When Shanmukhi Damerla first stepped into her role as a community engagement associate at IU Indianapolis, she carried with her a sense of purpose: a belief that meaningful change starts with those willing to listen. But she quickly discovered that the work of community engagement is as humbling as it is rewarding, requiring not just intention, but patience, resilience, and an ability to see the world through the eyes of others.
A lesson in listening
Like many students who get involved with civic engagement, Damerla started with a simple question: How can I help? As she moved through the neighborhoods surrounding IU Indianapolis, working alongside students, faculty, and local organizations, she learned that true engagement isn’t about offering solutions from a distance—it’s about standing in the thick of things, listening deeply, and co-creating pathways to change.
Engaging with these communities broadened my perspective and deepened my empathy.
As she spoke with those affected, she came to see the issue as an intricate web of dignity, access, and systemic barriers. The work demanded more than efficiency; it required trust, dialogue, and a recognition of the histories shaping the present.
Empathy in action
If there was a turning point in her journey, it may have been the moment Damerla found herself in a room full of community members sharing stories—stories of resilience, of hardship, of the quiet but persistent struggle to be heard. Though she had stepped into the role of facilitator, by the end of the evening, she had become a witness. The experience underscored a lesson she would carry forward: storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for fostering understanding. It is through narrative, more than policy or initiative, that people come to see themselves in one another.
In time, her work was not just about serving, but about building—building bridges between institutions and the people they serve, building opportunities for students like herself to step beyond the classroom and into the lived realities of those around them, and ultimately building a vision of community engagement that is not performative, but participatory.
The measure of growth
As her tenure as a community engagement associate ended, Damerla reflected on how the work has professionally and personally shaped her. She had become more attuned to the nuances of human connection, more adept at navigating complex social landscapes, and more convinced that real change is not the result of grand gestures, but of sustained, thoughtful engagement.
Her story serves as a quiet but compelling testament to the power of engaged learning at IU Indianapolis. It is a reminder that education, at its best, does not exist in isolation, but is deeply entwined with the communities it seeks to uplift. And perhaps most importantly, it reinforces the idea that empathy—true and unguarded—is not merely a skill, but a practice, honed over time, in the spaces where lives intersect.
By embracing empathy, fostering inclusive support systems, and advocating for justice and equality, I aim to continue making a positive impact in the digital landscape and beyond.