Community Engagement in Action
Beyond extracurricular initiatives, Watts emphasizes the importance of aligning service with academics to make sure that students are utilizing their skills within a community context. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an aviation major, a math major or a biology major, there’s always room for community service and service learning,” she says.
This spring marks the second year her team will work with service-learning interns, allowing students the opportunity to help plan events and understand and reflect upon the impact of volunteering. She highlights putting a greater focus on the proactive solution rather than reactive.
Watts’s work extends into building partnerships with local organizations such as Lutheran Social Services, A Fresh Start Mankato and Crossroads Church. The partnership with Lutheran Social Services provides programming to foster youth and families. In addition to four foster youth mentor days, there will be a private closed party hosted for foster youth and their families to select donated books after the March Literacy Book Drive. The collaboration with Crossroads Church involves the Campus Cupboard, which is open on the days opposite the Maverick Food Pantry to reduce food insecurity in the student population. These collaborations ensure that resources are available to those who need them most.
Another key component of Watts’s job is organizing the Alternative Spring Break Program, which offers students the opportunity to serve outside Mankato while reflecting on how to bring sustainable solutions to their communities. For the past three years, the students have traveled to Kansas City, where they have engaged with housing, food insecurity and animal welfare projects. Watts explains that the trip integrates service with fun and reflection, fostering a holistic learning experience. She shares, “it doesn’t matter what degree path you’re on, you can get the most out of that experience with alternative spring break.”
As a non-traditional student and a graduate of Minnesota State Mankato’s Counseling and Student Personnel program with a focus on College Student Affairs, Watts’s journey has shaped her commitment to collaborative thinking and problem-solving. Her work is fueled by a passion for empowering others and creating a supportive community. “[Doing this work] gives you more of a passion for the people who struggle because we can all be there in a heartbeat,” she reflects.
Watts finds daily inspiration in her team and the students she serves. She says, “their ideas, their energy, their goofiness... I feel like I keep up more on what’s happening in the world right now because I’m surrounded by students who are experiencing those things right now.”
For students, Watts urges them to take their education beyond the classroom. “You can serve in very specific, meaningful ways and get involved,” she emphasizes. For alumni and community members, she highlights the importance of supporting service-based initiatives. “It takes a lot to ask for help, so consider ways you can contribute to community betterment,” she says.
As the Office of Community Engagement continues to grow under Watts’s leadership, it remains a testament to the power of service, collaboration and passion.
Big ideas, real-world thinking and inspired action on campus and in the community.
