As Sukhdeep Kaur prepares for commencement, she knows this isn’t the end of her educational journey.
Her next step? Law school. Sukhdeep has big plans for the criminal justice system. She’s already interning with Bleecker, Brodey, and Andrews, an Indianapolis-based law firm.
She says O’Neill helped prepare her for that position, as did her participation in Toastmasters International, one of the many civic engagement opportunities she took advantage of during her time at IUPUI.
“During O’Neill’s summer bridge program, I had the chance to connect with the O’Neill faculty,” Sukhdeep recalls. “They made me aware of all the different civic engagement opportunities I could take part in which allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and explore various organizations.”
For Sukhdeep, being civically engaged allows her to stay rooted and invested in where she lives.
“Civic engagement is a way for individuals to connect to their communities and to get out of their comfort zones,” she explains. “It helped me make connections with community leaders and helped me connect my learning to the world outside the university.”
The connections she’s built and maintained along the way helped earn her the William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion for 2022. Sukhdeep is one of six O’Neill students to earn the honor and among 25 students selected from across the IUPUI campus.
“I was in disbelief that I was considered but was also extremely proud to be named among the group of recipients,” she says.
For others who are interested in getting involved, Sukhdeep says all it takes is reaching out to IUPUI’s Office of Community Engagement or any number of organizations on campus. Students can also connect with their O’Neill faculty, staff, and student employees to learn how to take their first step on a lifelong civic engagement journey.
