USF MAPL student Kalani Creutzberg had his letter to the editor about solutions to homelessness published in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
In the first course in our program, students use writing as a practice to explore the relationships among self-awareness, constructive dialogue with others, and leadership. In so doing, they find their public voice. Course assignments include everything from an “appreciation”—a kind of love letter to any person, place, or thing—to an apology (to anyone, for anything) to an op-ed ultimately submitted for publication at a variety of outlets across the country.
This past fall term we had several student pieces published in influential local media—a big step toward building name recognition in the students’ communities, and making key connections. Jeff Laupola’s “Rebuilding Trust And Community In Hawaii Starts With You” was published in Honolulu Civil Beat; Larry Lloyd co-authored “Abandoning Syria’s Kurds endangers Americans” in the Detroit Free Press with two other Michigan veterans across the political spectrum; and Meredith Reed weighed in twice via the Salt Lake Tribune, first on the harms posed to Utah families by tax policy changes being debated in the Utah state legislature, and later, from a personal perspective, on harms posed by anti-abortion measures up for debate by the same body.
These published works are but a few examples of the clear thinking and compelling writing MAPL students produce. In the coming days, we’ll share more examples of their exemplary offerings here. In these extraordinary times, each of us is called to put our unique genius to work in service of our fellow humans, and MAPL students are well on their way. We hope these leaders’ wise and beautiful words aid, comfort, and inspire.
