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As students we are encouraged to give back to the community," said Elizabeth Luginbill, a 2006 cum laude grad. "Each of my volunteering activities gave me real-world experience and perspective that can be lacking in lives of so many young people. I learned a lot from everything I did."
That sense of care and community is something St. Mary's prides itself on. Many students choose St. Mary's for its academic reputation, yet, once here, learn that college isn't only about attending classes and maintaining good grades. It's also about people and finding your part in the local and global community.
Beth, a Leonardtown, Maryland resident, seized many opportunities where she could help in the local community: mentoring middle school students at Spring Ridge Middle School, volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Three Oaks Men's Shelter; and serving as a Spanish language translator for the St. Mary's County Health Department.
Her interest in working with the children of the community led her to apply for and receive the William Donald Schaefer Internship Program for Government Service. The award offered the chance to have a hands-on experience in local government. In the summer of 2004, Beth worked on juvenile justice issues as an intern in the office of St. Mary's County Circuit Court Judge Marvin Kaminetz.
Created by Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, the internships are designed to encourage students to pursue future careers in public service. The program is administered by the Center for the Study of Democracy and made possible through the generosity of Schaefer, his staff, and the Dorothy and Henry Rosenberg Foundation.
While at St. Mary's, Beth discovered she also had a "passion for Spanish." She changed to a double major of history and Spanish, spent a semester studying abroad at the University of Alcala in Madrid, Spain, and designed an SMP (St. Mary's Project) to focus on political autobiography during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39).
Christine Adams, professor of history at St. Mary's, mentored Beth through the senior year SMP and praised her for having an "intensely creative mind."
"For her primary sources, she found a number of autobiographies written by politically engaged women during the conflict, several of which she read in the original Spanish," explained Chris. "Her final paper provided a nicely nuanced consideration of what feminism meant in the context of 1930s Spain, and the multiple ways in which women can be politically active."
Since graduation, Beth has worked at Greenwell State Park as an assistant camp director for the inclusive educational and recreational programs. She is currently working in the St. Mary's County public schools and is studying for a master's degree in teaching at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Beth plans to become a middle school Spanish teacher and "pass on my passion for the language to a younger generation."
"I think public service is the best job around. We serve to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. You have a chance to really make a difference - to leave something behind. To help people. That is the only reason to be in public office. This internship is an invaluable experience. Having the chance to be a part of government for a summer shows students that they do not have to be an elected official to effect change. You just need to get informed and speak up."
William Donald Schaefer
Former Governor of Maryland;
Comptroller, State of Maryland; Trustee,
St. Mary's College of Maryland
