Opportunities through Brown's Swearer Center and the Brown-Tougaloo partnership ignited the Brown senior's passion for engaged community research and a focus on advancing public health.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Community engagement has been a constant for Alice Im, from a young age.
Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Im would accompany her mother to volunteer at a center that provided health education, wellness groups and other support programs for Asian American adults in the community. Over many years, witnessing her mother's devotion to volunteer work and the power of listening to people, Im knew she wanted to apply her energy and skills to help confront community needs and challenges.
"It made me excited about getting involved in the community, too, even when I was pretty little," Im said.
By high school, Im had become a competitive swimmer, and she decided to use her talents to launch a series of free clinics for students from low-income families who were unable to afford swimming lessons.
"It was really rewarding to watch the students find the same joy in swimming that I had gotten," she said.
Now a senior at Brown University, Im has woven the threads of community engagement throughout her education. And in turn, those experiences at Brown have shaped - and altered - her own trajectory.
"Coming into Brown, I always knew that public service was something I wanted to incorporate into my education," Im said.
