Not everyone who graduates spends their first year chasing a paycheck – some choose to give back to their community instead. For those students, The Elon Service Fellows program is an opportunity to expand their horizons while honoring Alamance County.
Former university president, Leo Lambert, established a program in 2014 to serve Alamance County. The Service Fellowship is aimed at recent alumni in an effort to aid their community. Today, Laurie Judge is head of the program.
The Service Fellows program was inspired by the Service Year Alliance, which allows recent graduates to give back to their communities nationally. The primary difference between the two programs is their target location – focusing on local rather than national.
The Alamance Community Assessment, conducted by Impact Alamance, Alamance Regional Medical Center, the United Way of Alamance County, Healthy Alamance and the Health Department, works to identify focus areas around the county that would benefit from assistance.
“They [Healthy Alamance] identified areas of concern in areas that needed focus. Access to health care, education and economic development in this county were the three legs to a stool that were identified,” said Judge.
The Service Fellowship is able to maintain stability through partnerships with organizations within Alamance County such as the Health Department, Healthy Alamance, Impact Alamance and the City of Burlington’s Economic Development.
The application process consists of an online form and an in-person interview. About 20 applications are submitted annually in competition for six slots. “We look for initiative,” said Judge. “The Fellows are brought on and they hit the ground running from day one. They all are doing really important work.”
While immersed in Alamance County, the Fellows deal with issues that require quick and effective solutions and are encouraged to identify areas that could benefit from their assistance. Dedication to the program is evident through 12 months of 40 hour weeks for the graduates.
The Service Fellows program has ambitious goals, including a plan to double the program by 2030. Many who have served as a fellow stay in Alamance county. “It’s really kind of a sweet spot,” Judge said. “We’re looking for things that they want to stay in Alamance County– continue the work they’ve been doing, because they really become ingrained in the community.”
Chloe Kiser was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and raised in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. A student at General McLane High School, she serves as student body president and has held leadership roles within various academic clubs, including Envirothon, Battle of the Books, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Link Crew and Key Club. Outside of school, Chloe works at an event center and is an avid musician and singer/songwriter, performing live at local breweries, community events and music festivals. She released her first EP, “Yours Truly,” as a sophomore. In the future, Chloe hopes to combine her passions for music and writing while pursuing a career in communications and journalism.
Florencia Olivera was born and raised in Wisconsin, where she attends Madison East High School. There, she’s been involved in the yearbook, dance and social justice programs. Last summer, she completed a photojournalism class at the University of Wisconsin that helped her appreciate how to transition her passion of photography into a possible career by using her camera to tell a story. Florencia is drawn to telling stories of people who may otherwise not be highlighted in popular media.\
Ross Hudson was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, and moved with his family to Madison, Wisconsin. in 2019. A junior honors student at East High School, Ross plays cello in school’s philharmonic orchestra. A passionate artist, Ross has played instruments since the third grade. His music skills extend to playing the bass guitar, acoustic guitar and French horn. He’s also learning to play piano, and in addition, enjoys drawing and creative writing. Ross plans to use film and video as a creative outlet to bring stories to life, especially those featuring people in LGTBQ+ communities.