I feel like I can do and experience so much more here.
One thing you’re looking forward to in your work as an SLA: I am looking forward to learning more about the Durham community and how Duke students can best interact with Durham.
LILLY KELEMEN, DUKE ‘23, Sophomore, Majoring in Neuroscience, Minoring in Education
SLA for Theater Studies 310: Nonprofit Cultural Institutions (THEATRST 310) with Dan Ellison
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Fun Fact: I have been collecting rubber ducks since I was two years old. I have over three hundred rubber ducks—including astronauts, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, motorcyclists, etc. — at home in Ohio, but I hold onto my blue devil duck at school!
What I love about Durham: I love Durham because of the long walks I take on Sunday mornings, where I discover new parts of the neighborhood each week. I have also greatly appreciated my time working with local students in E.K. Powe Elementary School and George Watts Elementary School.
One thing you’re looking forward to in your work as an SLA: One thing I'm looking forward to as an SLA is getting to hear the perspectives of other students and participating in complex and engaging discussions.
HANNAH SMITH, 2nd year, Master of Environmental Management
SLA for Border Crossing (PUBPOL 263) with Lalita Kaligotla and Africa and Arabia: Cultures, Communities, and Connections (AMES 304) with Mbaye Lo
From: I proudly call Kenova, West Virginia home.
Fun Fact: I have snowboarded on every slope at every ski resort in West Virginia.
What I love about Durham: I love that Durham is a city, but it feels like a small town where you can be in the woods in no time at all.
One thing you’re looking forward to in your work as an SLA: I look forward to developing communication skills for an asset-based approach to evaluation.
ALLIE SINCLAIR, PhD Candidate, Cognitive Neuroscience
SLA for Neuroscience Service Learning – Brain Connections (NEUROSCI 444S) with Minna Ng
From: It's complicated! I was born in Singapore, but grew up in Portland, OR and went to high school in Albuquerque, NM. I went to the University of Toronto for my undergraduate degree before coming to Duke for my PhD. My family now lives in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
Fun Fact: Before I became a scientist, I loved acting and did theatre for many years. I used to compete at the national level, specializing in monologues. Now, I use those skills to communicate science!
What do you love about Durham? I love the delicious and diverse food scene in Durham. Some of my favorite local restaurants are M Sushi, Mateo, Namu, and Lime & Lemon.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA? This is my first experience with a service-learning course. I'm excited to translate my research about learning and memory to a new applied setting, spark interest in neuroscience, and engage with kids and mentors in the local community!
ZACH MOORE, DUKE ‘22, Junior, majoring in African and African American Studies, Minoring in Music and French Studies
SLA for Working in French (French 321S) with Deb Reisinger
From: Tampa, FL
Fun Fact: During the summer between my sophomore and junior year, I lived in the Amazon for a month!
What do you love about Durham? I love how easy it is to get around! When I lived on campus, I felt like I could walk anywhere whether I wanted to go to a restaurant or simply just have a stroll around the city.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA? I'm looking forward to helping facilitate some of the conversations about the cultural differences between the United States and France in the workplace. Also, I look forward to speaking French with other students and some of the guest speakers we have attending throughout the semester!
TAYLOR EMERSON, DUKE ‘23, Sophomore, Majoring in Economics and Public Policy
SLA for Social Inequalities & Low Wage Work (ECON 337S) with Genna Miller
PHOTO: Taylor on move-in day in Fall 2019 with the scooter that enabled her to navigate around campus with a broken leg her first semester at Duke.
From: Tampa, FL
Fun Fact: I spent my first semester at Duke navigating through campus on a scooter with a broken leg. Through this experience, I learned which buildings on Duke’s campus have ADA accessible entrances and which do not. I used my knowledge surrounding this subject matter to better Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and I began working with the campus architect and SDAO to implement better signage on campus with regard to accessibility.
What do you love about Durham? I love all of the different, local food options available in Durham, and how walk-able the city is!
