Spring Newsletter 2008

The Common Good Volume II, Issue 4

Spring 2008

News from the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good Lynn Fritz Receives USF’s First California Prize for Service and the Common Good The University of San Francisco is pleased to announce that Lynn C. Fritz, a second-generation San Franciscan and founder of the Fritz Institute, will receive the first California Prize for Service and the Common Good. Fritz and the Institute work with private and nonprofit organizations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of disaster relief services in the Bay Area and around the world. Fritz will be awarded a medal and a check for $10,000. A social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and businessperson, Fritz has taken his experience building a successful company and applied it to the area of humanitarian relief. The result has been an institute that seeks to develop and share the most effective practices in response to large-scale disasters, improving the distribution of aid to victims in need.

nel, objective performance metrics, and institutionalized learning across the humanitarian sector. Fritz’s commitment to humanitarian relief clearly embodies the core values of the University of San Francisco. His work in the area of humanitarian assistance has emphasized excellence and accountability while pursuing a common good that transcends the interests of particular individuals or groups. His institute promotes a culture of service that respects and promotes the dignity of every person. For more information on USF’s California Prize or Lynn Fritz, visit www.californiaserviceprize.org.

Recognized as a leader in the global logistics industry, Fritz was the chairman and CEO of Fritz Companies until May 2001 when it was acquired by UPS. Under his stewardship, Fritz Companies were transformed from a small domestic documentation company to a global organization of 10,000 employees in 120 countries. The company achieved Fortune 1000 ranking in 1997. His tenure contributed to a redefining of what had been a fragmented and limited services industry. Rather than retiring on his corporate success, Fritz continues to bring his leadership, experience, and philanthropy to contribute to humanitarian relief. The Fritz Institute was founded on the belief that effective front-line humanitarian operations must be supported by strong back-room capabilities: effective operational processes, appropriate uses of enabling technologies, well-trained logistics person-

USF’s California Prize winner Lynn C. Fritz.

Students Stay Informed at Election Watch On Super Tuesday, February 5, the McCarthy Center and the USF Politics Society hosted Election Watch 2008. More than 50 students came to the Crossroads Café at USF to enjoy pizza and snacks and watch the results of the primary election unfold. The Center will hold another Election Watch in time for the general election in November. Clockwise from left: Students vote in the coffee bean poll, a politics society student records election results by state, KQED interviews a student, faculty and students watch results come in.

Service-Learning by the Numbers

Border Angel Visits USF

helped them understand the importance of participating in off-campus service opportunities.

On February 26, Enrique Morones visited USF to speak to students about his experiences working for immigration reform. Morones is the founder of Border Angels, a non-profit organization that works to stop the unnecessary deaths of individuals traveling in and around the U.S.-Mexico border. He has appeared on numerous news broadcasts and lectured widely on the issues of immigration, migration, and human rights. The event was sponsored by the McCarthy Center, the Center for Latino

“The Service-Learning Preview provided me with a better understanding of the importance of community service in a more personal and meaningful manner.” -USF incoming freshman

My Experience as an ACE

Each year as part of new student orientation at USF, the Office of Service-Learning and Community Action coordinates Service-Learning Preview Day. This event offers students and alumni the chance to learn more about service-learning through presentations and off-campus tours of service-learning partner organizations.

88

Percentage of students who agreed that orientation

Students listen to Service-Learning presentations.

700 Total number of students who participated in ServiceLearning Preview Day.

14 Number of service-learning partner organizations that hosted students for their service.

Enrique Morones.

By Andrea Wise, Advocate for Community Engagement As an Advocate for Community Engagement (ACE), in the Office of ServiceLearning, I have gained professional and personal development beyond what I expected. As an ACE for the past three years, I have served as a liaison between a nonprofit organization and service-learning professors and students at USF. I speak with service-learning professors, do recruitment presentations in classes, assist students with orientation at the nonprofit I represent, and provide students with a service project. I am on call to assist students

St. Vincent de Paul Society and their classroom learning were interconnected. I encouraged the students to think about their perceptions of homelessness, and we discussed how perceptions and facts about the population may differ. The students expressed that many of their ideas and assumptions changed as a result of their service. Most importantly, we discussed how the students could use their new knowledge of St. Vincent de Paul’s clients in their future work as businesspeople. I was pleased to play a role in these students’ transformations.

throughout the semester, and I host reflection sessions to ensure that students make the connections between their course work and the service they are doing at the organization.

