Christa Paull
Central Michigan University
Christa Paull, a third year student at Central Michigan University, is an in inspiring advocate committed to addressing poverty in her community. Over the past two years. Christa interned with the local rotating shelter for community members experiencing homelessness, where she supports everything from check-in, meal service, entertainment activities, guest safety, and education and advocacy efforts. She spends her free time planning Alternative Breaks to help her fellow students develop their civic engagement skills as well.
Personal Statement
I am passionate about service because of the connections I gain with my peers and our community. While I value my education, I want to do more than spend my time in a classroom, but instead, use the abilities and resources available to help others where needed. Not only is it important to me to serve but I want to show others the importance of serving and aid in building a community of people who value service. When I started at Central I knew I wanted to connect with our community and find others like me who wanted to get involved. I joined the Alternative Breaks program where students come together to learn about issues and then go out and serve together on these important issues. This was when I actually began to see real concrete actions put behind conversations of service and it inspired me to continue. Being asked why I do this work is hard because the answer is because I am dedicated to the people. Being able to bring together my peers to help those who need an extra hand is what brings me joy and I hope to do it for the rest of my life.
