Student: Winta Girmai
Winta Girmai
she/her/hers
Senior - Global Studies major, Arabic Language & Culture and Anthropology minors
Where are you from?
I am from Chicago, IL
What do you like to do?
I love traveling, volunteering, playing board games, and having new experiences!
What do you like to do?
I love traveling, volunteering, playing board games, and having new experiences!
How are you involved in Community Service & Action?
I am a part of Loyola4Chicago where I volunteer once a week with FORA tutoring kids and now serve as a leader to other students interested in volunteering and working with the local community.
Why do you engage in the community?
I volunteer at FORA because I have always enjoyed tutoring kids and have been doing it since high school. I have a lot of experience working with immigrant/refugee children and have always wanted to give back to the community as a child of immigrant/refugee children. Joining Loyola4Chicago sounded like a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and find sense of community at Loyola. It’s wonderful to have a passion to helping others, and it’s even better to be able to share that passion with others who feel the same way.
What is one of your favorite stories from your community engagement experiences?
I think one of my favorite stories from volunteering at FORA is when I was working with a student from Afghanistan who I was working with consecutively for a several weeks. He slowly got more comfortable cracking jokes with me and telling me more about himself. One day I decided to show him my name in Arabic because he could never remember my name. He was able to get my name and show me how he writes his name in Arabic. Ever since then he has never forgotten my name and always comes to say HI to me whenever I am there!
In the spirit of Sr. Jean and her belief in the goodness of people that she shares in her book, “Wake Up With Purpose,” where have you seen the goodness of others in your community engagement experiences?
I have seen the goodness of others in the volunteers and interns who came each week to help the students. Finding new ways to interact and give their attention when working with young kids!
What is your favorite place on campus?
My favorite place on campus is the Language Learning Center in Crown because it is always quiet and peaceful. If not, it would have to be the SES building. It’s just so bright and airy, and I feel like I am always finding flyers of things happening on campus to do!
What tips do you have for building and maintaining community in college?
I think it's always nerve-racking to try to find your place, especially on a school campus. I realized that a lot of people feel the same way, and by the time I realized it was already too late to find my community. Granted, I met people, I just wished it was sooner. So, go out there and challenge yourself; who cares if it doesn’t work out? At least you can say you have done it; you tried.
What makes you most excited for the semester?
I am most excited this semester to try rock climbing! I have been so afraid to try it, but it’s been something I have wanted to do since freshman year. I just want to graduate with no regrets and really do all the things I have wanted to do!
What advice would you give to an incoming student at Loyola?
I think a lot of students think college is meant to be a place to challenge yourself academically, but I think college is where I saw a lot of personal growth for me. To challenge what I think I wanted with what I am truly passionate about.