During the Winter 2025 Semester, Bay College Civics Corps students worked with Dr. Alice Maher and Mr. Matt Bogaty of Waging Dialogue and their advisor, Dr. June Klees, to learn principles for effective dialogue and civic professionalism. Students practice these job-ready skills with people from various generations, making for a unique, community-focused, co-curricular educational experience. The students participating in the Civics Corps this past term were Samantha Combs, Caylin Johnson, Nick LaMarch, Travis Mills, Alissa O'Driscoll, Chloe Pokovich, Abigail Rich, and Rayna Silverstein.
Through interactive sessions focused on building job-ready Civic Diplomacy skills, the students practiced psychological and historical mindsets that gave them an interdisciplinary and scientifically based awareness of effectively engaging in dialogue across differences. They also used critical thinking, organizational, and time-management skills as they selected discussion partners and topics for two-part intergenerational listening sessions. Rayna Silverstein, a Business Administration student, added, "Sharing my story through the dialogue process really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but it helped me grow. I learned how to listen better, communicate across differences, and stay open-minded—skills I know I'll use in both my career and personal life."
The students then conducted a meta-analysis of their experiences, which they shared in their podcast episode. The podcast episode released mid-May is available on Waging Dialogue's YouTube channel: Civics Corps Podcast Winter 2025 . Upon completion, students earn a Civic Diplomacy certification to build their resumes. Club member Abigail Rich shared, "The experience offers skills that are important to all careers, but as a Criminal Justice major, the training helps me better prepare for the realities I will face on the job."
Additionally, stemming from their partnership with American Merchant Marine Veterans (AMMV), the students contacted congressional representatives regarding the reintroduction of legislation to award veteran status to merchant mariners who served during the Vietnam War. The students corresponded with the offices of Congressman Jack Bergman, Senator Gary Peters, and Senator Elissa Slotkin. In the letters, the students addressed the lack of veteran status for Vietnam War mariners, highlighted their contributions during that war, and cited the precedent of World War II mariners receiving veterans' status in 1988 after a long legal battle documenting the vital role of the Merchant Marine in United States history. Club advisor Dr. June Klees shared the student's letter at the annual AMMV conference in April, with many Vietnam War Era mariners thanking the students for their efforts. Regarding the letters to the representatives, Alissa O'Driscoll stated, "It's an honor to play a small part in potentially correcting this historical oversight, so that the merchant mariners receive proper recognition for their sacrifices." Thus far, the club has received encouraging responses from the offices of Congressman Bergman and Senator Slotkin.