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Kristen Penkala Profile: Kristen Penkala ‘07 The first thing Kristen Penkala changed as a Kid’s Club volunteer in Worcester’s Great Brook Valley community was her approach. Kristen’s first impulse was to filter the needs of the after school program through her own experiences. Instead, she asked the staff directly what they needed from her. She learned quickly that that what she perceived as program needs, particularly material ones, did not always match the priorities of the staff. “My service work has challenged my abilities, my concepts, and my whole perspective,” Kristen said. “I have grown as an individual. My time at the Kid’s Club knocked me down a few notches, and then built me back up. It made me confident in my effectiveness in the community. I have gained a deep understanding of social, political, educational, and financial inequalities from being exposed to their community.” Kristen’s love for the Kids Club children, respect for the parents and staff, and commitment to service have enabled her to leave as her legacy a well-organized volunteer program where the Assumption student volunteers she directs, including her sister, Colleen ‘10, feel they can have an impact. Their daily presence has enhanced the operation of the Kids Club and helped to retain the children enrolled. “Kristen Penkala clearly has made a difference in the Worcester community,” according to a letter of nomination for Kristen for the campus “UP Award” for community service, which she received this year. “Kristen has worked with (director) Carmen Sanchez to empower children and parents at Kid’s Club of Great Brook Valley.”
"Through these numerous civic engagement opportunities, students are enriching their academic experience," said Armand Carriere, executive director of the UniverCity Partnership. "Ultimately, we hope they not only become better students, but also better citizens." In addition to her UP Award, Kristen is especially proud of the invitation she received from a former Kids Club member, now a staff member, to attend the young women’s “quinceanera,” a coming-of-age fifteenth birthday celebration, traditional in Latino communities. “It meant so much to me that she would invite me,” Kristen said. “For me, her invitation to this very special event in her life validated our relationship.” In addition to her exemplary service in the Worcester community, Kristen is an outstanding student. She came to Assumption College with an Aquinas Scholarship. She was named an Augustine Scholar as a junior for excellence in academic performance and in student leadership. Also, Kristen is president of the Assumption chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa (OKD), the student leadership honorary society, and has received academic honors in Psychology, Sociology, and Community Service Learning. Also, she works part-time on the weekend as a relief counselor at You, inc., a child welfare and behavioral health organization in Worcester. After graduation, Kristen is headed into the nonprofit world toward a career in social work that involves children in an inner city setting. Applying to Teach for America is one of several options she is considering. *Winter 2007 Update: Kristen was accepted as a volunteer for one year in the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption sponsored by the Religious of the Assumption and the Assumptionists. She is currently working in Chaparral, New Mexico, living with a community of Religious of the Assumption and serving Hispanic immigrants.
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For her service to the Kid’s Club during the past three years, Kristen received a 2007 “UP Award” for community engagement (