Meet Caldwell Fellows Intern Erica Lisowe

Major: Biological Engineering
Concentration: Ecological Engineering
Classification: Junior
Hometown: Raleigh, NC 
Caldwell Fellows Class of 2021

The Caldwell Fellows Program is developing the next generation of self-aware, globally-minded students that engage in creative, conscientious leadership, and IEI wants to help. Erica is a member of the 2021 Class of Caldwell fellows and will be working with IEI on its Service Year NC project.

What interests you about working with IEI and the Service Year NC initiative?
I think a service year is a really cool opportunity, and I don’t think a lot of people know about it. Darryl [Lester, the Service Year NC director] had actually come to talk at one of our Caldwell dinners last year about Service Year, and it was really interesting… and everybody who I’ve talked to about it is like, that’s a really cool opportunity, why have I not heard about it? … There’s so many great things people can do and you get a lot out of it as well.

What do you believe people get from completing a year of service?
It’s an exciting way to either explore something you haven’t explored before or just get some experience in something you’re already interested in. Inherently in service, if you’re doing service correctly, you learn a lot about yourself, and you learn a lot about the community that you’re serving. And to be able to really connect with a community for a whole year is a pretty unique opportunity… It can help you figure out what you want to do, but then it also is helping the community to develop in a beneficial way.