Linh Tran of Punta Gorda, Fla., embodies Stetson University’s deep commitment to serving others in the world around us. During four years at Stetson, she has logged nearly 1,300 hours of community service – most of them tutoring children and assisting teachers at Woodward Avenue Elementary School in DeLand.

As she graduates this week, Tran is the first person ever to earn Stetson’s Certificate of Community Engagement.

“The certificate shows that Linh has added to her normal academic study a community-engagement component in which she has blended theory and practice,” said Dr. Greg Sapp, the Hal S. Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility and associate professor of religious studies. “She’s had a significant amount of community engagement courses that, hopefully, have deepened her understanding of what the needs of the community are and how her preparation here at Stetson will help her meet those needs.”

The Certificate of Community Engagement was launched in Fall 2009 and requires four units of coursework, at least 100 hours of voluntary community service and a capstone essay. Fifteen to 20 other Stetson students are currently pursuing the certificate.

A Bonner Scholar and this year’s co-senior Bonner intern, Tran set her sights on earning the certificate as a freshman. “Since I was already engaged in the community through Bonner, I thought it would be a good idea to take some of the courses and learn more about engagement,” she said.

A psychology major with a minor in education, Tran originally planned to become a pediatrician. She changed her career path after becoming a volunteer tutor at Woodward Avenue Elementary. She tutored kindergartners, tutored students in the after-school program and also served as classroom assistant to two teachers.

Upon graduation, Tran will spend one year working in education policy development and community engagement with the United Way in Winston-Salem, N.C., through the federal government’s AmericaCorps Vista program. Then she plans to enroll in law school to become a child advocate.

While working with children in the community, Tran said, she came face-to-face with the challenges youth face, including neglect, the death of a parent and violence in and around their homes. The experience inspired her to devote her life to helping children.

“Learning about the kids and really being able to connect with them was the best part of the (volunteer) experience,” she said. “Getting to know the kids really opened my eyes to how much they go through on a regular basis, when they really shouldn’t have to at their young age.”

Earning the Certificate of Community Engagement, participating in the Bonner Program and two specific courses – Self and World taught by Sapp, and Poverty and Microcredit taught by Associate Professor and Chair of Economics Dr. Ranjini Thaver– were the top highlights of Tran’s academic and extracurricular experience at Stetson. She also was proud to be selected to present her senior research, in which she analyzed how being in a specific mood affects memory recall, at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference in New Orleans.

“My experiences at Stetson have been invaluable,” Trans said. “The courses I took were the foundation. The opportunities I had outside of the class, however, were supplementary to my overall successful experience. I cannot even describe in words how important the Bonner Program is to me. Without the support I have received from everyone involved in the program, I would not be where I am today.”