Sophomore Andrew Hanna, president-elect for Duke Partnership for Service, pledges to continue the organization’s focus on social justice around campus.
Members from dPS, the umbrella organization for student-led service groups and opportunities, elected Hanna to serve as president for the 2012-2013 academic year. Hanna, who also currently serves as president of the Sophomore Class Council, was chosen March 19 after an application process and debate.
Hanna envisions his role as a bridge between student life and civic engagement at Duke. He divided his goals for the organization into three words—connect, support and inspire.
“Everyone at Duke has a strong desire... to make an impact on the lives around them,” he said. “Once they are paired up [with an organization], they will realize the value of service earlier.”
Hanna noted that his position as class president will help him in this new role, as both experiences involve working with a diverse group of students.
“With Class Council, we did a good job as a team and brought different types of people together,” Hanna said. “I want to take that momentum and use it with dPS.”
Sophomore Andrew Rotolo, vice president of Sophomore Class Council, said he was not surprised by the results, given Hanna’s amiable character and leadership abilities.
“[Hanna] has a big heart for service and [is] very good at mobilizing students for the greater good,” he said.
Current dPS President Sanjay Kishore, a junior, added that Hanna’s extensive involvement and passion for service in the Duke community would further the goals of dPS.
Hanna has been active in promoting civic engagement since his freshman year. His service experiences include working for Campus Crusade for Christ—an interdenominational Christian ministry—and founding the IGNITE Peer Mentoring program, implemented in public high schools in the Triangle area.
Hanna said he would continue dPS’s focus on issues pertaining to social justice, which Kishore also considered a priority.
During his term, Kishore added new programming for dPS—including hosting events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and celebrating Duke’s history of activism through a sit-in.
Hanna said he plans to improve the organization’s ability to connect students with service organizations and support existing groups in achieving their goals. For example, he hopes to increase interaction among the leaders of the service organizations that compose dPS by planning a retreat.
In order to accumulate interest in civic engagement, Hanna noted that it is important to highlight the role students play in advocating against injustice.
“One of the best things about Duke is that it’s a diverse group of people, but the one thing they can get behind is serving and fight[ing] injustice,” he said.
Hanna also plans to focus on transportation issues and their effect on students.
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