Chelsea Mertz
(second from left)
Honors, achievements and special recognition:
- Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service Regional Coordinator, 2009
- Jayhawk Choice Award Recipient - Community Service Program of the Year, Spring 2009
- From Blue to Green: Conserve KU, Founding Member and Organizer
- Mortar Board, 2009-2010 President
- GaDuGi Safe Center, Volunteer Advocate
- Douglas County AIDS Project (DCAP) Volunteer
- Kids Voting Kansas, Douglas County Executive Board
- Official attendee for the Inauguration
- Dole Institute of Politics, Student Assistant
- I organized a trip to Greensburg for 20 volunteers to help with rebuilding efforts in January as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service.
How I became interested in my area of study/research/discipline:
Politics has been my passion since a very young age. I was the child who wanted to grow up and be president. My natural path was to go into political science. The field fascinates me. Politics touches nearly every other subject in one way or another, whether it is policies regarding healthcare or the environment. Politics frames much of our worldview.
An honor, achievement or accomplishment that is most meaningful to me and why:
I worked with the Inaugural Committee in organizing the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service that took place in January. I worked on the state committee to plan volunteer projects across the state. We organized close to a hundred events and we had nearly 1,000 volunteers statewide. The program I planned for the university campus was a clothing and food drive that had 75 volunteers and donated 6 truckloads of food and clothes to Just Food and Penn House respectively. The work I completed in the weeks leading up to the day came to fruition in an amazing collected effort that was so successful; we were in clothes and food up to our eyeballs. Still, the day got even better. After the drive, I hopped on a plane to Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration in person. I woke up the next day, huddled in the cold of the capitol city, and cried tears of pure joy when President Obama began his oath. That was the true culmination of all my hard work.
Someone who has been a role model for me:
Dr. Tara Welch, Classics Professor. As a student in her class, I first admired her passion for teaching. She cares for each student and wants each and every one of them to succeed. Her ability and ease in teaching inspired me to take on Latin as my minor. She is committed not only to her students but also to her family and her research. She is a model of balance, yet she knows which aspect of life bears the greatest weight. Dr. Welch stresses to me the importance and order of my own priorities. With her guidance, I can see past the short-term stresses of schoolwork and grades and see what in the long-term will make me happy. Her door is always open and she is always ready to share a cup of coffee. She has a great perspective on life, which is where I imagine her great advice comes from. I only hope that I continue to employ her advice and one day come to balance my life in a similar manner.
Someone who has been influential or had a significant impact on my life:
Andrew Mertz, my younger brother. My brother is behind in everything I do. He is the ear to my woes, the affirmation and praise for my success, and foundation from which I leap to my next endeavor. We are very close siblings and we share everything, from food to furniture, and at times clothes. We do so many things together. We are a built-in comfort zone for the other. I cannot imagine a life without my brother. He is the person that has always been there for me. I strive to be that person for him as well.
Most favorite college-related memory:
I traveled to Costa Rica in January of 2008 with Mary Klayder's Travel Writing Course. We spent a few weeks travelling the country and exploring everything the Tico people had to offer. While the whole trip would be my cadre of favorite memories, the stay in Monteverde stands out. Monteverde resides in the mountains of Costa Rica, draped in cloud forests. Much of the land is reserved for natural parks and reserves, exploring the reserves you can see the natural beauty of the country. The green efflorescence shrouded in the low-lying clouds seemed more than real. The calls of the forest's inhabitants blended into the verdant backdrop, a symbiotic relationship. All life within the forest depends on one another, the life lesson of the rainforest. As I experienced the forest vibrations standing in its epicenter, it was thrilling. I hope to remember that feeling forever.
An important life lesson I have learned:
Life is not a competition. Not everything you do is being measured against someone else. Work hard for yourself not for others who might be judging you. Do what makes you happy.
If I had a sister just entering college, I would want her to know...
Get involved! Go to everything you can. It may seem overwhelming at first, but the University has so much to offer and only by attending as many events as possible will you truly be able to find your niche.
A favorite quote or saying (and why it is meaningful to me):
"Always aspire to be great."
This is a quote from my older brother who framed it and put it over my mirror in my childhood bedroom. Every morning I would wake up and it would be the first thing I saw.