O’Neill IUPUI’s André Zhang Sonera doesn’t just talk about the importance of community engagement; he has been living out his mission to make a difference in Indianapolis and his hometown of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, for years.
After Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017, André stepped up to help from 1,870 miles away in Indianapolis. Just a year earlier, he had served as a Sam H. Jones Community Service Leader in his senior year at O’Neill, coordinating several campus-wide Days of Service. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, André saw an opportunity to put those skills to use to help his hometown.
He volunteered as the logistics organizer for ¡Puerto Rico Se Levanta!, helping organize a local donation drive to send necessities back home.
“As a group, we collected, sorted, and organized items donated from hundreds of people across Indiana who dropped off items at Lawrence Park, and then collaborated with multiple stakeholders and government agencies” he recalls. “Thanks to that collaboration, we transported more than 40 pallets of essential items to the affected communities in Puerto Rico—¡Con amor desde Indianápolis!”
Now a graduate student with O’Neill, the university is honoring André’s dedication to service and community by awarding him the William M. Plater Medallion for Civic Engagement. André says he was humbled and honored to receive the award as he closes out his academic career with O’Neill.