April 17, 2018
Jessica Aceves and Christel Bowen, who both are minoring in Civic and Community Engagement, took top prizes from the Office of Community Engagement’s sponsored Annual Research and Service Learning Symposium. Aceves and Bowen are among the CSUN students graduating with this new interdisciplinary minor, housed in the College of Humanities.
Jessica Aceves won first place in the undergraduate category, for her project, “Let’s Talk About College.” Aceves is a senior majoring in Liberal Studies with a minor in Civic and Community Engagement, and an emphasis on social justice. She plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work right after finishing her B.A., and eventually a doctoral degree in Social Policy. Jessica hopes to empower and inspire youth who are often overlooked to be the best version of themselves. She strives to advocate for the power of higher education, and for how education can propose an alternative to what is expected for many of these youth. Jessica currently works at a non-profit bilingual charter middle school and is doing her service learning hours at a non-profit alternative high school. She hopes to guide and empower the youth to believe in themselves and the future that awaits them.
Christel Bowen tied for second place in the undergraduate category for her project, “Basic Needs as Necessities.” Bowen is a senior majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences with a focus in Nutrition and Dietetics. Christel is also minoring in Community and Civic Engagement with a focus on Food Justice. Upon completing her bachelor's degree, Christel hopes to pursue an M.S. in a related major. Christel currently works on campus as a Student Assistant for the CSUN Food Pantry and as a Student Leader for the Marilyn Magaram Center. Christel is involved with many other on-campus organizations including the Food Recovery Network, the CSUN Sustainability Food Garden, and Student Dietetic and Food Science Association.