Grace Desjardins, a senior studying political science, was among 142 students selected for the 2024-25 Newman Civic Fellowship. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

From a young age, Grace Desjardins clocked the stark differences between her hometown of Garden City, Missouri, and the wealthier suburbs surrounding the nearest city.

“I am from essentially very rural, small-town, poor Missouri, so I saw a lot of inequity in my community,” she said. “When I looked at other areas around Kansas City, I knew that that was an issue. I knew that I wanted to be able to bring equity everywhere. Even from a young age, you could notice it.”

By the time Desjardins was in middle school, she knew that she wanted to push for social change by pursuing civic endeavors. Her path as a changemaker began at Sherwood High School, where she first proved her aptitude as a problem-solver participating in the American Legion Auxiliary’s Missouri Girls State.

At the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Desjardins has continued to demonstrate her commitment to community engagement and empowerment as a student leader.

She currently serves as the president of the Political Science Academy, the president of the UMSL chapter of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, senator and assembly speaker of the Student Government Association and treasurer of Pride Alliance. In addition to her work on campus, she has also volunteered with the Borgen Project, a global anti-poverty initiative, and RefuNet, an organization that teaches English to refugees.

Patricia Zahn, director of community engagement and outreach, nominated Desjardins to serve as UMSL’s Newman Civic Fellow during the 2024-25 academic year in recognition of her ambition and generous spirit.

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program operated by Campus Compact, a national nonprofit dedicated to civic and community engagement in higher education. The program aims to recognize and support student problem-solvers at colleges and universities across the U.S. and Mexico. Campus Compact selects fellows based on their leadership potential and community work, and through the fellowship, they develop strategies for social change.

Desjardins was among 142 students selected for the 2024-25 cohort. She was overwhelmed with appreciation after receiving the news.

“It was the most rewarding feeling I think I have felt in a minute,” she said. “I was so filled with gratitude because UMSL has done so much for me and has helped me become the person that I want to be. To get this recognition, it really reminded me why I do it in the first place, and it made it feel like everything was worth it. I’m incredibly grateful, and I know that it comes with a huge responsibility.”

‘Common ground’

Desjardins was highly involved at Sherwood High School, participating in the speech and debate clubs. Through those activities, she realized she had a knack for public speaking, which led her to join the student council, where she was able to make small changes at her rural school.

As a junior, she attended Missouri Girls State. During the highly selective weeklong program, participants learn about the American political process by electing party officials and running a mock government.

It was a transformative experience that solidified Desjardins’ interest in politics and civic engagement.

“I was the House of Representatives minority leader, and what I saw was a group of people who came from very different walks of life in Missouri,” she said. “A lot of us didn’t agree on a lot of things, but what we could do was find common ground. I think that if you’re going to get anything done, you have to find that common ground.”

Through inclusive dialogue, Desjardins quickly identified an issue where there was plenty of common ground with her fellow participants: The Girls State dress code. She leveraged the rapport with her colleagues to sponsor a bill allowing Girls State participants to wear tank tops.

“It passed, and it passed very quickly,” she said.

It wouldn’t be the last time she lifted the voices of her fellow students.

‘A new world’

As graduation approached, Desjardins knew she wanted to attend college near a metropolitan area.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I could see a new world and meet new people with different experiences,” she said.

UMSL quickly rose to the top of her list. She was intrigued by the Pierre Laclede Honors College and its intimate, discussion-based classes. The university’s affordability was also attractive, but a visit to campus made up her mind on the spot.

“When I came here, I just immediately fell in love,” Desjardins recalled. “I saw just a bunch of students who were from all walks of life, happy with each other, getting to know each other, having conversations. I realized that this was really a place where everyone was accepted, and you could be whoever you wanted to be.”

Desjardins enrolled in the political science bachelor’s program, joined the Honors College and quickly threw herself into campus life. As a freshman, she began her tenure with the Political Science Academy as the social media manager and has worked her way up to president.

The organization has played a pivotal role in civic engagement on campus, sponsoring events such as the annual Women in Politics panel during Women’s History Month. It has also brought local and state officials to UMSL as guest speakers, including St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Under Desjardins’ leadership, the organization has hosted presidential and vice-presidential debate watch parties as well as panels on Missouri ballot initiatives.

With the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, Desjardins has gained valuable legislative experience. ASUM sends student interns to Jefferson City every legislative session to represent the needs of University of Missouri System students.

“We also work in unison with the UM System administrators,” Desjardins explained. “We tell them, based on surveys and networking with students, what the students need. We also do on-campus events that are specific to each campus.”

In her roles as senator and assembly speaker with SGA, she has had the opportunity to be involved with and learn the inner workings of faculty committees. Her work with Pride Alliance has been especially rewarding, too. This past year, she has also endeavored to have broader conversations about equity in the St. Louis region.

“The main thing is making sure students are informed and have the resources to find more of that equity in a city where it is very unequally divided,” she said.

‘Learn more than what you know’

Juggling that many extracurriculars on top of coursework makes for a busy schedule. But seeing the results of that work, seeing change happen in real time, keeps Desjardins going.

“If we have events that are meaningful and have purpose, I see students having dialogue that they would have never had before,” Desjardins said. “The more that I talk to students when it comes to what they need, the more we do, the more things we get put on campus. I think, in a way, what drives me is knowing that it’s all worth it. It means something to the students and to people in Missouri higher education and the St. Louis community.”

In the year ahead as a Newman Fellow, Desjardins is working on organizing a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence against women. She’s also working on a grant to fund safe sex and sexual education packets for campus.

After graduation in May, Desjardins plans to stay at UMSL a little longer to earn a master’s in political science. She envisions going into the nonprofit field for a few years to gain some real-world experience before pursing her ultimate goal of becoming a Missouri legislator.

Of course, she plans to bring her open-minded perspective and zeal for change to Jefferson City so she can help people across Missouri, just as she’s helped the people around her at UMSL and in the St. Louis community.

“One of my mottos is that you always have to be willing to learn more than what you know,” Desjardins said. “If I consistently talk to the same people, the same people with the same perspectives, I’m never going to fully understand a situation or why things are occurring, or why people are having these concerns. The more I talk to people, and the more diverse people I meet, the more I understand. It’s important, especially if you are going to be doing something with civic engagement, that you see every perspective.”