Stefanie Lennaco ’05
What involvement did/do you have with MOVE? What program did/do you volunteer with and/or lead? What years?
I went on two service trips, NYC/God’s Love We Deliver and Selma.
What’s your MOVE story?
My service trip to Selma, Alabama, was life changing. The opportunity to spend a week in the deep South—a place I was unlikely to visit on my own—and experience the people and history had a profound impact on my life. Throughout the week we not only helped the local community through acts of service, but we were also given the opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience of the Civil Rights Movement from people who lived it. We walked over the Edmund Pettus bridge, met with people who were sprayed with fire hoses in their pursuit of equality, and visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This trip sparked something in me and made me work towards justice back home in my community and embark on a career in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
In what ways did/does MOVE impact you?
On campus, the MOVE office was always somewhere you knew you could drop in and stay as long as you wanted or needed to. It introduced me to many people I didn’t meet through classes or the residence halls, so it expanded my SMC family network.
If you are an alumni, what influence does MOVE continue to have on your life today?
I currently work in DEI and I often talk about my trip to Selma and how it influenced my career path. I continue to make service a large part of my life in my home community.