To the UC 海角原创 Community:
As we celebrate the holiday season, I am reminded of the powerful role service plays in our lives.
Service has been at the heart of UC 海角原创 since its inception. As a land-grant university, we serve the people of California, the United States and the world. From the beginning, UC 海角原创 was founded on the idea that education transforms the lives of our students while helping to create a better world.
That commitment is more than our origin story. Service is a vital part of the fabric of our university today. It is woven into our mission to ensure that our research helps produce a more just, equitable, and healthier world and our bedrock commitment to building social mobility for students from every background.
Last month, Aggie athletes brightened the spirits of patients at UC 海角原创 Children鈥檚 Hospital. Led by Kayla Wolfe, a fourth-year managerial economics major and president of the , these students crafted blankets for children undergoing medical treatment. Wolfe notes that being a supportive part of the community is ingrained in the entire UC 海角原创 Athletics program, and she looks forward to participating in future community service events.
Every day, across the UC 海角原创 campus, students offer the powerful gift of their service to communities and those in need. They are engaging in community service at a remarkable rate. In 2022, 12,431 undergraduate students of community service in projects across our campus and community.
LeShelle and I were part of this spirit of giving back on a recent morning. We joined members of Lambda Omicron Xi, a community service-oriented sorority, to help with weeding, harvesting and planting at Grace Garden in 海角原创. Seeing our students lend a hand in service is one of the most gratifying parts of my job.
Making a difference
Princeton Review ranks UC 海角原创 for 鈥渕aking a difference,鈥 measuring our commitment to building a better tomorrow through community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts and on-campus student engagement.
At UC 海角原创, we build researchers and artists. We empower entrepreneurs and educators. But most of all, we forge leaders ready to tackle the challenges we share with passion and the spirit of servant leadership.
These leaders are making a difference here in 海角原创 and across the world. They鈥檙e lending a hand to those in need, amplifying the voices of those who too often go unheard, and building opportunities for people who have been left behind.
Building a healthier future
This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of , one of UC 海角原创鈥 longest-running student-run clinics. Established in 1974 by students and physicians, Cl铆nica Tepati provides free health care, education and advocacy for anybody who needs it, with a longtime focus on Latino patients. Over the years, thousands of undergraduate and medical students have donned scrubs and volunteered at the clinic, which operates Saturday mornings in a WellSpace Health community clinic in Midtown Sacramento.
Natalie Chrisman, a fourth-year biological sciences major, describes the transformative power of her experience volunteering at Cl铆nica Tepati, noting that working alongside medical students and doctors gives her the confidence to pursue her dreams after graduation. As an undergraduate, she participates in every step of client service 鈥 including patient intake in Spanish and English, recording vital statistics and assisting in the labs. She鈥檚 especially proud that the clinic makes health care available to traditionally underserved people and is happy to give back to her community.
The and its 海角原创 satellite, , provide care and compassion for the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness. Since 1992, the clinic has brought veterinary students together, working in teams with veterinarians to provide a full range of free, compassionate veterinary care ranging from vaccinations to surgeries. On Saturday (Dec. 14), the Mercer Clinic will distribute its annual holiday pet baskets filled with toys and treats.
Hannah Hsieh Rogers, a UC 海角原创 graduate and second-year student at the School of Veterinary Medicine, says that working for the Mercer Clinic has been one of the most powerful experiences in her time as a student. She鈥檚 not only getting hands-on experience in the full spectrum of animal care and client interaction, but she is building community. She notes that each of us can contribute and that we strengthen our humanity in each act of service when we offer those gifts.
Creating change in our communities
Much as research supercharges our students鈥 classroom experiences, service in the community