For this project we had to write a paper reflecting on the topics we covered over the course of the semester. In addition to this, we also had to include our learning goals, community service experience and how we felt the semester went.

Section I. 

Over the past semester, I have learned a lot about the components of citizenship and what defines being a citizen. In class, we explored many aspects of citizenship such as community service, different community capitals, and how we contribute to a broader community. Along with this, we also discussed factors in one’s life that impact one’s experiences. Through these discussions, my understanding and definition of citizenship have expanded as I was made aware of aspects of citizenship I did not even consider before. 

At the start of the year, I had the idea that the citizenship course was just going to be about community involvement. While that was a primary component of the course, it also presented struggles that people face and how that impacts their ability to be civically engaged. At the beginning of the semester, we read the article “How Your Cashmere Sweater is Decimating Mongolia’s Grasslands” which was about a 90-year-old, cow milker named Lkhagvajav Bish who has recently expressed concerns about the damage being done by Cashmere goats. In the article, she explains that there has been a significant decrease in food source availability. What stood out most to me was that the article explains that many cow herders have begun herding goats due to their ability to graze anything, fast reproduction, and most importantly–the profit they produce. 

I think this article made me consider what might interfere with someone’s ability to be a “good citizen” or to make the most conscious choice. It might be easy for an outsider of the situation to automatically assume that the person just does not want to switch their ways or is only interested in making the most money. This article and others that we read this year on similar topics have taught me to consider these factors before making a judgment. This is something that this class made me think about and more aware of. 

Section II. 

During the past semester, we have examined a number of different themes ranging from social determinants of health, social justice, community capital, and others. Through exploring these topics we have expanded our collective knowledge regarding citizenship and how our actions contribute to society. Most importantly, by reflecting on these topics, I have been able to connect them to ongoing issues and situations within our communities. 

One of the earlier articles we read was “Promoting Community Vitality & Sustainability” by  Lionel J. “Bo” Beaulieu discussed the various community capitals that are the framework for our community. This article presents how our society includes seven capitals: Natural, Cultural, Human, Social, Political, Financial, and Built. Specifically, the discussion of the importance of these factors made me think about the inverse–what would happen if they did not exist or were under threat? As of late, the cultural capital has been at risk as DEI initiatives are being removed from museums. Unfortunately, as the Trump Administration’s executive orders roll out, we are at risk of finding out. The recent executive orders under the Trump Administration have resulted in threats to the DEI efforts, staffing, and funding of Archives and Museums nationwide. In a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, journalists spoke with U.S archivist Colleen Shogan and her top advisors at the National Archives and Records Admissions to gain an insight into how these policies are shifting the focus of museums and their exhibit designs. This includes removing indigenous groups, specific events of war, and even the presence of historic figures belonging to marginalized and often erased groups in history from exhibits and educational programs (Restuccia 2024). By erasing these individuals from history, it alters the cultural capital of our communities as it depletes the representation of diversity. 

Another theme that we discussed was the social determinants of health. One of the sources we read for this topic was a scientific journal article titled “Social Determinants of Mental Health: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go” by Margarita Alegría, Amanda NeMoyer,  Irene Falgas, Ye Wang,  and Kiara Alvarez. In this article, the researchers presented a variety of research regarding the connection between social and economic factors and mental health. One of their main findings was that there was a high connection between those of lower socioeconomic status and/or a specific race and poor mental health. While their findings were vast, some specific examples include the fact that unemployment status and “occupational social class” impact the mental health of an individual (Alegria et al. 2018). I found this to be very interesting and thought-provoking when reading. It made me think about members of my community and how they are impacted. My sister works as a case manager for Alliance for Positive Health, a non-profit social services agency. The article references the importance of organizations such as this as a way to “integrate social services with mental health care”. I have heard from her firsthand the impacts and success her clients have had once joining the agency. While this is not a major “event” , I think that it validates the findings of the article and gives a real-life example of ongoing issues communities face. 

