Your support provides transformative experiences for students by removing financial barriers. Your contribution enables students to make a positive community impact as they are engaged in the greater Harrisonburg Community or travel together as part of Alternative Breaks to work alongside community leaders and address pressing social issues.
By providing need-based financial assistance, you ensure all Dukes can participate in valuable, hands-on experiences and prepare for lives of meaning and careers of purpose.
All contributions are tax deductible.
“CEVC made my time at JMU so much more meaningful, helped set me on my path in life, and helped fortify me as a leader and changemaker in the world; just to name a few things. I love giving back in whatever way I can to create something meaningful.” ~ Student Participant
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Student Impact Stories
Previous contributions have enabled JMU students to learn while working with community partners to welcome refugees, end hunger, protect the environment, support youth, and promote health and well-being. Read these inspiring student impact stories below.
Rooted in Change
Brevin Bugauisan '25
Brevin’s love for the environment was sparked by the people and projects he surrounded himself with at JMU. Thanks to the generous support of donors Tom and Daisy Hancock (‘80) Byrd, he was able to dedicate his time to meaningful, hands-on work as a Madison Community Scholar. He led composting with Vine & Fig, educated student groups at the Arboretum, and transformed an outdoor classroom at Keister Elementary.
Through additional CEVC leadership opportunities, he also guided peers in supporting local regenerative agriculture at Jubilee Climate Farm and made trails more accessible in Great Smoky Mountains and Redwood National Parks during Alternative Breaks.
As a biology major with concentrations in ecology and environmental biology, Brevin explains how his community experiences have shaped his learning. “I think understanding historical practices used by native communities to support biodiversity and breaking down lasting impacts of colonialism’s exploitation of people and places is essential for a sustainable future.”
Following four impactful years at JMU, he is excited to pursue aquatic research, focusing on conservation and improving commercial fishing practices for a more sustainable food system. Brevin’s meaningful experiences prepare him to step into the world as an engaged citizen.
Healing in Motion
Jedi Ragas '26
With a full engagement portfolio—including roles as a Campus & Community Partnerships coordinator at CEVC, Madison Community Scholar, and Alternative Break leader—Jedi draws inspiration from her community involvement.
She was introduced to CEVC as a first-year student when she became a Madison Community Scholar with Empowerment3. For three years, she has played an integral role in helping the organization promote physical activity and wellness for underserved communities. She has supported enrollment, communicated with families, engaged directly with participants, and created an inclusive, joyful space for all involved.
Jedi has come to recognize the profound impact nonprofits and dedicated people can have on children's lives by offering them a space beyond home and school to grow into who they truly are. That insight fuels her commitment to helping fellow students connect with the broader community by leading service and reflection in other CEVC programs. She says, “I hope the peers I lead are inspired to expand beyond the project to caring about the world.”
Jedi also finds her community work closely tied to her academics. She shares, “Being involved in the wider community is such a beautiful thing as a nursing student. When I am in clinicals and see people who I've met volunteering, there's already a bond and trust. It’s made me an even better caretaker of people.”
Brushed with Hope
Penny Naden '26
When Penny became a Madison Community Scholar as a sophomore, she was simply seeking a paid, community-facing position. After three years, she reflects on the experience as “a pillar” of her college career - offering an ideal balance of community, learning, mentorship, and opportunity.
Penny served as a communications assistant with Open Doors, an organization that provides safe overnight shelter and support services for people experiencing homelessness. Her work became especially impactful with the launch of the Navigation Center, where she played a key role in developing and distributing information to raise awareness about the new facility and its expanded services.
As president of JMU’s co-ed honorary arts fraternity, Kappa Pi, Penny also mobilized fellow students to design and paint a mural of the Shenandoah Valley landscape in the women’s congregant bedroom—bringing color, warmth, and a sense of belonging to the space.
Though Penny’s work focused on publicizing services and fostering a welcoming environment for guests, it was the relationships she built and stories she heard from unhoused people that solidified her professional direction. She recently graduated from JMU with a degree in psychology and is beginning a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling.
Alumni Spotlight
Kailey Garrett '24
As a sophomore majoring in intelligence analysis, Kailey had an unexpected class cancellation and enrolled in a gerontology course, a discipline she knew nothing about. The professor integrated a Community Engaged Learning component that placed her at Bridgewater Retirement Community. The hands-on experience and relationships she developed with residents sparked a deep interest in aging and elder care.
Within weeks, she made a pivotal decision to change her major to sociology. She reflects, “Gerontology was something that clicked with me and I realized that it was what I wanted to do as a career.” She continued volunteering and later became a CEVC coordinator to support other student volunteers.
After graduating in May 2024, Kailey began her master’s in gerontology and serves as the life enrichment director at
The Wellington at Lake Manassas. Her career trajectory reflects the impact of Community Engaged Learning.
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