Three days before move-in day for incoming first-year students, Charlene Guzman was informed that she was going to be part of the first Voices of Justice Living and Learning Community (LLC), an experience developed by Dr. Nicholas Rademacher, Dr. Nancy Watterson, and Dr. Darryl Mace.
While the experience was strange at first, she eventually felt comfortable in the community and realized she had found herself a new home.
Born and raised in New York City, this new community of Radnor was completely different from everything Charlene had known. Because she was part of the first Voices of Justice LLC, Charlene experienced a lot of adversity, but in the end came out a stronger, smarter, and a more people-savvy young woman compared to when she first arrived at Cabrini.
Charlene saw herself as an asset to the LLC, and in turn feels like she had a more successful first year because of the support she received from the other members and the professors in Voices of Justice.
Charlene says she wouldn’t change the experience for the world. “The whole college experience is scary but when you’re put in a community with 22 other people who are sharing the same experience, you kind of mesh together for better or for worse.” Through the comprehensive LLC experience—from the relationships formed to the linked coursework—Charlene witnessed her own personal growth and believes this is what makes Voices of Justice so successful.
Since being involved in Voices of Justice, Charlene has seen herself become more involved in the campus community, which she thinks it is a direct result of being immersed in the LLC experience. “I think if it wasn’t for the Voices of Justice I wouldn't have the courage to go out and do everything that I have been doing,” she says.
Since her first year at Cabrini, Charlene has been involved in Student Government and is currently Junior Class President. In her sophomore year, she was a peer tutor and a classroom coach, something that many of her former Voices of Justice peers are also involved with. Charlene also enjoys being a resident assistant and head manager for the Men’s Basketball Team.
The thing that finally got Charlene to seek out and participate in activities on campus was the huge support she received from her fellow LLC students and the professors who teach and facilitate the Voices of Justice LLC. This support convinced her that she could always do whatever she put her heart and mind into. She is determined to enjoy success in all that she does, and knows that she can rely on her former Voices of Justice professors for guidance and support.
by Sarah Pinard ’14, also a member of the Voices of Justice LLC