Abbey Zacharias, Capital University
Abbey Zacharias, a senior at Capital University, shares a passion for improving the lives of underserved and at-risk children by offering positive examples serving as their advocate. She is committed to creating long-term impact through mentoring, community-based research and direct service. Her work as a Community Engagement Intern has played a significant role in organizing her colleagues to explore opportunities in activism and outreach. Her energy is inspiring and contagious. She immerses herself in leadership on campus and helps other students gain experiences by connecting them to campus engagement opportunities. Abbey is always seeking new ways to give back to the community and share her passion for leadership and service with others. As a psychology/sociology major, she seeks long-term solutions for social issues through engagement, research and activism.
-Denvy Bowman
During my time at Capital University, I have strived to further educate myself and other students on the social issues affecting our surrounding community. During our university’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month, I led an event for students to create care packages filled with necessary items which we later donated to a homeless shelter. I also assisted in leading an event where students slept outside in cardboard boxes to gain perspective on what it would be like to be homeless for a night. For the past two years, I have co-chaired the annual LOVE (Leave Out Violence Everywhere) Campaign. For two months, we host educational and awareness programs about dating violence and promoting healthy relationships. The Clothesline Project, a NOMORE.org awareness week, and bringing a documentary on masculinity in our culture titled The Mask You Live In are all programs I spearheaded this year for students. Within the Columbus community, I mentor middle school girls and discuss with them ways to make a difference in their own lives and in their community. I will carry on the knowledge gained from these experiences in my future career as a social work professional to help solve the social issues my community faces.
-Abbey Zacharias, Capital University