Another topic we discussed was the idea of intersectionality and how that impacts the way a person lives. For this class discussion, we were assigned to watch the TED talk by Kimberle Crenshaw titled “The Urgency of Intersectionality”. This video explains how intersectionality, the idea that you have multiple identities within a community impacts your experiences. In class, we discussed the difference between being a woman, which has its own set of implications versus being a woman of color which has another layer of disadvantages. The idea of intersectionality transcends even in classrooms. When researching the issue, I found an article describing a recent study regarding school suspension rates that found that students who were Black or disabled had a higher percentage of suspension than other students in the community. On top of this, those who identified with both groups had even higher rates of suspension. This article covered how individuals who possess multiple identities and are often marginalized within a community are more vulnerable to poorer life outcomes. Specifically, regarding students, the article highlights that the number of days an individual was suspended has an impact on long-term outcomes such as high school graduation rate and whether or not they would choose to attend higher education (Sparks 2018). I think this article addresses a large issue with our overall education system. 

The last topic discussed that I would like to highlight is the idea of a global citizen. This idea relates to the fact that while we are all members of our local community, we continue to be a broader community with its factors. During this discussion we read the article “United States of Amazon: It’s Amazon’s world. We just live in it.” by Lydia Depillis. This article discussed the growing influence that Amazon has on our economy and society. Specifically, it discusses how Amazon has influenced the market by overpowering small businesses and getting involved in various markets (Depillias 2018). This article reminded me of how recently, Elon Musk has officially created a new city near SpaceX. Named Starbase, the new town’s population is made up of the employees of SpaceX. Lately, concerns have been raised regarding the ethics of an employer owning and operating an entire town. This connects to our theme of global citizenship as it serves as an example of how a global industry is able to gain power (Robins 2025). 

Section III. 

Over this semester I engaged in a variety of community service activities. Firstly, at the start of the semester, I helped out with a Women in Stem event for Valentine’s Day. During the two hours, I helped create Valentine’s Day cards and care packages for women in the local hospital and domestic violence shelters. Through this project, I learned how to work with my peers. Most importantly, it made me realize that such small acts of kindness can mean so much to people, especially when they are going through a hard time. 

This also relates to another community service project I helped with which was the Rise Against Hunger event that was held on campus. During this event, I helped set up the tables to pack the meals. This task included counting items, filing and organizing food bins, and setting up boxes for the meals. This taught me to consider the individual role we all play in helping our community. While I might have not been able to stay for the entire day to make the meals, I realized that the people behind the scenes were just as important to the process. It felt nice knowing that the few hours I helped out was enough to help others be set up for success! 

Secondly, I helped with the Accepted Students Day on campus which welcomed new students. During this, I talked with both students and their families to answer any questions they might have about living on campus. I specifically assisted in the setup and running of a mock-up triple room which allowed students to get a sense about what they can expect their space to look like. This community service project connected to the social aspect of community service as I was required to talk one-on-one with a student. A lot of the students that I talked to were first-generation college students which was why their parents and them had so many questions about college and what it was like. I am actually a first-generation college student, so it felt good to know that I could not only relate to these people but offer some reassurance to them as well. 

Another project I did was a table for the UNE Giving Tree. During this time, I helped sell raffle tickets to raise money for the Biddeford Recreation Center. Along with this, I also helped with taking inventory of the Red Cross Club’s storage locker. This required me to take note of the supplies that were there and also clean out any expired or unneeded items. Similar to setting up for the Rise for Hunger event, this service helps the club run smoothly. 

Overall, I think I learned a lot about community service and how many ways you can contribute to your community. Honestly, I did not face any challenges with my community service besides getting the “supervisors” to sign the paperwork following the event since I did not bring the paper with me. Besides that, I am happy with my experience and want to stay involved next semester! 

Section IV. 

My future career goal is to be a museum educator. This position works alongside the education department to create programming and curriculum for museum visitors that relate to the exhibits. Ideally, I would like to work in a historical museum and primarily teach children, however, museum education exists in other museums and interacts with adult visitors too. I think that the things I’ve learned about citizenship thus far have been really important when working with individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. 

