Meet the CEL Staff
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Renee Sedlacek Lee, ABD, Director Renee joined the CEL team in September of 2015. She brings more than 10 years of experience. Renee has spent her career supporting the development of service-learning and co-curricular service programs at small private liberal arts institutions. Prior to joining the Drake staff in 2013, Renee served seven years as the Service-Learning Coordinator at Wartburg College and one year as an Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA at Central College. Renee received her B.A. from Central College in Sociology and Psychology and her M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in Post Secondary Education: Student Affairs, and is currently a Ph.D. student in Education at Drake University. As director Renee provides strategic oversight of external and internal relationships that affect community-based service and learning, i.e. service-learning, engaged scholarship, and community-based research. |
515-271-2454
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Amanda Martin, M.Ed., Assistant Director Amanda coordinates the Engaged Citizen Corps, supervises the Service Learning Ambassadors, and advises the student organization CAB (Community Action Board). |
515-271-2767
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| Jazlin Coley, Service Coordinator for Equity & Inclusion Jazlin spent most of her undergraduate career at Drake University discovering ways to encourage college students to partake in opportunities underlying service-learning within the Drake Neighborhood. In 2017, she served as a Service Learning Ambassador creating a College Positive Volunteer program, where she promoted confidence and enthusiasm towards going to college for local youth, especially underrepresented students, by providing support and information about college preparation, paying for college, financial resources, and a mentoring relationship with Drake students. Jazlin also aided in Drake maintaining a strong relationship with the ByDegrees Foundation and the Des Moines public K-12th schools. She received her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from Drake, along with a minor in psychology and a concentration in Leadership Development. Jazlin joins the office as a full-time AmeriCorps member focusing on equity and inclusion research and initiatives. |
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Service-Learning Ambassadors
Service-Learning Ambassadors (SLAs) are students paid out of the Office of Community Engaged Learning who are committed to working with service-learning and community engagement. SLAs commit to working 6-8 hours a week on their project, working to plan and organize the event/project, recruit Drake students, and perform follow-up.
The role of a Service Learning Ambassador is to:
- Connect Drake students to the community and recruit volunteers to fulfill community needs
- Educate the campus on meaningful service and social issues
- Engage students in reflection
- Raise awareness of community engaged learning and its impact on Drake students and the community
- Plan and organize events and opportunities to achieve these goals
| Student Staff | Program |
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| Liza Vinyon | Social Media and Marketing |
| Carissa Dannen | Sprout Garden Coordinator |
| Hannah Cohen and Ashly Frazier | Food Recovery Coordinators |
| Peyton Maulsby | Community Engaged Learning Events & Training Coordinator |
| Katie Carlton | IRIS Coordinator |
| Sydnei Washington | Equity and Inclusion Service Learning Ambassador |
