
"I’ll always hold CSP in such a positive light in my memory, and I think that is because we focus so much on equity and what it really means to support communities through service."

"In all the service learning classes I’ve taken, my biggest takeaway is that all of the professors put intention into making sure the class gets to know each other and feels comfortable speaking up."

"My work with CESL has fundamentally altered the ways in which I approach my relationship with work and conceptualize my role in movements for social change."

"Being part of CSP made me think about how I want to work in my field in the future. I’m interested in the health sciences, and prior to CSP, I didn’t know how to bridge my gap in advocacy work and health care."

"All of the values that we learn in the classes for CSP and also just the values of civic engagement and service-learning align really well with all my public health classes."

"My favorite part about being involved with CESL is honestly the community. It’s so cheesy, but the people in the class, we’re all genuinely friends."

"CSP has taught me that if you're looking out for the community, then that’s in a lot of ways looking out for yourself as well."

“Being a part of Boltwood has been one of the most meaningful and important experiences I have had at UMass."

“Community engagement, actually being able to work with people on a one-on-one basis, is a very important aspect of life."

"Going beyond my bubble to experience the world outside of UMass is important to me."

"I've always been interested in social justice and community organizing, so all the classes I've taken through the certificate have been so informative and so helpful."

"It helped me see the overall picture of the Amherst area, rather than just UMass."

"It really was an experience that allowed me to see the world differently and opened up my views to diversity, to social justice in general."

"Service-learning is all about relationships. In the process of building those relationships, one is also building a relationship with themselves and the world around them."

"I have learned about resilience, about respect, about strength, and about what sustains us as people and as communities."

"I learned about nonprofit management, about working with few resources, about being creative."

"The whole CESL program was really welcoming and made me feel like I have a place here at UMass."