A trip to Italy often includes gelato, beaches and historical landmarks. For President’s Community Scholars, it also offers meaningful cross-cultural connections.
Since 2013, students in the program have traveled to Arezzo, Italy, for a unique summer experience. This past summer, the group hosted a three-day leadership conference for Italian students learning English.
“The students I worked with were so friendly and excited to see what they would learn from the conference,” said Gracie Swenson, a psychology sophomore. “One of my students from Italy messaged me on my birthday a month after the conference. I was blown away by how much of a connection I made in just a few days.”
President’s Community Scholars engage in a "Storytelling Across Cultures" discussion on their trip to Arezzo, Italy. The PCS program provides students with both local and global service opportunities.
PCS selects 100 students each academic year from more than 10,000 applicants. Administered by the Office of Leadership and Volunteerism in the Division of Student Affairs, the program provides an exceptional freshman experience focused on service to local, state and global communities.
Kari Dawkins, the program’s adviser and assistant director of Leadership and Volunteerism, has overseen the initiative since 2008.
“We are creating an influential path, even at an international level,” Dawkins said. “It’s a career highlight for me to watch that happen.
“We try to offer service weekly as an opportunity for our students. Once they get started and once they start that process, most of our students are in the habit of serving every single week in some capacity.”
PCS participants serve with local and regional organizations such as the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma.
Swenson said one of her favorite service projects was at Toby Keith’s OK Kids Korral, which houses families whose children are receiving cancer treatment.
“That organization is really important to me because I served there in high school,” Swenson said. “To get to continue the work that I was doing there through PCS and on a higher level is really impactful.”
During the leadership conference in Italy, PCS students led small groups of about 10 Italian students, fostering connections across cultures.
“The role of these small-group leaders is to ensure that the Italian students feel welcomed, engaged and happy to be there,” said Shirsha Mukherjee, a physics sophomore.
PCS provides a platform for students to make a difference both in Norman and abroad. Incoming students can apply through the OU general application by answering three supplemental questions.
For more information, visit the President’s Community Scholars website.
