The Office of Community Engaged Learning (OCEL) has had the honor of having Adriane Clare Distor as a community engaged learning facilitator and coordinator for the past 5 semesters! Adriane has done so many great things for OCEL that we are beyond thankful for. Adriane graduated this May with a major in Philosophy of Law and a minor in Paralegal Studies. She has received multiple honors through Lewis University such as the De La Salle medallion for community excellence! We asked Adriane to share a few of her thoughts on her experience through with the office…
What advice do you have for future CELFs?
“My advice to future CELFs is to never be ashamed to ask for help. Our office has the nicest people haha and they are always happy to help. Your journey as a CELF will never be smooth but do not be afraid because you will never be alone. I guarantee that you will come out of this experience as a different person as long as you take each challenge as an opportunity for you to grow. Also, the advice that I want to emphasize to all our hardworking CELFs is: When in doubt whether you are doing enough, I want you to be reassured that you are. Always look back on all the amazing efforts you have made in this office and thank yourself. Be proud because everything you do is making a difference for our community. Give yourself more credit because change does not happen overnight. What you are doing matters and I'm enormously proud of each of you. The fact you found yourself in our office already says a lot about your character. You are going to be amazing in whatever your heart decides to do! Thank you for being a part of OCEL and the office will always have your back.”
What was your favorite part about OCEL?
“My favorite part of OCEL is meeting amazing people who are passionate about community involvement. Despite our different backgrounds, what we all have in common is our calling to relentlessly serve vulnerable communities. I enjoyed the most being challenged to go out of my comfort zone. Through this experience, I learned how to navigate new and unfamiliar terrain independently while also getting unconditional support from my peers. My favorite part is the fact that every person from OCEL is pushing each other to grow. We always sincerely celebrate each other's successes while also taking care of each other during our lows. OCEL is like a family and I'm grateful to Laura the most because she is the glue that holds us all together.”
We will miss Adriane so much! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to OCEL, you are going to do great things!