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Civic Scholars Presented by the Office of Civic and Community Engagement

Throughout their time at Wake Forest, Civic Scholars complete work across four key areas: academics, direct service, trainings, and leadership development. Civic Scholars also work alongside a staff adviser from the Office of Civic and Community Engagement to develop a capstone project. As leaders both on campus and in the community, Civic Scholars are connected with a diversity of causes and organizations.

2023 Civic Scholars

Ian Davis-Huie

Abby Furman

Thomas Gawf

Lizzie Harlan

Danielle Jefferson

Sneha Kannan

Autumn Knight

Elizabeth MacDonald

Jessica Mark

Audrey McKennitt

Emily Reeves

Elizabeth Seagroves

Drew Skilton

Maya Whitaker

Will Zimmerman

Learn more about this year's cohort of Civic Scholars.

Ian Davis-Huie

A major in Elementary Education with a double minor in Religion and Theatre, Ian Davis-Huie has shared his love of learning with many students.

Davis-Huie served as a Student Director of Wake Forest University's Virtual Tutoring program for two years. He was also a member of the Anthony Aston Players and a Leadership and Character Scholar.

The community engaged work Davis-Huie participated in helped him feel more connected and fulfilled during his time as a Wake Forest student. Through service, he grew closer to his community while also meeting other students passionate about similar interests. Davis-Huie used his engagement with the Winston Salem community to inform his academic and career interests at every step of the way, including furthering his interest in working with kids.

After graduation Davis-Huie plans to become an educator in Forsyth County.

Abby Furman

A major in Politics & International Affairs with a Journalism minor, Abby Furman found that community engagement work help ground her during her time as a student. She was able to connect with peers outside of her social circle, found others with shared interests, and learned more about the Winston Salem community.

As a student, Furman was involved on campus through roles as a President's Aide, Student Director of the Period Project, a Peer Educator in the Women's Center, and a Stamps Scholar. She was also a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, and the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.

Outside the classroom, Furman interned for the NC Democratic Coordinated Campaign, Congressman David Price, the Hunt Institute, and Cheri Beasley's campaign for US Senate.

Below, Furman reflects on her experience combining her passion for politics with community-based work:

Because I was working on Cheri Beasley's Senate campaign at the time, it was very exciting and inspiring to see Wake students getting excited to vote. Even though the Senate race did not go the way I hoped, I loved helping students get the information they needed to vote in NC. I am very proud of myself for learning how to follow my passions and picking a path that works for me.

After graduation, Furman plans to attend law school to focus on public interest law.

Thomas Gawf

Thomas Gawf is a double major in Politics & International Affairs and Communication. He credits community engagement work as central to his sense of community and a pillar of his future professional interests.

During his time at Wake Forest, Gawf was involved in leadership with Project Pumpkin and the Sustainability Theme House, he also served as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the Denver Rescue Mission, and World Relief Triad.

Gawf is most proud of his intentional connection between community engagement work and internship opportunities. These experiences taught him how to successfully and meaningfully engage with others, while opening his eyes to how different social problems are connected with the broader community.

After graduation, Gawf is interested in working in the nonprofit industry.

Lizzie Harlan

Lizzie Harlan is a Politics & International Affairs major with a triple minor in Sociology, Psychology, and Schools, Education & Society.

Harlan's passion for education lead her to participate as a Servant Leader Intern for the Wake Forest University Freedom School, a free literacy-based summer enrichment program for local children. Harlan also served as a Senior Director for Wake Forest University's Virtual Tutoring program and held a leadership role in the Panhellenic Council.

Harlan's advice for students interested in community engagement is to find an area that sparks a passion and dedicate your time to it. Through her own dedication to Virtual Tutoring, Harlan helped create a student-led framework for the program that provides over 150 local children with free, weekly tutoring sessions.

After graduation, Harlan plans to go into educational policy work. 

Danielle Jefferson

A major in Health & Exercise Science with a minor in Anthropology, Danielle Jefferson has been involved in the community throughout her undergraduate experience.

Jefferson has served in leadership of the Black Student Alliance and the Pi Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, in addition to her roles as a Resident Advisor and an Assistant Athletic Trainer in the Sports Medicine Athletic Department.

In the community, Jefferson served in the Public Health AmeriCorps program and as a volunteer for many organizations including: Deacon Doula, North Hills Elementary, Mineral Springs Elementary, Second Harvest Food Bank, The Red H.E.A.R.R.T’s Health and Wellness, and Twin City Harm Reduction Collective.

Jefferson is proud of the people she has impacted over the last four years. Her commitment to the community ranges from serving food insecure clients to sharing a friendly smile with those in need. Jefferson's most memorable moment in the community was volunteering at the MLK Read-In Day, hosted in partnership between Wake Forest University and Winston Salem State University.

After graduation, Jefferson will attend the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health to pursue a graduate degree with a concentration in Maternal, Child, and Family Health.

Sneha Kannan

A major in Political Science & International Affairs with a double minor in Biology and Health Policy & Administration, Sneha Kannan is passionate about supporting the community.

During her time at Wake Forest, Kannan was involved with Deacon Dhamaal and Pilot21. She was also a member of the Greek Life community, participated in research experiences and served as a Dance Assistant and a Public Health AmeriCorps member. She also volunteered at the Shalom Project and the Ronald McDonald House. Kannan's community work helped shape her outlook, priorities, and define her professional interests.

Below, Kannan reflects on how community engagement experiences impacted her time at Wake Forest:

I think without my work in the community, I would have remained in the "Wake Forest bubble". I would not have explored the community or understood how much diversity Winston Salem truly has.

After graduation, Kannan plans to work in Washington, DC before attending medical school.

Autumn Knight

Autumn Knight is a Health & Exercise Science major, with minors in Anthropology and Biology. Through community engaged work, Knight was able to gain a more holistic student experience by stepping outside of her comfort zone and using her passions to develop educational and professional plans.

Knight served in the Public Health AmeriCorps program and was involved with the Association of Pre-Physician Assistants. Knight also volunteered at the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Mobile Clinic, NC Med Assist, and Crisis Control.

Below, Knight reflects on the importance of her community engaged work:

The community partners I worked with helped merge my personal interests with service, while also giving me relevant professional experience.

After graduation, Knight plans to enroll in a Physician Assistant program.

Elizabeth MacDonald

A major in Mathematical Statistics and a double minor in Chinese language & Culture and Politics & International Affairs, Elizabeth MacDonald has devoted herself to years of service at Wake Forest.

MacDonald was both a participant and student leader in various efforts across campus, including her role as a President's Aide and an Ambassador in Admissions. She was involved in the Campus Life Advisory Committee, the Dean’s Student Advisory Panel, the Ballroom Dance Club, Deacs Decide, the Office of Academic Advising Student Peer Advising, and the Wake Forest chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics. In the community, MacDonald worked alongside You Can Vote and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.

MacDonald's service experience has been memorable and fueled her academic passions. MacDonald is grateful to her mentors at Wake Forest and for her college internships that helped her seek out additional opportunities and experiences. MacDonald is also grateful to community partners that helped her realize how and where she could apply her technical and analytical skills in the future and see how data and statistics can be applied to benefit social good.

After graduation, MacDonald will work as Business Analyst at Deloitte Government and Public Services in Arlington and Virginia.

Jessica Mark

A major in Elementary Education with a minor in Sociology, Jessica Mark has truly made her mark on the community. Mark served as a Student Director of Wake Forest University's Virtual Tutoring Program, helping build out the program offerings and improving the family experience.

As a tutor for Virtual Tutoring and student teacher, in Forsyth County, Mark has devoted herself to working with students and families during her time at Wake Forest. These experiences allowed her to form meaningful and memorable relationships, which reinforced her desire to teach.

Below, Mark shares her advise for aspiring service leaders:

Find a service avenue that speaks to you, and get involved! Community engagement will add depth and fulfillment to your college experience.

After graduation, Mark plans to attend graduate school and earn her Master's Degree in Special Education.

Audrey McKennitt

As a Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Spanish, Audrey McKennitt complemented her academic interests with her community engaged work. McKennitt's commitment to bridging the gap between Wake Forest students and the Winston Salem community is evident in her leadership and involvement in Wake Women Lead, Project Pumpkin, Project Launch, and DESK.

In the community, McKennitt worked closely with students at Cook Literacy Model School and Paisley Middle School. In addition to her love of working with kids, McKennitt was a regular volunteer at the Community Care Center, using her Spanish skills and interest in medicine to serve low-income patients.

Below, McKennitt reflects on the importance of a wide range of community engaged work:

Working with a broad range of community members from local elementary schools to patients has developed my ability to work with diverse populations and is something I will take with me after my time as a student.

After graduation, McKennitt plans to apply to medical school.

Emily Reeves

A major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with a double minor in Spanish and Bioethics, Humanities, & Medicine, Emily Reeves has dedicated herself to service across Winston Salem. As a member of the Wake Forest Dance Team and in leadership for her sorority, Reeves was actively involved as both a participant and student leader in various efforts on campus including Hit the Bricks, Wake 'N Shake, Public Health AmeriCorps, and the American Chemical Society. In the community, Reeves worked with Cancer Services, the Winston-Salem Mobile Health Clinic, and Atrium Health.

Reeves found that little interactions left big smiles on the faces of those she worked with. This community engagement has enhanced her Wake Forest experience with a much deeper and significant purpose, allowing her to connect academics with the real world. Her service aligns with her passions in medicine and her experiences has given her a unique experience with public health that have nurtured her development to becoming a doctor and researcher in the future.

After graduation, Reeves plans to work as a Research Assistant at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Elizabeth Seagroves

As a Politics & International Affairs major with a minor in International Studies, Elizabeth Seagroves leveraged her academic skillset in service of community issues. Seagroves successfully shared her research on race, public opinion, and sports activism with coaches from her community. She then facilitated a coach's group conversation on how sports activism plays out at the national, local, and personal level.

Seagroves was active inside and outside the classroom through the Ballroom Dance Club, the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, the journal PS: Political Science and Politics, the Race, Inequality, and Policy Initiative (RIPI), and the Collegiate Association for Inequality Research (CAIR). In the community, she worked with the Ministers' Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, the Summer Nonprofit Immersion Program, and volunteered at NOVANT Health.

Below, Seagroves reflects on the impact of her community engaged work:

Working in the Winston Salem community emphasized my desire to pursue an academic path that would help me address the issues I am passionate about: systemic racism, social policy, and education.

After graduation, Seagroves will pursue a PhD in Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill.

Drew Skilton

As a Communications major with a double minor in Politics & International Affairs and Theatre, Drew Skilton used his passion for politics to increase voter turnout of Wake Forest students.

Skilton served in leadership of Deacs Decide, the Wake Forest Student Government, and Wake Forest College Democrats. He was also involved with the Anthony Ashton Players. In the community, he was involved with the Campus Vote Project and You Can Vote.

Below, Skilton reflects on his proudest moments in community engaged work:

I am most proud of creating a campus that has increased its engagement in democracy. We were one of the most improved voting campuses in North Carolina in the 2020 election. Our team worked hard to reach all parts of campus to get students to vote and it worked. We also successfully brought an early voting site to Wake Forest for the 2022 election.

After graduation, Skilton plans to pursue a career that aligns with his passion and experience in elections and politics.

Maya Whitaker

A major in Sociology, with a double minor in Studio Art and History, Maya Whitaker has immersed herself fully in community engaged work through the arts. Founder and Co-President of Artivist, Whitaker was actively involved as both a participant and student leader in various efforts on campus including the Summer Nonprofit Immersion Program, the Alpha Kappa Delta Sociological Honors Society, and the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. In the community, Whitaker worked with Aperture Cinema, the Hope to Thrive Food Pantry, and Triad Abolition Project.

Whitaker is especially proud of her dedication and persistence to ensuring Artivists was an engaged and supportive community of art-minded leaders. One of her favorite moments from Artivists was putting a collaborative canvas out on the Quad for the Wake Forest community to respond to: "What needs to change?" The piece became a monument to the thoughts of the community.

Below, Whitaker shares advise for aspiring service leaders:

Learn as much as you can about the community from the community members themselves. Learn their wants and needs, and reach out to organizations who are already working in those areas. If you can't find anyone doing the work you want to see, then make it happen!

After graduation, Whitaker will begin her role as Gallery Manager at the stArt Gallery in Reynolda Village.

Will Zimmerman

An Interdisciplinary Creative Studies major, Zimmerman has dedicated himself to sharing the stories of others, all while creating his own. His far-reaching involvement includes: Online Managing Editor of the Old Gold & Black, writer for The Magnolia, Philanthropy Chair for his fraternity, and student leader for the SPARC pre-orientation program. In the community, Zimmerman worked with Habitat for Humanity and the Diaper Bank.

Zimmerman is proud of the time he devoted to exploring his passion of sharing stories and building relationships with community members. He worked closely with the Liberty Street Farmer's Market and its community, documenting the impact of everyday people and publishing their stories in The Assembly and through a documentary showcased at the RiverRun International Film Festival.

After graduation, Zimmerman will propose a grant to fund reporting time in Israel on the topic of food disparity and present a narrative that directs attention to a previously untold story.

Congratulations, Civic Scholars!