While most 2005 Hamilton graduates said good-bye to the college in May, Aletha Asay '05 will be returning to the Hill for the 2005-2006 academic year to work as the new Hamilton College SHINE Coordinator. Project SHINE (Students Helping In the Naturalization of Elders) links college students with older immigrants and refugees seeking to learn English and achieve U.S. citizenship. Students tutor elders in English, helping them become more actively engaged in their communities and teaching the U.S. history and civics needed to pass the citizenship exam. Project SHINE in central New York began with a partnership between Hamilton and Utica College and is supported by a three-year grant from Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning and Learn and Serve America.
Asay, originally from Waterford, Conn., volunteered for Project SHINE last semester and, over spring break, participated in the Urban Service Experience in Utica. Through these experiences, she gained an appreciation for the area and made the decision to continue her service to the Mohawk Valley after graduation as SHINE coordinator. "Utica is a really interesting place, and Hamilton students don't really see much of it. I wanted to stay and explore more," said Asay.
As this is the second year of the three year grant for SHINE, Asay's major goals involve making SHINE self-sufficient at Hamilton. There are some classes that require or recommend service learning, and Asay will visit these classes in the fall. Service learning is "a method by which students learn and develop civically through the combination of traditional classroom work and thoughtfully organized community service," according to the SHINE brochure. She wants to make the program accessible to faculty, who teach classes with a service learning component, and to students, whether they are volunteering through a class or on their own; for example, continuing to provide transportation and training for volunteers. Asay will also recruit former student volunteers for leadership positions.
"With service learning students have experience to bring back into the classroom. It helps them to gain an appreciation for their civic duty. I saw that," explained Asay.
Asay graduated with degrees in comparative literature and Japanese. In addition to extensive community service, she spent a semester studying in Tokyo, was on the swim team for two years, and participated in Tae Kwon Do all four years.
For more information about Project SHINE, contact Aletha at aasay@hamilton.edu.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
