Hilda Davis
Bethel University
Hilda Davis is a junior Social Work major at Bethel University is a student leader who provides support for students of color through her work as a mentor and Resident Assistant. She has developed relationships with people of all ages in the Frogtown and Summit-University communities as a tutor, event coordinator, and community gardener She is also an intern at the Irreducible Grace Foundation, a local non-profit which empowers young adults with a history of trauma to educate community groups on the needs of young people of color to support positive mental health. She co-facilitates self-care groups and guides participants in the development of trauma-informed educational workshops. She also participates in fundraising and grant writing to support additional programming. Ms. Davis plans to pursue a dual graduate degree in Public Health and Social Work which will allow her to continue her work to support positive mental health in communities of color.
Personal Statement
I first recognized my interest in community work while being a part of a Lions Club volunteer organization in high school. It was during this period of time that I began to recognize the disparities that existed in the very surroundings in which I was raised in the Twin Cities. Major public health issues were not a problem that was an ocean away; they existed in my very own backyard. It is out of this ongoing curiosity that a passion was formed for understanding and doing my part in alleviating such inequities that I and so many of my peers were enduring. Through my social work education, I have learned to value both the role of solidarity and representation play when pursuing being an agent of change.
During my time at Bethel, I have had a number of experiences that has given me an opportunity to serve with these things in mind including my summer working in the community gardens in Frogtown/Rondo. I was left inspired by how voices from the community were the primary advocates. My hope for the future is to work in ways that affirm, uplift and empower those that may be considered socially invisible.
