Ehrin Lingeman
By Ehrin Lingeman ’15
Ohio University alum and French major
Nestled in the Appalachian foothills, Ohio University granted me boundless — almost overwhelming — opportunity both in and out of the classroom. When I arrived in the fall of 2011, I was oblivious to how much my four years in the Athens, OH, community would affect my entire outlook on the world and my role in it. Today, over a year since graduation, I am only now beginning to realize how those four significant years have instilled values of education and action through service and civic engagement.
The unmatched vibrant and diverse network of students, professors, activists, community leaders, and grassroots organizations I encountered in my time at Ohio University opened my eyes to a number of social issues in which I could play an active role. Given Ohio University’s rural Appalachian setting, I became particularly passionate about food security and food justice issues in the local and global context. While volunteering with Community Food Initiatives, a grassroots non-profit serving the greater Appalachian Ohio area, I discovered a community passionate about similar issues. Service-learning courses such as Economics of Poverty, and project-based programs like the Global Leadership Center created a blend of academia and hands-on service learning that allowed me to enhance my critical-thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and leadership in real-world settings.
The opportunity to enhance my education through service learning experiences at Ohio University has helped me in my professional development. Following graduation, I served for a year in the U.S. Peace Corps as an Integrated Agriculture Volunteer. While living in a rural Cameroonian village, I facilitated workshops for women in home gardening, nutrition, and leadership skills. This cross-cultural opportunity helped me to further reflect on agriculture and food security issues in my own country and has since brought me back to the United States. I am now entering into a year of service with AmeriCorps with a focus on food security and agriculture. I am confident that with the unique service-learning experiences I had in the Bobcat community, I could not be any better prepared for a life of social justice and the service ahead of me.
Lingeman earned a B.A. in French from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University. She also earned the Wealth & Poverty Certificate. She also earned a certificate in Global Leadership and a B.A. in Global Studies-Africa. This story was first published by the Center for Campus and Community Involvement.
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