Roots Before Branches

Service has been a cornerstone of SNHU’s history. One of the first student clubs established at the New Hampshire Accounting and Secretarial School was a fundraising-focused group, the March of Dimes Club. In 2005, Dr. Paul LeBlanc established The Center for Community Engaged Learning, an office dedicated to connecting students with service opportunities, now known as The Chandler Center. As that center grew and programming expanded over the years, many students saw community engagement as an integral part of their SNHU experience.  

In 2015, there was an opportunity for local alumni to engage with campus-based students on an Alternative Break trip to New Orleans. This coincided with an increased interest in community service events for alumni and current students, both on campus and online. Eager to explore ways to intentionally connect the SNHU community, Sara Telfer, director of Alumni Engagement, shared the concept of a university-wide community service event with colleagues from Online Engagement (now the Office of Student Involvement) and Center for Community Engaged Learning. Tiff Fifer ’00 and Elizabeth Richards were quick to embrace the idea. 

“I remember meeting with her in the coffee shop on campus when she said, ‘So I have this idea, and I want to know if you think we could pull it off,’ and then she told me about Global Days of Service,” said Elizabeth Richards, assistant vice president of The Chandler Center. “I loved it immediately. It was bold and ambitious and exciting.” 

With the blessing and support of her colleagues, Sara set a goal of 10 projects to take place that April, tapping on SNHU community members to spearhead each. 

Alumna Danielle Dalton ’12 ’16G was a remote employee based in California when she first learned about Global Days of Service. Being new to the area, Danielle was eager to take part and find community. 

The first year was successful, with a goal-exceeding 15 service projects taking place, each organized by alumni, employees, and students from online and campus programs.  

“Global Days of Service was well received, and we all agreed that it should continue annually,” Sara said. “We have tweaked our approach since then, but the root of Global Days of Service is evident in how it still continues to operate today.” 

That same year, SNHU launched the Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program for its employees. Recognizing the importance of serving the communities in which we live and work, staff and faculty could take up to eight hours off annually to volunteer at a nonprofit organization of their choosing. Since then, many employees utilize their VTO time to participate in Global Days of Service projects with their colleagues across the country. 

Growth in Numbers

In March 2020, the 5th year of Global Days of Service came to a halt when precautionary measures were taken due to the COVID-19 virus. In-person gatherings were discouraged, which meant that projects could not safely take place.  

Faced with the challenge of shifting to a virtual experience, the planning committee expanded the month-long event to span four months in 2021, offering flexibility and more opportunities to engage.  

Each month focused on a different societal issue: hunger, shelter, environmental justice, and the pandemic’s essential workers. Virtual educational sessions and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects were offered in tandem, related to that month’s theme. 

DIY opportunities included projects like the SleepOut movement, where volunteers could experience sleeping outside and have meaningful conversations about shelter and homelessness. After seeing a positive response to the DIY projects, the planning committee has continued to offer them as part of Global Days of Service. 

“I think it was meaningful to folks who were stuck at home during that time to still be able to take part. It’s become a flexible program in terms of the different ways people can participate,” Sara said.

Evergreen Connections

“Every year my involvement has looked a little different, but the spirit of building relationships with other members of the SNHU community remains steadfast,” Danielle said. “Being able to support organizations that help others is always something that I will prioritize and look forward to.” 

Sara believes that taking part in service is an equalizer. “Everybody is there for the same reason, to do something beneficial for their community,” Sara said. “We hoped people would feel like it was accessible to them no matter how they fit into the larger picture.” 

Global Days of Service wraps up at the end of April. As service hours are tallied, beaches are clean, and food gardens planted, something else continues to bloom at SNHU—lifelong connections. To Sara, the framework of GDS allows for participants to make meaningful connections in the name of service—and drives the enthusiasm seen in volunteers year after year. Since 2016, more than 52,000 hours can be attributed to SNHU Global Days of Service, from cleaning up beaches in Hawaii, to gathering supplies for a refugee camp in Rwanda, and chopping firewood in Maine. 

“Sara has never wavered from her vision and has stayed committed to the idea that serving others is a great way to bring a community together,” said Elizabeth. 

The impact of Global Days of Service on the SNHU community, and beyond, is undeniable and is made possible thanks to the collective dedication of all involved. This spirit of collaboration and community is forever etched in the foundation of Global Days of Service.  

Global Days of Service 2025 takes place throughout March and April. Visit alumni.snhu.edu/serve to make this our most impactful year yet! 

Solid career outcomes, unmatched portfolio pieces, and a newly established nationwide hiring program are all part of this amazing partnership that has encompassed the following majors and program areas: communications, graphic design, music, business, construction management, sustainability, videography, and culinary arts.

Since day one, the BankNH Pavilion project has been “for the students” and “by the students.” Every SNHU banner ad, 20-foot upright design, or video shown on the giant screens at the award-winning Gilford, NH-based live music venue has been created by students in an effort to provide them with portfolio pieces that can be shown to prospective employers upon graduation. Similarly, students have taken part in day-long sessions with construction CEOs and project managers who’ve shared their insights about multi-million dollar Live Nation projects, guest speakers who came to business classes to learn from Live Nation human resource and accounting professionals about business transactions with world-renowned management teams, and interviews with musical artists ranging from keyboardist Mikel Paris of million-record-selling artist O.A.R. to vocalist Shaun Morgan of MTV Best Alternative Artist band Seether.

