Jonathan Lamothe, WH ’25, Pennsauken, NJ
This summer I had the opportunity to work with the team at the African American Resource Center (AARC) at Penn. The AARC is a valuable resource for both the Philadelphia and University of Penn community, running several different programs year round, such as the MLK Symposium, Harold Haskins lecture series, as well as being involved in the alliance for Understanding Program. Furthermore the staff here are some of the friendlist on campus, willing to help, work and just talk with anyone who comes through the door. Other students familiar with the center view it as a very warm and welcoming place within the University.
During the summer I worked closest with the Associate Director at the AARC, Darin Toliver. Usually there was a set of daily activities to accomplish by the end of the day. Often I had to look through paperwork, edit documents, set meetings and appointments and often take calls. In addition to that, I acted as a form of liaison, connecting to and guiding several prospective Penn students and parents to different resources around campus as well as sharing my experiences as a student. Additionally, I met with community leaders, where we were able to learn more about their projects and involvements within the Philadelphia metro area, ranging from advocacy within the education system, intercity youth violence, financial distress within the black community, and ways that the university could become more involved with Philadelphia. I found that as a student who has familiarity with such topics, I was able to bring an unique nuanced perspective which allowed for both my growth and the building of lasting connections.
My individualized tasks for the summer were planning our summer annual gathering as well as the Paint and Wellness program. While I could not make it to the latter, I would say both events went extremely well. Many friends of the AARC and faculty around campus were able to come to both of these events and enjoy good food and great company. We had faculty and staff from almost every level of university life, students to administrators, as well as our friends deeply involved within the Philadelphia community, through residency or work.
I’m sad to say that this summer will be the last time I will work at the African American Resource Center, as now I’m involved with more organizations throughout the university. I will always know that no matter what happens I can always walk through the door to my family.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2023 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
