For Pitt senior Simon Wang, the reward for his community work has always been helping those who need it – even after receiving recognition for his efforts.
“You just don't ever expect this. The reward itself has always been that you're doing the work to try to make somebody's community better – that you see the tangible results. You go and you volunteer at a food bank, and you actually see the people that you're helping to serve on the business. That's always been the reward,” said Wang. “I think the people that are like me and want to go into this work, we get reward out of that more than anything.”
Wang, who’s pursuing a degree in economics as well as the David C. Frederick Honors College’s (FHC) Bachelor of Philosophy in psychology, recently won Campus Compact’s prestigious Student Leadership Impact Award for his extensive leadership work in civic and community engagement spaces. Wang co-founded the Pittsburgh Policy Initiative (PPI) last year with fellow Pitt student Jaydep Halder.
PPI is a student-run think tank that aims to conduct community-centered research, keeping local communities and their perspectives as the focus of their work. With the community itself in mind, more effective policies can be implemented.
Wang, who acts as PPI’s executive director, said he noticed there wasn’t a space on campus for students who wanted to get involved in public policy and policy analysis before founding PPI.
“I’ve been involved with research here on campus, pretty heavily in the psychology department on child poverty, and some other public policy work through internships. I wanted to merge that with some of this community engagement work that I've been a part of throughout my time at Pitt while also trying to help other students get involved in those types of efforts,” said Wang. “PPI should turn into all of those things combined, and rather than just being a space where students learn about public policy and how to actually approach that in a real world context, but also do it in a very community minded way. It's trying to take a different approach to what you would normally think of as a think tank.”
Currently, PPI is in the beginning stages of researching affordable housing and food insecurity in the Pittsburgh community. They hope to help ease the way these national issues affect the Pittsburgh area directly.
Wang and his PPI team also work closely with Catherine Cordova, the director of the Office of Community Engaged Learning in FHC. The Office of Community Engaged Learning is a resource for students wanting to engage in service learning and help their own community, offering internship and volunteer opportunities with nonprofits and public service organizations in the Pittsburgh area and beyond.
Cordova, who nominated Wang for this prestigious award, said she considers Wang a standout student with his work in community engagement.
“[Simon’s leadership] is inherent and transparent in almost every interaction, yet what truly sets him apart is his humility. He seeks to empower others and create platforms and avenues for shared success,” said Cordova. “Simon is both a visionary and focused on promoting perpetual good for future generations. He uses his leadership to empower others and uplift communities in an inherently selfless way.”
Nicola Foote, the dean of FHC, believes that civic and community engagement is necessary for honors programs at universities.
“We are providing the best education available, but that education needs to be in the service of the public, and that's really what civic education and civic engagement is about,” said Foote. “We believe that leadership is about creating opportunities for others, and that's really why civic engagement is such a foundational principle for us.”
Wang interns with Pitt’s Institute of Politics, where he supports the Community Economic Development Committee in economic development research and a project on childhood poverty and affordable childcare. He said the experience made him more aware of what’s happening in southwestern Pennsylvania.
His leadership experience also bleeds into other areas of Pitt. Wang serves on Pitt’s Student Civic Engagement Council as a University liaison and on Student Government Board’s Pitt Civic Collective.
Foote also said she believes Wang is a “superstar” among FHC students.
“He is really committed to making change for the betterment of others. And you know, Campus Compact really is the premier organization for recognizing community and civic engagement within higher education,” said Foote. “So Simon is among just a handful of students nationwide who've been selected as the best leaders who are making change in the field of civic engagement. So I'm really, really proud of that.”
His own community – and their impact on him.
To Wang, people like Cordova and PPI’s executive board are why he’s been so successful at Pitt. The community he’s built here is why he’s been able to thrive – and give back.
“I would be remiss if I did not put out a huge disclaimer that there's no possibility of me ever winning this award or PPI having any success without the people that I have worked closely with in order to make this happen,” Wang said. “Nobody ever does anything alone. You know when they say it takes a village? That truly resonates with me.”
Wang also credits Halder for the success of PPI as well as his award recognition.
“He compliments every weakness that I have, and it's everything you'd want in a cofounder, because the things that I don't do well at, he does great at, and the things that he may have weaknesses in, I'm strong at, I can't even put words how much that partnership means to me,” said Wang. “You know, me winning this award is really him winning this award. What we've done is not possible without him.”
Halder said he considers his partnership with Wang in co-founding PPI, as well as their close friendship, “transformative” as he prepares for a future career as a physician and public servant.
“His competency as a young professional — along with his determination and vision for a better society — continues to inspire me. I have never worked with anyone who so seamlessly balances big-picture thinking with attention to detail,” said Halder. “His leadership has not only strengthened PPI but also shown me how student-led projects can make a real impact on public policy. Working together has pushed me to think more strategically and reinforced my desire to use policy for meaningful change, making my time with PPI one of the most formative experiences I have had.”
Wang plans to join the workforce after graduating and later pursue law school and a career as a public interest lawyer.
By: Allison Radziwon