Chi-town for the summer...

This picture was taken before a Chicago White Sox game. I am the guy on the far left. US Cellular Field is about 5 blocks from where I do why service work at CYC.


Hello all,

I hope that summer is finding you all well and that you are enjoying your time off from school! My name is Matt Hoffman and I am a senior (which is a scary realization) at Miami, majoring in International Studies and Political Science. I am spending this summer in Chicago, Illinois—a place very different from my hometown of Brookville, Ohio. I am hoping to explore the urban environment of the city, to interact with many residents, and to explore the unique aspects that makes Chicago one of the world’s greatest cities.

So, how am I supporting myself in this endeavor? Great question! I am participating in a program at Miami known as the Urban Leadership Internship Program (ULIP) through the University Honors & Scholars Program. This program is made up of around 20 students who spend the summer in Columbus, Cleveland, or Chicago and participate in an internship of their choosing, while doing service work at least one day a week. Miami supports us financially with a large living stipend, which covers housing, food, and has some flex room to cover activities.

My internship is at DePaul University—a large, urban, Vincentian (Catholic) university in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. After graduation, I want to work with student leaders and student leadership development; at DePaul, I am working in their office of student leadership and have the chance to interact with student leaders and to evaluate leadership programs and learning outcomes. Additionally, every Wednesday, I participate in service at a Chicago Youth Center in Bridgeport, on the south side of the city. There, I tutor children in an after-school program and coach a soccer team.

Even though this experience just began, I think that it will be truly transformational. ULIP provides me with the chance to explore a large urban area like Chicago, to gain valuable work experience, and to explore some of the issues associated with urban living through service work. The best part is that Miami helps me foot the bill—and with such dire economic times, this experience is truly a bargain…and an once-in-a-lifetime experience!


This is me as a Chicago-style hot dog at the Chicago History Museum.


Love & Honor,

Matt Hoffman ‘10