Kylie Jackson ’24 is one of 58 SNHU alumni who currently work for Live Nation. Jackson was a Communications Lab student assigned to the project as a sophomore before becoming a project lead intern as a senior. As a project lead, she mentored graphic design students, sharing her experiences and performing her project oversight duties at such a high level that she fulfilled her goal of securing employment in the music industry as a Live Nation Brand Manager for Contracting Services upon graduation.

“In the last semester of my senior year, it was amazing to end my undergraduate degree in a full-circle moment,” she said. “I learned and grew so much throughout my internship as a student, a leader, and someone who is pursuing a career in the music and entertainment industry. The internship changed my life in the span of four months, and I cannot express enough my gratitude for this exposure to my dream career.”

Communications and Media Arts Department Chair and Associate Professor Tracy Dow has seen the positive impacts of this partnership on SNHU students. “The Pavilion really treats our students well, and they gain so much from the experience,” she added. “We find it important to stress that we view this collaboration as a continual partnership. We see this as a way to engage students throughout their time spent at SNHU and hope that these experiences help students see how they can apply skills learned in the classroom to real-world situations and environments.”

This year’s “Rock the Intern” student showcase will be held on May 25 as part of the Kane Brown concert at the BankNH Pavilion.

The Career & Professional Development Center works hand-in-hand with Institutional Advancement, The Chandler Center, the project-based learning manager, professors, and staff members to develop opportunities for students to receive hands-on experience at a number of companies and nonprofit organizations.

“Providing students with opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings equips them with the skills and confidence needed to make meaningful contributions to the workforce after graduation,” said JoAnna Luiso, director of the Career & Professional Development Center. “We’re grateful to collaborate with outstanding business partners who understand the importance of shaping the next generation of leaders and innovators.”

UKG, Medicus Healthcare Solutions, and ALKU are corporate sponsors of SNHU’s Professional Sales Program and engage with students through an internal sales competition where participants network with employers and role-play through simulated sales scenarios. This provides students with practical, hands-on learning experiences in meeting the needs of today’s customers while also giving numerous opportunities to hone communication skills. In addition, Google representatives have held an on-campus interviewing workshop with students pursuing degrees in computer science, game programming, math, and other STEM-related areas.

“Partnering with SNHU has allowed Medicus to invest in the workforce of tomorrow,” said Jillian Granucci-Anderson, manager, Medicus Employee Experience and Communications. “By offering experiential learning opportunities—such as the sales competition that is hosted at Medicus headquarters—we can help bridge the gap between what is taught in the classroom and what happens in the real world. This is an opportunity for companies to mentor emerging talent and help shape the careers of these generations to come. This means that students enter the workforce as well-prepared, dynamic individuals who are ready to make an immediate impact.”

Businesses interested in providing experiential learning opportunities to students are encouraged to contact Institutional Advancement at 603.645.9799 or alumni@snhu.edu.

Students enrolled in the biofabrication course were taught about research and development, biotech sales, quality control, cell biology, and regulatory affairs. In addition to learning the basics of cell culture through hands-on experiments, students also chose a disease that could benefit from the technology in order to design a plan to fix it.

Student William Brown stated, “The most interesting thing about the class is definitely the creation of the organ itself, because it’s very hard to find certain donors, especially for certain organs in the body, and if we’re able to create those organs artificially and give those to another person, it would be able to save a lot of lives.”

Community Partnerships: SNHU and Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)

Expanding Our Future

“It will be added to the list of major electives for students in biology and is expected to quickly generate new ideas and research opportunities for students in the future,” said Dr. Katharine York.

To support this growth in health sciences, the university is investing in new lab space that will be unveiled in Fall 2025.

Brodsky, who co-founded Manchester, NH-based CCA Global Partners nearly 40 years ago and grew it to become the largest purchasing cooperative in the United States, was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the first American to be awarded the Rochdale Award, the “Nobel Prize of Cooperative Business.” His influence is further acknowledged through awards such as the World Affairs Council Global Leadership Award and induction into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

“I’ve had the honor to serve alongside Howard during my time on the board, as provost, and now in my role as president,” said SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. “Having witnessed his valuable insights and unwavering commitment to SNHU over the years, I know the School of Business and our students will benefit greatly from his vast experience and guidance.”

In one of his first interactions with campus students, Brodsky discussed cooperative business models and “capitalism with a conscience” in a packed lecture in Mara Hall. He described the many benefits that can be derived from putting people before profits and by engaging young people who will be the future leaders and business owners of tomorrow.

Dean of SNHU’s School of Business Diego Nocetti is happy to see Brodsky fill this role. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to partner with Howard Brodsky,” he said. “As a world-renowned and decorated business leader, Howard exemplifies our core belief that business should act as a force for good. His joining our team as executive in residence underscores our commitment to preparing students to make a positive impact in the world. I anticipate that Howard will have a significant impact through the development of new experiential learning opportunities and courses focused on sustainable business practices and cooperative models, enriching our curriculum and empowering our students to lead in these crucial areas.”