Student Highlight: Thad Hempel Building Community Through the Action Lab and HMTCA
Name: Thaddeus HempelHow did you first get involved with the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER)? What initially inspired you to participate in community learning or civic engagement initiatives? I got involved with CHER my freshman year when I applied for the action lab. I was inspired by the opportunity to combine academics with getting out in the community and doing good.
Can you share a memorable experience or story from your involvement with CHER? Or is it a specific project or partnership that is particularly impactful?
My most memorable experience through CHER was my interview with Maria Nunez. This was during my participation in the family finance project through the Action Lab. We went to her house to do a filmed, personal interview. It went incredibly well; Maria was incredibly charismatic, and the interview we conducted went perfectly. After the dinner, she invited us to stay and have dinner with her and her son. It was very lovely, but when I think about it, I think most about the gesture. After already inviting us into her home to take up some of her evening to complete an interview, she fed us and chatted with us like we were a part of her family.
What skills have you developed through your involvement with CHER and community engagement?
I have refined my people skills a lot, becoming a lot better at working with and engaging with all kinds of people. Our Family Finance Action Lab group was made up of people from all over the world and of all different ages. Working together was tricky as we all had different strategies and expectations, but overcoming our differences proved to be an invaluable skill. The ability to see others’ expertise and integrate it with mine, even when they are completely different, is something many never master, so getting this opportunity so early in such a productive environment will serve me greatly.
How has your involvement with CHER influenced your future goals or career aspirations?
It has allowed me to engage with many different fields, in turn informing me what I do and don’t want to do. I came into college without any plan whatsoever, and over the last three years, I have developed about twenty. CHER has allowed me to explore these plans and learn whether or not they suit me.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your journey with CHER?
I never really keep track of what influences me – I don’t know if it’s self-centered or what, but I sort of just make decisions and cite myself as the reason. That being said, the support I have received from Liliana Polley and Derin Atalay has been second to none. They have welcomed me into the CHER community with open arms. When I succeeded, they celebrated me, and when I failed, they consoled and pushed me. The faith and trust they have put in me have helped me become more confident in myself and the work I do, and I am forever grateful for it.
