Sarah Brown
John Carroll University
Sarah Brown, a junior at John Carroll University, is an outstanding campus and community leader. Since her first year, Sarah has participated in and led community engagement activities throughout Cleveland. Recognizing her leadership abilities and passion for bridging campus-community divides, Sarah was hired as a student leader and has contributed her strengths to many different community partners over the last three years. Last summer, Sarah served as an Advocacy, Solidarity, and Social Action intern at Refugee Response’s Ohio City Farm. She worked alongside recent refugees from around the globe and learned about root causes of social issues that refugees and other international newcomers confront upon arrival in the United States. As an Arrupe Social Justice Scholar and a member of the Center for Service-Learning and Social Action Student Leadership Team, Sarah has designed educational trainings to help her peers understand community realities from an asset-based approach. She is devoted to understanding root causes and motivating her peers to work for justice.
Personal Statement
When I was little I wanted to be like Princess Leia and save the galaxy. Aerospace Engineering seemed to be the closest I could get to that. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I realized looking up at the sky would not allow me to advocate for those whose voices are ignored in my community. Through advocacy and service opportunities at John Carroll University, I have been exposed to various communities, learning about our common humanity along the way. Whether it has been tutoring students after school, advocating for janitorial rights, helping kids’ literacy, teaching ESL to Spanish speakers, learning about justice issues in El Salvador, or raising awareness on voting rights, I have found my true passion for civic engagement. I am currently on the Student Leadership Team for the Center for Service and Social Action as well as an Arrupe Scholar. These leadership roles have challenged me to use the privileges that I have to help create a better world. As I look forward to a career in non-profit organizations, I hope to continue to learn about the great injustices that our world faces and take steps to rectify them.
