Lee University’s Center for Responsible Citizenship (CRC) kicked off the semester with a two-part series of events designed to foster mentorship opportunities between current students and alumni. 

On January 19, the CRC hosted the first “Ice Cream & Internships” seminar to connect Lee students with local and national internships as an opportunity to cultivate civic virtue. The seminar included a panel of four Lee students and alumni who discussed their experiences in a variety of internship roles and fields. Following the event, students scheduled meetings with CRC staff to develop their own internship applications and expand their networks. 

On February 3, the CRC hosted its annual alumni mentorship meeting, titled “Theory to Practice.”  This event is designed to connect current undergraduate students to a broad network of Lee alumni who have gone on to graduate school, law school, and other professional work after graduation. The panel included Dr. Jared Wielfaert, associate professor of humanities at Lee; Kathryn Philyaw, a second-year student at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University; and Elysea Oakley, a registered nurse in the Chattanooga area. 

“We’re excited to introduce students to opportunities while they’re at Lee and beyond, as well as lend a helping hand in the application process.” said Brandon Newell, a senior public administration and business administration double major at Lee, who coordinates internships for the Center for Responsible Citizenship.  

“We can judge the success of these events based on the students who chose to utilize the Center’s resources after engaging with the panelists,” said Newell. “We hope to continue to bring more opportunities to students and continue to enrich their professional and academic experiences prior to graduation.” 

Lee’s Center for Responsible Citizenship hosts interdisciplinary reading groups, lectures, workshops, and symposia to cultivate conversation about what the elements of a healthy community really are.  

“These conversations are essential in a time where political life is so frequently lacking patience, deliberation, and charity,” said Dr. Thomas Pope, CRC director and political science professor at Lee. “The CRC recasts political life as a framework of dialogue, mores, and institutions that help us understand what it means to pursue the good life, together.” 

For more information about the Center for Responsible Citizenship, or to learn how you can support its programming, please email [email protected].