May 28, 2017
Phoebee Jean ’19 – Newman Civic Fellow
In this episode, Phoebee Jean ’19 talks about how she is using her time at Providence College to positively impact campus culture and bring attention to social justice issues at the College and in the City of Providence. Jean, a Newman Civic Fellow, talks about the honor and her plans for the year.
Embracing Change: Phoebee Jean ’19
During her sophomore year, three times a week, Phoebee Jean ’19 met the school buses that pulled up to the Smith Hill Library a few blocks from PC’s campus. She greeted the elementary and middle school children, helped them with homework and book selection, and talked to them about their days.
Jean was paid for her library work through federal work-study funds she was awarded as part of her financial aid package at PC. But she took the role a step further, serving as a community liaison and mentor for other PC students who visit the library to observe through the Feinstein Institute for Public Service.
Her dedication to community work, her role in student organizations such as the Society Organized Against Racism, and a spring break trip to Tijuana to explore issues of borders and immigration led to Jean’s selection as a Newman Civic Fellow for 2017-18. She enjoyed networking events in the state, mentoring, and learning more about social change.
“I couldn’t imagine what I would experience coming to college,” said Jean, a health policy and management major from Lynn, Mass. “I knew I would join clubs, I would be in class, and it would be challenging. But I didn’t know that I would go to Tijuana or that I would have so many transformative experiences so quickly. And I’m still learning and changing. It’s just the halfway point for me.”
Now Jean is learning more about the world. She is spending the Spring 2018 semester studying in Vietnam, South Africa, and Argentina. She is learning how communities understand and strive for health and well-being through a program called Health and Community: Globalization, Culture, and Care, offered by the International Honors Program.
To make her travel possible, Jean was awarded a competitive $5,000 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education. U.S. Pell Grant recipients are eligible to apply for the scholarship, which gives priority to students from diverse backgrounds who are studying around the world, especially in non-traditional destinations.
