Last month, SLS welcomed Anna Tinoco-Santiago as our new Community Engagement Specialist. In this capacity, she will report to Ruthie Yow and support Serve-Learn-Sustain’s service-learning and community engagement work by developing and maintaining relationships with off-campus partners and by designing, managing, and implementing related programs. More specifically, Anna will: identify, develop, and maintain partnerships with off-campus partners to engage in and advance learning and action related to sustainable communities; collaborate closely with and serve as a connector among Georgia Tech’s other key community-related initiatives and offices; and develop and manage SLS programs intended to support SLS faculty and students, complement SLS courses, and benefit partners.
Anna's professional background includes years of experience creating and strengthening relationships between non-profit organizations, businesses, and the surrounding community. Most recently, Anna worked with Kennesaw State University first as an admission counselor and later as a dual enrollment academic advisor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in International Studies with a double minor in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Kennesaw State University. She earned her master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management from Georgia State University.
Below, Anna writes about her approach to collaboration and community engagement. Please join us in welcoming Anna to the SLS team!
Growing up in Vidalia, a small, rural town in Southeast Georgia, I understood the importance of community involvement from an early age. Growing up in a family of eight, I had my own little community within my four walls. However, when it came to furthering my education, I had to look far beyond Vidalia. My parents had immigrated from Mexico, decades before, and had no first-hand experience with the American college system. Facing a tough journey filled with plenty of questions and what-ifs, I had bigger dreams that required moving away to the “big city” for greater opportunities. After transferring colleges several times, I landed far away from home in the Metro-Atlanta area, and my love for the non-profit sector deepened as I was reminded of how important community involvement had always been through service as a volunteer. Since then, my mission has been that of service to the community.
The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” can also be applied to collaboration from community-based organizations. No one single entity can successfully develop and maintain a sustainable community. As a Community Engagement Specialist, my role is to develop and maintain partnerships between Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff and surrounding community partners to work towards sustainable communities. I also believe the collaboration of all these stakeholders creates not only more equipped minds, but also stronger communities, thus resulting in a better world.
I fully believe in the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) concept that all communities have assets and strengths that should be the driving force for community engagement. Community buy-in engages community members to another level that can result in more opportunities than those with little to no buy-in. I am thrilled to know that within this role, I have the opportunity to provide support along the way.