DC Summer Institute: Hello from Sheng

Hello y’all! My name is Sheng, I am a rising sophomore at the DC Summer Institute on Leadership and Community Engagement (LCE). I’m also an international student, and I plan to double-major in International Relations and Computer Science.

The main focus of the LCE Institute is on leadership. We are also interested in the role it plays in community development and positive social change. With humility, we observe and learn from the roles that leaders play in community engagement. The first week here in DC has officially ended, and we will be rolling into the second and final week of our two-week site visits, discussions and reflections. Last week, we heard from Mr. Michael Powell, the Aspen Institute, Service Year Alliance, Civic Enterprises, Literacy Lab, Washington Post, NBC, among other inspiring speakers and institutes. Tomorrow we are going to start the week by volunteering at the DC Central Kitchen.

If you asked me where would I picture myself in the summer of 2017 a year ago, I would tell you that I’ll 120% be in Shanghai. Seen from now, my decision to go to the information session of the DC Summer Institute was completely life-changing. I was immediately drawn to the definition of leadership that Professor Drew Stelljes so masterfully explains and I did not (and still don’t) want to miss the opportunity to observe and think critically about what makes for successful leaders in the public sector. I was lucky enough to get accepted into the program, and I am really excited about the countless possibilities of my experience in the capital of the United States. I am also very excited about using this summer as a time for growth and reflection.

Thank you for reading! My next post will be about the highlights and topics that interested me during my first week in D.C.

Night at Capital Hill, 05/15/17 

– Sheng