Through the ACE program, I have also had the unique opportunity to attend multiple conferences around the country. The ACE role became more than a job for me; it enriched my USF experience, allowed me to gain leadership and professional skills, and taught me new ways to serve others.

Professionally, I have gained more confidence in my public speaking, written communication, and conflictmanagement skills. I have learned how to communicate and collaborate with students, professors, and employees and clients of the nonprofit.

On Service-Learning Preview Day USF students sort food at Project Open Hand.

Studies in the Americas, the Latin American Studies program, and the USF Center for the Pacific Rim.

One of my proudest moments as an ACE occurred when I was hosting a reflection session with students in a business class. We discussed ways in which the students’ service project for 2

Andrea Wise (left) and fellow ACE Melanie Raygoza. http://mccarthycenter.usfca.edu

USF in D.C. Students Experience all the District has to Offer...and More Each semester, the McCarthy Center’s USF in DC program sends students from a variety of disciplines to study at American University and to intern in Washington, D.C. Below, spring 2008 students share what they’ve enjoyed most about their experience.

Devon Davey (right) and her classmate pose for a picture in the Senate building after meeting with Senate foreign policy advisers.

William Mohring (middle) and fellow students visit the Library of Congress.

Name: William Mohring Program: American Politics Internship: Twenty-first Century Democrats

Name: Devon Davey Program: Foreign Policy Internship: The Polaris Project, Operations and Management Division "What I love about D.C. is the diversity in people, organizations, and interests. All the opportunities I never dreamed of are available here and with a strong will and determination, I can really achieve my goals.”

“One of the best things about the program is engaging the guest speakers who talk to us about the latest policy decisions we read about in the newspapers. The speakers have affirmed my commitment to serve others in that same capacity."

Laura Aguirre (second from right) and her classmates take advantage of the opportunity to hear Presidential candidate Barack Obama speak at American University.

Kimberly Steffen (far right) and her Washington semester classmates at the Capitol. Name: Kimberly Steffen Program: Foreign Policy Internship: Bennett Group Financial Services

Name: Laura Aguirre Program: Int’l Environment and Development Internship: The Polaris Project, National Human Trafficking Resource Center

“One of my favorite parts of the Washington semester program has been the people. Here, you meet plenty of students who are genuinely interested in what they are studying. I’ve learned so much from their different experiences and opinions.”

“What I love most about D.C. is the multitude of opportunities at my fingertips, the different neighborhoods, the great public transportation system, and the mix of people! It's great being on the East Coast and meeting so many people from across the nation and internationally!” 3

http://mccarthycenter.usfca.edu

News and Notes The McCarthy Center is pleased to announce the receipt of a generous gift from the Marineau Family Foundation. The grant will support students from the Architecture and Community Design program to travel to Leon, Mexico this summer as part of a service-learning course. While there, they will partner with the students from the Jesuit university, Ibero Americano to design and build housing for marginalized communities.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

USF was recently named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for the second year in a row. This honor from the highest level of government recognizes USF’s leadership in helping to build a culture of service and civic engagement on campuses and in our nation.

Editor: Angela Mucci Phone: 415-422-5662 Fax: 415-422-5641 We’re on the Web! Visit us at: mccarthycenter.usfca.edu

The McCarthy Center is pleased to welcome visiting scholar Carina Liungwald. Liungwald is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University. In addition to working on her dissertation, she is teaching "Public Policy: Poverty and Social Welfare" this semester.

Send comments to: [email protected]

FOR THE MCCARTHY CENTER GRADUATION CELEBRATION! “Educating minds and hearts to change the world”

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2008, 5:00-6:30PM UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, LONE MOUNTAIN, ROOM 100

Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117-1080