Donna Scaffidi, University of Massachusetts Boston

An advocate for social justice and equality, Donna Scaffidi is an aspiring attorney finishing her last year at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she will soon earn a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Donna is committed to improving the lives of others by raising awareness, influencing policy, and advocating on behalf of those facing social inequalities to ensure a more just society. She has had experience in multiple areas of law including family law, immigration law, and labor law and will attend law school in fall 2015. Donna worked in the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement, organizing volunteer opportunities for UMass Boston students. She helped build partnerships with community organizations and organized three days of service throughout the previous year. She also volunteered with the AFL-CIO Greater Boston Labor Council, promoting equal rights for immigrant workers. She was president of the UMass Boston chapter of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho and organized many events to create awareness around social justice issues. Donna is currently interning in Washington, D.C. in the Office of Rep. Katherine Clark as part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where she will spend her last semester before graduating in May 2015. 
-Keith Motley, Chancellor

My community engagement efforts have reinforced for me how necessary it is to support our communities and that there is always work to be done. My passion to bring social justice and equality to all, with an emphasis on historically disenfranchised and underrepresented populations, created a desire to pursue a career as a lawyer to represent others while influencing policy. 
I have volunteered and coordinated volunteer groups for the Greater Boston Food Bank along with over 50 different organizations during a span of 3 years. Additionally, I interned for Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services Youth Advocacy Division and devised the first statewide youth resource database containing substance abuse, parenting, and mental health resources. Currently, I am interning in the House of Representatives via the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and have the opportunity to impact not just the Greater Boston community, but now Washington, D.C. and the nation.
My experiences in community engagement, from volunteering/interning to ensuring others have the opportunity as well, has taught me that serving my community is necessary. I have gained transferable skills that I will use for the rest of my life to positively impact society.
-Donna Scaffidi