Freshman Hall: Malcolm 3 (Swartz)
Favorite Song of the Moment: Yellow by Coldplay / the finale song of Pitch Perfect
Favorite Place to Shop: Forever 21
Daniela Calcagni is saving the world, one benevolent gesture at a time. This senior from Manhasset, New York is a Spanish and History double major with big plans for the future. Even though she’s busy studying for the MCAT and stressing about being a second semester senior, she still finds time to give back to those less fortunate.
You may have heard about B.A.C.E.S (Bucknell Advancing Communities by Educating and Serving), which is a chapter of the national organization, A.C.E.S. Every year during Spring Break, the group travels to the Dominican Republic to pass out clothes, toys, books, and medical supplies at a school set up by past Bucknellians; to feed over 200 families; to set up medical outreach; and for the first time this year, to assist in the development of a community garden. You can check out B.A.C.E.S. here.
How did you become involved with B.A.C.E.S?
I had always known that I wanted to do a service trip. During one of the activity fairs freshman year, I walked up to the A.C.E.S. table and had a great conversation with Phil Kim. I fell in love with A.C.E.S. through the conversations I had. After the week of service and getting to know the students in B.A.C.E.S, Phil asked me to be a student leader and I’ve been doing it ever since.
What draws you to leadership positions?
Leadership has always been an attractive quality for me. I enjoy leading people and I like working in teams. I think I love my leadership position within B.A.C.E.S because it allows me to watch people change; I get to see the transformation people undergo as a result of doing this kind of [emotional] volunteer work.
Why do you recommend doing service?
People, especially here at Bucknell, are rich in comparison to most people in the world. Giving back is one of the most important things you can do. There is nothing like seeing the difference service makes — there is nothing comparable.
What’s next for you?
I’ll be a Teach For America corps member in either Harlem or the Bronx. Ultimately, I want to become a pediatric oncologist.