As an honors student, research and civic and community engagement are always highly important. From conducting in-class research to working directly with local businesses to understand community-focused ownership and working with non-profits, I am always committed to better understanding the community, its needs, and possible ways of creating change. My interest and involvement in advocating for the community have grown through my college volunteer and research opportunities. Along the way, I have learned that human needs extend farther than what is visible to the human eye. Furthermore, by helping to make blankets for homeless shelters at a community level to engage in water reserve research at an international level, I recognize that I can have a positive impact. No matter how large the issue may seem, one person’s involvement and help at a time make a difference in the long run. As educated college students, we have more influence than we often acknowledge: our knowledge has power, our voices allow us to lead, and our actions drive change. Civic engagement sparks a fire within you, a fire that, given enough time, cannot be stopped, charged to drive change, enforce equity, and fight for justice. These experiences do much more than teach skills; they transform ways of thinking and living as they have done with me. I am driven to further my civic and community involvement and engagement, starting with serving as a leader in college organizations and being a voice for the student body.

Alba Reyes Montiel

2023-2024 Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellow