Summer is over and the new semester has officially begun!
As you all well know, with a new semester comes a heard of new freshman/transfer students. With this in mind, I know a lot of you new students may be interested in getting involved and learning about some awesome organizations we have here on campus.
This week, I sat down with Madison Brooks, a University of Kentucky LEXengaged peer mentor, to tell you guys more about this awesome Living Learning Program.
LEXengaged’s mission is to get out in the community and learn about the wide history of Lexington, especially African American history.
“We have lots of out of state students! Out of 37, maybe 1-2 from Lexington and a hand full from Kentucky so the people in our program are really learning about the larger community in Lexington in which we live,” Madison said.
They also reach out into William Wells Brown as well as the Steam Academy to teach younger children and high school students about the issues, history and, of course, play a couple games.
The program also offers a connected class, UKC 181, with Professor Rosie Moosnick, in which they learn ideas, concepts and notions of social justice through readings and short essays.
“My professor is a huge activist who focuses on many topics including the African American history here in Lexington especially in the horse industry,” Madison said, “and we learn even more about that while adventuring around Lexington.”
Madison is one of three mentors who work together as a team to ensure the best for their mentees.
“My role is to be a support system. They bring me issues that they may not be comfortable discussing with a resident adviser alone. Some little issues can stay between us, but for many I just offer my hand to go with them to the RA to ensure their safety and well-being. Honestly, my role here is to just be a friend,” Madison said.
Like many UK students, Madison found out about the LEXengaged Living Learning Community through her See Blue U orientation as well as her housing application.
“I knew I wanted to be in an LLP from the start. The problem was finding something that was right for me. I’m a psychology major and I love volunteering, so I thought this might just be the program meant for me. Of course I applied to a couple more, but my fingers were crossed that I’d get into this one. From the moment I looked into this program, I knew I could not only further my understanding and thrill of social issues and interactions as well volunteering, but I could also further someone else entirely. I could make a difference,” Madison said.
With over 17 LLP’s available at UK, there is surely a community for everyone. If you’re interested in helping LEXengaged, applying or contacting them, visit their webpage: https://lexengaged.as.uky.edu/.