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"Education can be a way to change stratification in society," says recent UC Davis graduate Hayley Steffen, "the way to really affect the life path of a child." Haley has long been passionate about education and the power it has to serve as a conduit for social change. As an undergraduate sociology major, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of many students, both prospective and current, in her work with various on and off campus organizations.

During her sophomore and junior years, Steffen served as vice chair of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission of the ASUCD. With the ECAC, she brought underrepresented students to campus to tour facilities and watch presentations by cultural groups, staff and faculty. "This was my favorite part," she reflects, "to serve as liaison between these students and different cultural organizations on campus."

As a senior, she was hired as one of two student assistants to the Chancellor, a job that allowed her to address the concerns of her peers at UC Davis. "I really felt there was a disconnect," she says, "between the student body and the administration." As student assistant, Steffen worked on important dialogue topics between the Chancellor and the student body—the concerns over larger incoming class sizes and changes to minimum progress.

With all these extra-curricular commitments, Steffen was grateful to receive a handful of scholarships while attending UC Davis. "Scholarships gave me more time to focus," she recalls. "I had more freedom to pursue the activities I wanted to while placing less economic stress on my family."

Now in Washington, D.C., Steffen is working towards her master's degree in education while participating in the Teach for America program. Teach for America takes top college graduates and places them in low–income areas on teaching assignments. While some might shy away from an assignment in D.C., it was Steffen's first-choice location. "I find it intriguing that the largest disparities in education are found at our nation's capitol," she says. Currently teaching elementary school special education, she knows that some of the realities these children must face are disheartening. "But when I see these kids," she says assuredly, "I know why I do this."

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