Victoria DeMan, Purdue University North Central

Victoria DeMan, a junior at Purdue University North Central studying Early Childhood Education is dedicated to helping young children succeed from an early age through early intervention. Victoria is a member of the Teachers Networking Together student organization and has served as the Service-Learning Mentor to students in the Early Childhood Education program where she has helped lead and implement several service-learning and civic leadership projects. In addition, Victoria has presented at two state-wide conferences showcasing these projects and has been awarded both local and state-wide funding to support her efforts. Her optimistic, proactive approach enhances her advocacy to help ensure that all children have the support necessary to succeed. Through her dedication, she inspires her peers to make a commitment to service and believes that being active in her community and on-campus makes her a better person; and it has taught her to be an engaged and supportive campus-community member.  
-James Dworkin, Chancellor

Each year I’m involved in a new civic learning experience, from implementing Library Sprouts, a literacy program for children birth to age 3, to attending leadership conferences. Through each experience my passion about being involved with my community grows. With each project I know I am helping the community around me become stronger and I, in return have learned a lot about myself and the world around me. Each skill I have learned along my journey I have been able to use in my everyday life. Within my program of study, Early Childhood Education, I have used these skills to help implement two Countdown to a Healthy Start programs helping families prepare children to enter Kindergarten, helped to plan and volunteer at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration family events, help run our Library Sprouts program, and serve as the Early Childhood Education Service Learning Mentor, all which have helped me to become a stronger teaching candidate and civic leader. Additionally, it’s important to me that my future students know how it feels to make a difference in our community. I will forever take these leadership skills and pass them on to my community and my future students. 
-Victoria DeMan