Photo by Lanie Tunnell

By: Clara McMichael

If one Facebook-stalks Aimee Slagle, their life will feel shamefully inadequate in comparison.  She travels to exotic destinations – from salt flats in Bolivia to tropical beaches in Nicaragua – and is always surrounded by friends who seem just as delightful and adventurous as she is.   

Slagle, a Texas native, is the latest Southwestern success story.  She graduated last May with a degree in psychology.

Throughout her experience at Southwestern, Slagle’s pursuits have had altruistic and international bent.  Slagle took classes in Spanish and sociology as personal interests, and spent time travelling and studying abroad in Latin America.

In the summer and fall of 2015, she studied and lived with host families in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.  She also taught English to adults in Altamira, Costa Rica for six weeks.  This past summer, after she graduated, she backpacked through Peru and Bolivia.

Many of Slagle’s experiences and interests were encouraged and facilitated by Southwestern, which came into consideration when Slagle decided to apply for the on-campus of Coordinator of the Office of Community -Engaged Learning.

“Some of my beloved and most impactful memories of my time at SU came from my experiences in experiential learning opportunities provided by the Office of Community -Engaged Learning,” Slagle said.  

Slagle wanted to pass these experiences on to current students.

Through her position, she is the co-director of the Global Engagement Hall – a living learning community focusing on global themes for sophomores, advises SUSTAIN, promotes community-engaged learning in campus events, develops relationships with Southwestern’s partners in the community, and helps student leaders who plan Spring Breakaway.

“It is really different each day,” Slagle said.

The job also has a personal value to her. 

“I was interested in continuing to foster the way I look at the world,” Slagle said.

Slagle believes that the job will help her grow her awareness of social justice issues, especially as she is currently in the process of applying to the Peace Corps.

“I didn’t want to go in [to the Peace Corps] with the white savior complex,” Slagle said. “I knew that the duties of this job and working with my brilliant co-workers and boss would force me to continue to grow.”

Within the Peace Corps, Slagle is hoping to obtain a position focusing on health outreach – a passion of hers.  When she attended Southwestern University as a student, Slagle was active with the Student Health Advisory Council and worked on initiatives that focused on the prevention and treatment of mental and physical illnesses.

“A Peace Corps position will definitely benefit my perspective about what working in the global public health atmosphere would look like,” Slagle said.

Slagle’s eventual career goal is to work in global public health.  After her position at Southwestern, she wants to go to graduate school, and then would like to work for the World Health Organization.