Deanna Galer, Goucher College

Deanna Galer is a stellar member of the Goucher College community. An articulate and thoughtful leader who continually enriches our campus in countless ways, Deanna has built a network of peers, faculty and staff to develop ideas around social change. Her drive to learn and serve extends to her exceptional service to the student body. Deanna is the current President of Goucher Student Government (GSG), and was deeply involved in rewriting the student constitution to intentionally include students who might not otherwise be attracted to leadership positions. Deanna is also working with the entire campus community to gain access to different social communities, and to connect pockets of social engagement. She deeply believes that education is a right of all individuals, and hopes to advance educational policies that engage and include all citizens equally. In the future, Deanna would like to professionally address intellectual and identity development in young adults.
-Jose Bowen, President

Higher education is not about knowing facts, but instead about contextualizing learning and interacting with various communities in an ethical way. All that I do – inside and outside of the classroom – stems from that philosophy. Over the last year, through my involvement with Student Government, the 29th Street Community Center, and co-organizing with students of color, I have spent a lot of time thinking about power structures that enhance some people’s educational access and those that repress others’. I believe that all children deserve equitable K-12 education, regardless of race, gender, religion, class, or otherwise. Beyond that, as our country places increasing value on higher education, I say that the right to higher education is just as important as the right to K-12. That feat is not an easy one, but one that I am wholeheartedly committed to as a nonviolent protestor, a critical thinker, and a voter. I recognize the difference between empowerment and activism – the former being about the power of the individual, the latter about the structure of the system. I am being honored this year as a Newman Civic Fellow for my ability to actively change the system.
-Deanna Galer