Dan Hirsch
Dan Hirsch wasn’t sure what to do with his undergraduate degree in philosophy so he decided to join AmeriCorps after graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota. His experiences in the program led him to pursue his master’s degree in education, postsecondary administration and student affairs (PASA), at USC.
“It was probably the best thing I’ve ever done,” Hirsch says about the two years he spent in AmeriCorps leading after-school activities for low-income students in San Jose, Calif. “We did service learning projects where we identified social issues like homelessness and hunger, and then we’d do a workshop and a food drive,” he says. “We were making a huge difference in a lot of people’s lives.” Hirsch enjoyed working with students so much that he decided to make it his career path.
Hirsch joined the Trojan Family last year and quickly became involved in several campus organizations. Recently elected as the president of the PASA Network, Hirsch devotes a lot of time to organizing professional development workshops, creating networking opportunities for students and organizing social events.
As a coordinator of the Rossier School of Education Ambassador Program, Hirsch helps run the I Am (Increasing Access to Mentoring) program, which provides tutoring to first-generation high school students throughout the college admission process. “My parents definitely helped me through the admissions process, but if you don’t have people who know what they’re doing, it’s very difficult,” Hirsch explains. “I worked with two students, and it was very rewarding.”
Throughout high school and his undergraduate studies, Hirsch was involved in numerous volunteer activities. Despite his busy schedule as a full-time PASA student, he continues his volunteer efforts. Last semester, Hirsch oversaw Friends and Neighbors Day for the Volunteer Center, and this year he will work as a graduate assistant doing fundraising for the center. “He brings significant service experience having served with AmeriCorps,” says Melissa Gaeke, director of the Volunteer Center. “He’ll be a terrific Student Affairs professional because he has an easy, unassuming rapport with students. I look forward to his continued work in the Volunteer Center next year.”
This summer, Hirsch will work as an assistant director at a YMCA camp for teens. His responsibilities during the three-month camp will include teaching leadership development and team-building skills and leading reflection activities. In his spare time, Hirsch enjoys watching college basketball, playing guitar and going to the beach. His goal is to become a dean of students.