- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad Tichina Taylor overcomes stroke to earn college degree

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:50:54 +0000

After her freshman year of college at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Tichina Taylor experienced a debilitating stroke. Thanks to her strong will to continue pursuing her degree, with lots of support from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Disability Resource Center and Student Support Services, Taylor will graduate Dec. 14 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a certificate in nonprofit management. How were you able to overcome the effects of having a stroke and complete your college degree? I was 19 years old when I experienced the stroke. It happened during the summer break after my freshman year at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. My family and I were shocked because we had assumed that only elderly people have strokes. A stroke is so frustrating. I was partially paralyzed and suffered memory loss. I couldn’t get my thoughts out, and when I did speak, I sounded like a preschool child. The stroke forced me to learn everything all over again. My memory couldn’t grasp any information given to me. I survived, though, and was determined to finish my education. So, I went to the Disability Resource Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and spoke to the director, Reed Claiborne, and he helped me. I was not going to give up on a college degree, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was committed to supporting my goal. The Disability Resource Center would ensure I had access to alternative formats of my textbooks and most other course materials that I could listen to for each of my classes. They notified my instructors of the appropriate accommodations for each of my courses. The Disability Resource Center focuses on making the learning experience accessible. The DRC helped me meet my needs as a stroke survivor. Student Support Services played a big role in my success, too. If I could not understand what I was reading or a concept from class, it used to make me so frustrated I would cry and not know what to do. Once I started working with tutors, I knew that I could highlight a passage of text or bring notes from class and talk with them about it. They helped me understand what I was reading and the concepts explained in class. It made all the difference in my ability to complete assignments. I discipline myself to always keep a smile on my face and never let myself give up. I also give praise to God. He helps me. God brought wonderful people into my life to support me, and opened my mind so that I can learn. I am so thankful for my professors’ support, the Mathematics Lab, Student Support Services, and the Disability Resource Center. I could not have completed my degree without each of them. Everyone who serves as a tutor on this campus personally benefits the lives of the people they coach, probably more than the tutors even realize. What are your goals and why did you choose to study sociology and nonprofit management? I’ve been interested in the study of social problems since high school. My youth experience in the Boys & Girls Club’s Go Girls program shaped my thinking a lot in terms of what it means to live a healthy life with a positive mindset. My life goal is to open a nonprofit center to support verbally and physically abused women. I want to help other women learn to live a happy life, free from abuse. I’d also like to work in real estate. What does having a college education mean to you? ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has made a significant difference in my family’s life. My sister and I are first-generation college students, and our degrees are empowering us to contribute good things in the world at a higher level than if we hadn’t been exposed to higher education. My sister, , earned two degrees at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, all while raising young children. Her influence and support in my life has been amazing. We wrote a book together about my stroke and recovery. It’s called, “,” and was published under her own business label, de. I am so proud of her. I want to encourage students who may be dealing with life struggles. Don’t give up! Life is going to hit you with many obstacles, but strive to achieve your goals and stay positive. You can and you will succeed. I made it.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:27:21 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is researching how places of worship in Little Rock work with nonprofit organizations to promote community engagement and provide social services to vulnerable populations. The Little Rock Congregations Study is part of an ongoing research project led by Dr. Rebecca Glazier, professor in the School of Public Affairs, stemming from research begun in 2012 to study the effects of religious organizations on community engagement in Little Rock. The interdisciplinary project brought together 59 student researchers from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock who gained invaluable research experience. More than 110 clergy members from congregations across Little Rock completed the survey, while 24 clergy were interviewed. Additionally, students wrote. Undergraduate students in Glazier’s Survey Research Methods class assisted in developing the survey and distributing it to clergy members. They also wrote stories highlighting the good work done through partnerships between places of worship and nonprofit organizations. Members of Dr. Kirk Leach’s graduate Nonprofit Management class and Dr. Gerald Driskill’s undergraduate Intercultural Communication class conducted in-depth interviews with clergy members. “Sometimes, the university can feel pretty distant from the rest of the city,” Glazier said. “The Little Rock Congregations Study gets students out of the classroom and into the community to do research that really matters. We are working hard to share findings that clergy members, congregants, and the broader Little Rock community will find valuable.”

Dr. Rebecca Glazier stands with Little Rock Congregations Study student researchers Anet Rosas-Labrada, Anna Aguilar, Rhodes Houser, Nikki Partlow-Loyall, and Josie Keathley.

The researchers have found that marriage and relationship counseling is the most common service provided by congregations, with 61 percent of responding congregations providing these services, followed by 47 percent of congregations in the study providing a food bank. Partnerships between congregations and nonprofit organizations are a common occurrence. More than 50 percent of congregations with food banks have a partner to help provide that service. Meanwhile, 60 percent of congregations who provide medical screenings or other services have a partner, likely because these types of services are more resource intensive. The most common reason for a partnership between a congregation and a nonprofit is a desire to connect with the community. “Partnerships aren’t happening out of a need for resources, as we might expect, but are more often motivated by the desire of a congregation to get beyond their own members and connect with the broader community in Little Rock,” Glazier said. Three of the student researchers, all political science majors, are taking the project a step further. They have received Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to conduct individual research projects with the help of faculty mentors. Jordan Wallis, a Marine Corps veteran, received a grant to look specifically at veterans’ services provided by congregations and nonprofits in Little Rock. “I am excited to be able to do empirical, community-based research that will further my education and allow me to do a little bit to help fellow veterans in need,” Wallis said. Next, Paige Topping received a grant to study community outreach efforts to share the results of the Little Rock Congregations Study. “I am thankful for the opportunity to not only research issues that are important to my community, but to also connect on a local level and create long-lasting relationships and positive impacts,” Topping said. The third student, Madison Rodgers, received an honorary award to look at longitudinal data from the Little Rock Congregations Study and track community engagement over time. Updates on the continuing research can be found on the or. In the spring 2019 semester, the group will survey people who work at nonprofit organizations in Little Rock to get their perspectives on collaborating with congregations. Additionally, the researchers have received a $1,000 grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation to host a workshop in the spring 2019 semester to share the latest research findings with clergy members. They will also build a clergy advisory board to help prepare for the 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study. In the upper right photo, Dr. Rebecca Glazier (left) discusses the Little Rock Congregations Study with student researchers Anna Aguilar, Nicole Ursin, and Rhodes Houser.

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Miller

Janea Snyder — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 22:15:37 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Sarah Miller (‘16) has found the perfect combination between her passion for theater and love of working with nonprofits. She currently manages , which is part of the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Main Library campus. There, she coordinates the theater’s many offerings of films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers, and children’s activities. “I love the idea of organizations existing for the sole purpose of serving others,” Miller said. “I served a few different organizations through college. After I graduated, I realized the public sector was where my home was, where I felt most comfortable.” Miller, a native of Arkadelphia, graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 2014. She learned to act and do technical work and discovered her passion for directing. “I loved the creation aspect of it,” she said. In 2015, she moved to Little Rock and enrolled in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Graduate School and completed her Master of Public Administration with a graduate certificate in nonprofit management in December 2016. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock prepared me for nonprofit work in ways I didn’t even realize,” she said. “I understand responsibility in money management, how important a strategic mindset is, and most importantly, that it is ok to constantly be asking, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’ You either come away from the question with a better understanding of why that system is in place, or you get to be a part of a change that could make a meaningful impact. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock really challenged me to constantly be thinking, researching, pushing for better ways to impact the most people.” During her graduate studies, she began to understand the setbacks and hardships that nonprofits face, especially smaller ones. “I thought there had to be more solutions out there,” she said, “and I aimed to find those solutions and one day become a resource for those nonprofits.” Miller already is serving as that resource. In May 2017, she joined Board of Directors and also took on the volunteer position as the theater’s volunteer coordinator. The Weekend Theater is also a nonprofit and is run by volunteers. When she’s not working or volunteering, she enjoys reading, hanging out with her beagle mix, Bron, and playing the ukulele, a hobby she picked up five years ago. She also spends time volunteering for various youth organizations. For the past few years, she has worked with the Arkansas Young Playwrights Competition, which encourages high schoolers to write original plays for the chance to have their play staged. She also has volunteered for Y.E.S (Youth Entrepreneur Showcase) Arkansas, judging middle school students’ proposals for business start-ups. “The whole purpose of volunteering is the chance to make this world a little better than how we found it,” she said. “That type of work brings you clarity and purpose. Any time someone tells me they are in a rut or struggling with a big decision, my advice is to put in some volunteer hours for a cause they care about. Volunteering almost always makes you feel better about your place in the world at the end of the day.” Pictured top right is ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate Sarah Miller who manages the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater and volunteers at The Weekend Theater. Photo Credit: Lonnie Timmons III/ University Communications

Grant-writing grad helps with quake recovery in Nepal

Kiara Goodwin — Wed, 27 May 2015 15:12:52 +0000

A recent graduate of the ��Vlog��ýLR Nonprofit Management Program contributed to writing a successful grant that is helping fund earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal. David Mabry said Aythos, a Conway-based economic development nonprofit, submitted two grant proposals from the materials he and his classmates worked on through Barb L’Eplattenier’s grant writing course at ��Vlog��ýLR.

Clif Bars being distributed to villagers.

Aythos received approval for a $10,000 grant from Clif Bar Family Foundation, formed from Clif Bar & Co., a corporation that produces organic food and drinks. “We spoke with Clif Bar Family Foundation and they agreed to place no restriction on funding and expedited the check so it can be used on recovery for the earthquake,” Mabry said. The company also overnighted 100 pounds of Clif Bars to distribute to rural villagers in Nepal, according to Mabry. Aythos was working in Nepal and shifted to disaster relief after the April 25 earthquake destroyed the city. Mabry arrived in Nepal on April 30, where he said he put the funding and Clif Bars to good use. Mabry, who was named Student of the Year for ��Vlog��ýLR’s Nonprofit Management Program, is also the volunteer finance director for Aythos and is an Arkansas-licensed EMT. Aythos received another $10,000 from The International Foundation to support agricultural work in Nepal a week before the earthquake struck.

A small boy with an infected foot is being examined by ��Vlog��ýLR recent graduate David Mabry, red shirt, with the help of a translator and army personnel.

“We are trying the same approach to unrestricted funding for earthquake recovery efforts with The International Foundation who agreed to have the grants committee look at it,” Mabry said.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock grad Tichina Taylor overcomes stroke to earn college degree

����Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Miller

Grant-writing grad helps with quake recovery in Nepal

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad Tichina Taylor overcomes stroke to earn college degree

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers study impact of faith-based community engagement in Little Rock