This career specifically involves the cultural capital of society as museums and archives are vital components of preserving cultural heritage. Museums often provide people with a sense of connection to their community and communities of the past. Through this, it allows people to see how they contribute to a collective experience. 

This is something that we discussed a lot during my internship at the Archive this past semester. During my internship, I have been researching the history of Westbrook Seminary and Junior College. In my research, I examine the different backgrounds of the students and what socioeconomic factors may have contributed to the decision to attend or not attend college. I also draw heavily on connections between college students of the past and present, specifically regarding how they contributed to a collective history. 

In addition to my internship experience, I also volunteered at a local museum back in New York, in my hometown. There, the museum serves as a community center for locals to engage with the history of the town and also to meet other community members. I think that for this reason, museums and history in general are so important because they bring people together for a common purpose. 

Section V. 

At the University of New England, I have taken classes that relate to the themes and ideas of citizenship that we have learned about in class. Our school requires that we take Social Global Awareness (SGAs), an Environmental Course, Human Traditions (HT), and other explorative courses outside our major. For the explorative courses, I primarily have taken political science and education classes. 

My environmental class, ENV 104 discussed a lot about the contributions made as individuals to society and the well-being of our planet. Similar to the beginning of our class, we also discussed the “Natural Capital” and how it contributes to being a citizen. We also looked at issues such as pollution, fast fashion, and industrialization and discussed the role that we play as consumers. Additionally, we learned about different worldviews and environmental injustices that can have impacts on the health and experience of people. 

In my political science classes (PSC 101, PSC 278, PSC 210) we spend a lot of time discussing our rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. Specifically, we study a lot of previous court cases that establish precedents that limit the power of the government. I think that these classes are incredibly valuable because they point out not only that it is our civic duty to vote, but also give us resources on how to be an informed citizen.

Lastly, I’d like to highlight the Education Classes I’ve taken. These classes, Controversial Topics in Education and Diversity Issues in the Classroom focus on the inequalities in and outside classrooms. More importantly, they examine how these differences manifest themselves with the actions of individuals when they are adults.  One of the key takeaways from the class is the idea that “implicit biases” exist everywhere. Implicit biases are opinions and beliefs that an individual might unconsciously have about a group or individual that impact how they treat that community. During the class discussion for our citizen classes, I referenced this idea since it connected to the idea of social determinants. 

Overall, throughout this course, I have been required to spend a lot of time reflecting on my own experiences and also the experiences of others within my community. To do so, I have considered what we have learned throughout this semester and how it is applicable outside of the classroom. Upon reflection, I have realized that these topics exist within the coursework I have taken at UNE and also my career experience. I hope that in the future I cannot only rely on this learning moment but continue to gain new knowledge about the communities and identities I am a part of. 

References

Alegria, Margarita, Amanda NeMoyer, Irene Falgas, Ye Wang, and Kiara Alvarez. 2018. “Social Determinants of Mental Health: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go.” Curr Psychiatry Rep, (September).

Depillias, Lydia. 2018. “It’s Amazon’s world. We just live in it.” CNN, October 4, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/03/tech/amazon-effect-us-economy/index.html.

Restuccia, Andrew. 2024. “Exclusive | America’s Top Archivist Puts a Rosy Spin on U.S. History—Pruning the Thorny Parts.” WSJ, October 29, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/national-archives-history-colleen-shogan-f8512bc3.

Robins, Nick. 2025. “Elon Musk’s company town: SpaceX employees vote to create ‘Starbase.’” The Guardian, May 3, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/03/elon-musk-spacex-texas.

Sparks, Sarah D. 2018. “Suspension Rates Higher for Students of Color With Disabilities, Data Show.” Education Week, April 24, 2018. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/suspension-rates-higher-for-students-of-color-with-disabilities-data-show/2018/04