MEDIA, Pa. — Penn State Brandywine’s Center for Social Impact has established a partnership with AmeriCorps’ Next Steps team, bringing campus alumna and former volunteer Hawa Baro back to campus as the team lead.
The partnership was made possible through the center's membership with the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND), a network of over 25 colleges and universities that strengthens service learning, civic engagement and community partnership in Philadelphia.
Brandywine has been a member of PHENND for nearly 20 years. Kenneth Murphy, assistant director of the Center for Social Impact, recently worked with PHENND to create the pathway to form the partnership with AmeriCorps’ Next Steps team.
The partnership will aid in the center’s ability to develop socially responsible students and alumni who lead with purpose; expand experiential-learning and community-engagement opportunities; connect sustainability, environmental stewardship and basic-needs support; secure resources that strengthen organizational capacity; and develop scalable, student-led initiatives aligned with Penn State’s land-grant mission.
“This partnership creates a continuing pathway of high-impact practices for student success before and after graduation through volunteer engagement, leadership development, campus employment, national service and career readiness,” said Murphy.
“Hawa’s journey demonstrates what that pathway can look like in practice, from Brandywine student and Center for Social Impact volunteer to Penn State graduate and Next Steps team lead. For the center, the partnership expands our organizational capacity while showing that our impact can extend beyond a student’s time on campus.”
Baro initially contacted the center because she wanted to continue volunteering after graduating from Penn State in spring 2025.
“After graduating from Penn State, I really wanted to find a way to give back to the community that gave so much to me. Penn State was such an important part of my life, and it genuinely feels like home to me, so I always hoped that I would have the opportunity to work there and continue contributing to the University in some way after graduation,” she said.
Baro began her Penn State journey at Brandywine through the 2+2 program before transitioning to University Park. Because she had already been connected to the center as a volunteer and wanted to continue serving the community, bringing her back through the Next Steps/AmeriCorps partnership was, as Murphy said, a natural fit.
“During my time at Penn State, I was an international student mentor and had opportunities to work in marketing and engage with different student communities," she explained. "Those experiences showed me how much I enjoy connecting with people from different backgrounds, helping students feel welcomed and supported and creating opportunities for people to build relationships with one another. That was a big part of what drew me to the Center for Social Impact. It felt like a natural continuation of the work I’ve already enjoyed doing."
As the Next Steps tam lead, Baro will serve as an embedded partner with the center, completing at least 300 service hours during the program year. She will provide administrative and logistical support, help coordinate programs and volunteers, contribute to program planning and execution, and support student engagement across the center's strategic pillars, including community development, civic engagement, human rights and access, and life literacy.
“Hawa’s academic background in landscape architecture and urban design also aligns closely with the center’s sustainability initiatives and the continuing development of the campus garden,” Murphy said.
“Through their work with Hawa, students will gain a relatable peer and alumni leadership perspective; exposure to volunteer service, program planning and community engagement; opportunities to strengthen leadership and workplace skills; a better understanding of sustainability and basic-needs initiatives; and greater awareness of pathways from campus involvement to national service and future employment," Murphy added. "Ultimately, students will see how involvement with the center can develop into continued leadership, service and professional opportunities after graduation.”