Community—itis the invisible string thatholdsus together.It’sthefeeling ofconnectionto something bigger than yourself.For JusticeOhanasian’21, community-buildingis her calling, though she did not know it coming into college.When she was younger,she craved thatsense of belongingand,through her time at UNH, she hasnot only discoveredit in little pockets around campus but has made it her mission to help othersfeel included.
Having grown upin a neglectfulhomeenvironment, Justice describes her upbringing as unconventional and difficult. Shewasconsistentlyput indangerous situations,butshe found her escape in school and extracurriculars.She learnedthat if she did wellacademically,she could lay the groundwork for a different life. “At first, success was just a survival skill. But then, it became a foundation for everything in my life,”she said.When she was 10 years old, she was removed from her home and placed into the foster care system where she waited for three years to be adopted.“Being in foster care takes away any sense of belonging you have,” she explains. “It takes you away from everything you’ve ever known.” Going through that experience madeherforever gratefultore-discover thatacceptanceinher new family. Justice continued toactivelyengagein academics and extracurriculars, determined to beat the odds of kids in foster caregraduating from a four-yearcollege (an alarmingrate of less than 3%, according to the National Foster Youth Institute).Shewas adamantaboutcarvingher own pathdespite her past.
When she arrived on campus, Justicerecalls once again losing the feeling of belonginginher first semester:“Ididn’thave a word for itat the time, but I knew I wasn’t feeling that sense of community. Now in reflection I can see what I was trying to find.”Justicewas invited to attendUNH’sLeadership Camp,anditproved to be pivotal moment in her college career. It was here that Justice first became aware of her desire to not only findconnection on campusbut create that feeling for others. After Leadership Camp, Justice wasted no time identifying communities she wanted toimmerse herself in.Herinvolvements and extracurricular achievementsquickly grew—residentassistant, CampusActivitiesBoardExecutive Board member, Slow Food Executive Board member, Students for Global Health member, Studentsof Social Work member, and MemorialUnionBuildingEmployee, to name a few.But joining student organizations and groups on campus was never about recognition or resume-bolstering; it was always aboutcapturingthat sense of community with others.
Justice has further integrated the theme of communityintoher undergraduate research.Shehad no intention of pursuingundergraduateresearch, but after taking a social work research class with Dr.Tarkington Newman, her perspective completely changed:“I learned that studying problems is the only way to create solutions,”she said.Under Dr.Newman, Justice has explored barriers to reporting sexual violence on college campuses.This research was originally supposed to take place in Granada, Spain, with funding fromthe Gilman International Scholarship Program, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after she arrivedin country, forcing her toreturn home andrethink her approach toher study.Still, not even a pandemic could stop her from accomplishing her goal, and she instead conducted her research here onthe UNHcampus.A year and a half into herstudy, Justice has plans to present her findings in an academic settingandhopes her research will inform best practices for supporting sexual assault survivors at UNH. One of the biggest takeaways from her research? “I’ve learned through this study that having a sense of community among survivors is really important and can always be strengthened.”
Her approach to researchexemplifies Justice’s capacity for empathy, which she learned through her difficult childhoodand plans to incorporate into her post-graduate work. “There were a lot of scary things going on,things that no child should have to go through. But there was still love, there was still a sense of belonging. It taught me that a lot of things can co-exist, which is something that impacts me now going into thesocialwork field,”Justice explains.ThoughJusticeis passionate aboutchampioning identities that are often under-supported, her future in social work remains open, including her plans for after graduation.Justice is excited toexploreavariety of avenues—policywork, community engagement and education, and therapy.Butthecountless options forwhere shecouldbe in six months or a yeararethereasonshe loves Social Work.The goal of her future work is clear:“I feel like I’ve always had a sense of responsibility to help others belong and to help others be vulnerable because for me, those are the things that saved mylifeand allowed me to thrive at UNH.”
