SCENE SPOTLIGHT

There are people on this campus who are overlooked. Not because they don't welcome or operate for the spotlight but because they are more concerned with the quality of their commitments and the effect that their particular commitment has on others. Janelle Carter is one such person. A junior philosophy major with a pre-law emphasis, Carter makes more of an impact on her community than many around her even see.

Carter is one busy Santa Clara student. She is a community facilitator in Walsh, and also coaches track and field at her alma mater, Archbishop Mitty High School. Twice a week, she tutors youth ages 5 to 18, in various subjects, through Maranatha Outreach Center. She also works as a file clerk at a downtown law firm. Besides all that, she is also Santa Clara County's Young Woman of Achievement.

Carter's involvement off campus has been a constant influence in her development as a person. She believes, "My community is to thank for who I am today. I spend and have spent a majority of my time in my local schools and nonprofit organizations. Tutoring and mentoring is such a rewarding experience, because I too had a mentor. There have been so many influential people that have left an imprint on my life. I feel the best way that I can thank them is by helping someone else. It is all a chain effect. If you help someone they are more inclined to help someone else, and it begins a cycle. Eventually you will be the one that needs help, and someone will be there for you." Helping others, Carter believes, has enriched her time at Santa Clara. She feels that it has made her a part of the Santa Clara community instead of just an outsider looking in.

Her off-campus activities aside, Carter believes that by living on campus and being a CF she has enhanced and influenced the campus in a number of ways. She says, "Coming to Santa Clara and moving away from home was a great experience for me because so many people helped make my transition easier. I try to do the same thing now, encouraging residents to get more involved in a variety of activities." As a CF, she's definitely seen an increase in activity, which she believes will only strengthen and enhance the campus community even more.

All in all, Carter is definitely a gem to the Santa Clara community and the type of person that perhaps we all strive to be. We could all learn a valuable lesson from her about service to others, and the ability to fulfill the lives of others without thinking about what is in it for ourselves.

â€" Written by Jessica Boyd