Advancing education for all

Photo by: JaQuan Alston

By Madeline Marriott ’24

Dashawn Sheffield ’27 has been making waves in the world of educational policy since high school when he helped design his school’s first-ever mental health and wellness curriculum. 

Now wrapping up his sophomore year at Lafayette, Sheffield has represented the College on Capitol Hill two years in a row during the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) Day on the Hill. He is the only student to be selected twice to read lawmakers his essays.

“Knowing I could be a beacon or a voice for other people who don’t have that platform has been really inspiring to me,” Sheffield says. “Being chosen twice is a testament to how powerful this message can be, and I got to speak about how financial aid continues to help me push forward and impact not only myself, but my community and those around me.” 

Photo courtesy of Capital-Star (Ian Karbal)

The AICUP event happens annually and Lafayette’s participation is coordinated by the Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government. The event brings together students from more than 25 colleges and universities across the commonwealth for a day of learning and advocacy. Throughout the day, Lafayette students had a series of meetings including with Timothy L. DeFoor, Pennsylvania’s 50th auditor general, to gain career advice and learn more about an internship program. They also met with state Reps. Robert Freeman and Ann Flood where they learned about their internship programs. 

The experience, along with Sheffield’s other activities at Lafayette, have helped to crystallize his future plans in educational advocacy. After connecting with Brianna Braswell ’16, associate director of admissions, and Louise Frazier, associate director of admissions, at admissions events, Sheffield joined the committees for Prologue and Our Beloved Community (OBC), both of which aim to introduce potential community builders to the College.

Additionally, Sheffield works as an Open Education Fellow through the College Libraries, a position that focuses on advancing accessibility and affordability of educational materials on campus and beyond. He also contributes to curriculum development at Lafayette through his fellowship with the Center for the Integration of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship as a member of the Student Pedagogical Partnership Program for New Faculty. 

Sheffield saw the importance of educational policy in action last summer when he worked as an instructor at SIZZLE!, an educational summer program organized by ProJeCt of Easton for children in grades K-5 in the Easton Area School District. 

“I was working with students with behavioral issues or students who might fall through the cracks, and I think that was the cherry on top of everything I do on campus for me to see how these laws actually affect the students,” he says. 

“It helped me realize the importance of having that sturdy educational foundation,” Sheffield continues. “I got to understand how many different aspects go into these plans when it comes to education, and how that impacts not just the second graders I worked with, but all the way up to college students, and it was really eye-opening to have that interdisciplinary focus.” 

Arriving on campus with plans of becoming a lawyer, Sheffield now has redirected toward a career in education. 

“I definitely see myself either in educational policy or diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education,” Sheffield says. “I’ve found that I feel most fulfilled when I’m having some sort of tangible impact in that space.” 

Photo by: JaQuan Alston

Sheffield has been inspired to continue his work with EduMatch, a nonprofit he founded in his hometown of Newark, N.J., while in high school. EduMatch pairs low-income high school seniors with volunteer counselors and college students from the likes of Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, and Princeton University to give guidance through the college application process. 

“We went from serving five students to serving over 100 students, and I’m so happy to see it’s still flourishing,” Sheffield says. “I wasn’t sure if I’d want to go that route again after graduating from Lafayette, but after doing all this work, I can see that it’s the most fulfilling path for me.”

Sheffield has met supportive faculty and staff members at every turn, helping him find opportunities in all corners of campus, from participating in civic research as a member of Gov Lab to earning a spot as a McKelvy Scholar. 

“When I first arrived here, I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t know who to turn to, and I just kept telling my professors, ‘I want to do research. I want to get involved. What do I do?’” Sheffield says. “Even if they weren’t in my field, they pointed me in the right direction to find what I love.”