Many people go to college so they can make their mark in life after they graduate. There are the few whom can not wait until they hang up their diploma to change their environment and the world beyond their doorstep. In addition to graduating this year, Leah Nelson is busy with issue advocacy and volunteered for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. She was active with the University of Minnesota Duluth's Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) and Make the U Fair, a fair trade coffee and sweatshop-free advocacy group. She also helped extend the efforts of Make the U Fair to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and University of Minnesota Morris. Leah is a 2007 Campus Camp Wellstone alumnus.
A common struggle for activists in their first stages of action is taking their good ideas out into the public arena. Leah learned from Campus Camp Wellstone how to bring her seemingly small town advocacy into statewide university awareness. Her training taught her the importance of collectively organizing to gain success. She practiced grassroots advocacy by carrying the fair trade coffee campaign of Make the U Fair to UMD professors and students to gather signatures of support. She accessed media resources in order to make her message visible to a boarder audience. Leah's resolution passed in UMD's Social Concern Committee, as it did also at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and University of Minnesota Morris.
Leah is a great example of someone who goes out and makes a big difference in a short while after attending Campus Camp Wellstone. She completed training and went on to grasp initiatives as a strong leader. "I learned how to coordinate a cohesive group that values the individual strengths of each person and helps each person successfully direct his or her resources, skills, and energy in ways that work best for them."
A common struggle for activists in their first stages of action is taking their good ideas out into the public arena. Leah learned from Campus Camp Wellstone how to bring her seemingly small town advocacy into statewide university awareness. Her training taught her the importance of collectively organizing to gain success. She practiced grassroots advocacy by carrying the fair trade coffee campaign of Make the U Fair to UMD professors and students to gather signatures of support. She accessed media resources in order to make her message visible to a boarder audience. Leah's resolution passed in UMD's Social Concern Committee, as it did also at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and University of Minnesota Morris.
Leah is a great example of someone who goes out and makes a big difference in a short while after attending Campus Camp Wellstone. She completed training and went on to grasp initiatives as a strong leader. "I learned how to coordinate a cohesive group that values the individual strengths of each person and helps each person successfully direct his or her resources, skills, and energy in ways that work best for them."