What is the role of Student Activities in students' experience at Bellarmine? It's more than just having fun—although we think that's an important part of college too!
Community Engagement, Civic Engagement, and Leadership
The core of our mission is to inspire socially-conscious citizens and to equip service-oriented leaders.
In the 2018-2019 academic year:
- The SAC hosted more than 40 programs focusing on community engagement and leadership, with nearly 2,000 documented attendees.
- Members of the Bellarmine community volunteered over 17,500 hours in the local and global communities with 60+ community partner organizations.
- SAC student leaders held 400+ conversations promoting civic engagement, registering 68 new voters, securing 48 absentee ballots, and helping numerous others change or find their polling location. On Election Day, 200+ students signed a banner pledging to vote.
- Over the summer, 25 students spent 3,000+ hours on grant-funded internships at nonprofit or government agencies in Louisville and Southern Indiana, completing projects that strengthened the organizations and expanded their capacity to meet local needs.
- Three students were awarded national medals from the United Nations Association of the United States for their volunteerism and local impact. One of the three, Becca Broda ('20), was awarded the Newman Civic Fellowship honor by the National Campus Compact as well, in response to her extensive community engagement efforts on campus and in the community. Not only did she propose and implement the Knights Pantry, but she has also led Alternative Spring Break trips, co-led the Pathways to Action weekend workshop for social change, served as an OxFam student ambassador, organized the Spring into Action afternoon of service, and interned at a handful of nonprofits, such as Volunteers of America and Family Scholar House.
Social Activities
The SAC drives the vibrancy of campus life through transformative student experiences, which cultivates our students' sense of belonging in a way that makes Bellarmine their home.
In the 2018-2019 academic year:
- Over 90% of students attended at least one SAC-sponsored activity, outside of Week of Welcome.
- Our student-led activities board, the Bellarmine Activities Council, hosted events which garnered nearly 2,200 attendees, and engaged 60% of the first-year class.
A few words from Bellarmine students and local community members
“The SAC has truly helped shape my vision for my future. Through the opportunity to go on ASB [Alternative Spring Break] I have been exposed to my history and learned how I can help move our nation in the right direction. Without the SAC, I would not have found my passion.” - Kelze’ R., '21
"Bellarmine will always be a home and safe space because it offers these opportunities. No matter what personal things we might endure throughout our four years, as Thomas Merton says, ‘we do not find ourselves (or answers or directions for where to go) in ourselves but in another’ and Bellarmine ASB showed me just that, through and through.” - Mary Greenfield, '21
"I understand that [the Bellarmine SAC] coordinated the first-year student visit to Apple Patch. Thank you for this! I have a sister that attends the day program, and she was beyond thrilled. I saw her shortly after they left, and she was a different person! Her mind was clear and her eyes were radiant with happiness. Not something I see very often in her. The Apple Patch staff said that your students' visit was the best ever done by a group. I thought you should know this. They really made a difference. Bless you all!" - Community member