“PULSE has inspired me to take action on my values, whether that’s at home, at work or in the community. I want to be making the most positive impact possible in whatever space I occupy.”
Camille Jonlin, originally from Seattle, Washington, is a graduate of Carleton College where she majored in Sociology/Anthropology and minored in Russian. Camille served others through her role as Program Director of the Carleton Food Recovery Network which aims to reduce food waste and eliminate food insecurity in the Northfield community. Her role included volunteer and community partner coordination, along with educating students about waste reduction and food accessibility. Camille also pursued a passion for inclusivity in athletic environments when founding the Carleton Gymnastics Club and working as a rock climbing instructor. In her free time, Camille enjoys exploring urban spaces, spending time with friends and staying physically active. Camille is serving at The Allegheny Conference on Community Development and is a part of the South Hilltop cohort. Camille was interviewed by Donovan Hayden.
Donovan: How has PULSE inspired you to live/think/act differently?
Camille: PULSE has inspired me to take action on my values, whether that’s at home, at work or in the community. I want to be making the most positive impact possible in whatever space I occupy.
Donovan: What have you enjoyed most about living in community? How have you and your housemates pushed/encouraged one another?
Camille: Living in community has been a highly rewarding component of PULSE. My housemates and I discuss social, environmental, economic and political issues almost daily, and that expands my understanding of these issues while providing an opportunity to practice discussing what is most important to me.
Donovan: How do you like to spend your morning and evening commute?
Camille: Every day I commute to service on the “T”. After a brisk walk down Warrington Avenue to the T station, I say hello to the nice station attendant and pull out my phone to read The Incline. The Incline is my favorite Pittsburgh news outlet and always makes me smile. The T first takes me through a long, dark tunnel then pops out over the Monongahela River; at this point, I turn my phone off and watch the morning sun reflecting off the water and skyscrapers of downtown.
Donovan: What are three words you would use to describe your PULSE year so far?
Camille: History. Questioning. People.
Donovan: What is the most interesting/fun adventure you’ve had in Pittsburgh so far?
Camille: Last month, my housemate Bonnie and I went to a Downtown Gallery Crawl. We didn’t just see art galleries – we walked through mirrors in colorfully lit alleyways, we danced to tunes from our middle school years and we helped paint a box sculpture. I have no idea what happened to that sculpture, but I sure hope some Pittsburgher is out there appreciating our purple dots.
Read more Fellow Stories about their experience in PULSE. If you would like to learn more about the PULSE program, please visit our Serve with Us page.
Also, check out other Stories of Transformation: