Saluting public service


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Service to others is an important part of any society — a need made even more crucial in a time of national and global crisis.

Community programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, City Year and Teach for America tackle tough problems. The work done by volunteers includes tutoring disadvantaged students, helping communities recover from natural disasters and strengthening public safety.

April 7 is National Service Recognition Day, an effort to recognize the positive impact of public service and to thank those who have served.

The reasons to serve are many and varied; here, members of the Arizona State University community talk about their experience and how public service programs have influenced their own lives and trajectories.

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A black and white collaged photo of medical students laughing with unhoused residents

'Stories of the Street' aims to humanize Phoenix's unhoused residents

When Sreevarenya Jonnalagadda first volunteered at the André House homeless shelter, she wasn’t sure how to act. “I didn’t know what to do with my legs or my hands — I was just, like,…

David Mills, Aashritha Machiraju and Leo Francis sit on a bench and chat as their dogs pose nearby.

Stellar student finds friendship is the best algorithm

They were two retired neighbors, dogs at heel as the evening sun slanted over Hayden Lawn, watching the students in the AZ Saber club swagger and spar with glowing lightsabers. Dave Mills and…

Five-year residents Eva and Marty Farkas pose for pictures during the fifth anniversary of Mirabella at ASU on Thursday evening, January 22, 2026.

5 years young: Mirabella at ASU keeps redefining lifelong learning

Mirabella at ASU celebrated its fifth anniversary on Jan. 22 with a progressive dinner party for its nearly 400 residents, marking how far the university-based retirement community has come since…