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I’m looking forward to working alongside fellow Duke students to problematize the idea of what “service-learning” is.
RANI KUMAR, 2nd year, Master of Environmental Management, with a focus in geospatial analysis and community-based environmental management
SLA for Issues in Education and Immigration (SPANISH 307S) with Rebecca Ewing and Health, Culture, and the Latinx Community (SPANISH 306) with Joan Clifford
From: Boulder, Colorado
Fun Fact: I discovered ‘bikepacking’ last summer, which combines backpacking and long-distance biking, and it’s my new favorite thing!
What do you love about Durham? I love the greenspace and access to the outdoors. I also love the elementary school I work at, Lakewood Elementary. The amazing students, educators, and community encompass all the best things of Durham in their community school model.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I’m excited to think about how to structure reflection sessions that allow students to explore more deeply their own identities and impact within the larger context of community service. As a former Spanish major at the University of San Diego, I am also very excited to be back in the Spanish department!
JJ NDUBUISI, DUKE ‘21, Senior, Majoring in Spanish, Minoring in Biology and Music
SLA for Farmworkers in North Carolina: Roots of Poverty, Roots of Change (DOCST 332S) with Charlie Thompson
From: Marietta, GA
Fun Fact: My family loves to travel. I’ve vacationed in more than 15 different countries and I’ve been back to many of those countries more than once!
What I love about Durham: I love that its universities don’t come across as the defining aspect of the city. It’s easy to feel at home and connected to the broader community.
One thing you’re looking forward to in your work as an SLA: Through connecting the students with awesome organizations like Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) and Root Causes, I’m excited to learn ways to address and fix the structural inequalities of the food system that I depend on but take for granted.
AUTUMN BLAMOVILLE, DUKE ‘21, Senior, Program II (Integrative Arts and Health: Interventions and Collaborations)
SLA for Performance: Interdisciplinary – TimeSlips Community Engagement (DANCE 462) with Sarah Wilbur
From: New York City
Fun Fact: I sing in an a cappella group on campus called Deja Blue. Here is a video of me singing a solo in the song “Sorry Not Sorry.”
What do you love about Durham? I love the art scene in Durham! From the performing arts and having DPAC so nearby, or the visual arts and all the amazing murals we have in Durham, it is such a rich arts city. It always reminds me of home in New York.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA? I am looking forward to working with the two partner organizations and the community partners on this project, and through my work as a SLA I am excited to help students in the class reflect on the service being done with adults who have dementia.
JOSIE VONK, DUKE ‘23, Sophomore, Prospective Psychology Major
SLA for Small Town USA: Local Collaborations (DOCST 230S) with Susie Post-Rust
PHOTO: Josie loves to cook and here she is about to dive into a grilled pizza she just made.
From: Spring, Texas which is about 45 minutes away of Houston.
Fun Fact: I learned how to roast 5 pounds of pork shoulder to make homemade tacos al pastor last summer! Everything from the tortillas to the pineapple salsa to the meat from scratch!
What do you love about Durham? I love how easy it is to walk around Durham. I'm so used to having to drive everywhere I go! And of course, the food in Durham is amazing!
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I'm looking forward to continuing to grow as a photographer and shape my skills in spotting what a good picture looks like- composition, lighting, emotional value.
KIRA WARD, DUKE ‘22, Junior, Majoring in Psychology, Minoring in Education, Markets and Management Certificate
SLA for Educational Psychology (EDUC 240) and Why are we here? (EDUC 89S) with David Malone
From: Eugene, Oregon
Fun Fact: My very first dream job was to be a professional lion and I am also a dancer.
What do you love about Durham? One of my favorite Durham activities is the Farmers' Market on Saturday. Every week, I love getting to shop locally for fresh and seasonal ingredients.
One thing you’re looking forward to learning through your work as an SLA: I'm really looking forward to navigating the new virtual service space. Professor Malone and I are hoping to develop new relationships with Durham education nonprofits and create project teams that will be able to make tangible change towards the initiatives of these organizations.