Years after graduating, Junie Vargas ’21 continues to carry the lessons she learned at Elon into her work with Charlotte Family Housing. By welcoming students into meaningful engagement, she shows how service creates lasting change for both volunteers and the communities they serve.
“Elon stays with you no matter where you are,” Junie Vargas ’21 said, standing in the lobby of Charlotte Family Housing as Elon students arrived for their Alternative Break trip. Watching them walk in, she felt a familiar sense of connection to her own undergraduate years.
Now, as the organization’s community engagement coordinator, Vargas leads the same meaningful service experiences that once shaped her collegiate journey. Seeing students step into that work makes the ripple effect of the university’s values unmistakable.
Moments like this take her back to where it all began.
Where service took shape
Vargas’s Elon experience began even before she stepped onto campus, through a connection with her high school college counselor who encouraged her to explore the university during the Latin American College Tours. The intentionality and sense of community she witnessed stood out immediately. After visiting, she felt a sense of belonging and knew Elon was the right fit.
“Elon genuinely cared about the student and their experience,” she said. “As an international student, I felt seen and supported from the start.”
Service became a theme that shaped her four years at Elon. She volunteered with the Kernodle Center, mentored children through America Reads, supported families with the Burlington Housing Authority and helped run YMCA programs during COVID-19.
She was also a Communications Fellow, found community with El Centro, guided new students as an orientation leader and volunteered as a study abroad ambassador.
“I was involved in so much service,” she said with a laugh. “At the time, I didn’t think of it as a career direction, but looking back, it makes perfect sense.”
That foundation in service naturally led her to her current role at Charlotte Family Housing.
Carrying her Elon values into community work
Charlotte Family Housing provides the support and resources families need to move from homelessness to housing stability, serving more than 1,500 working families. As community engagement coordinator, Vargas focuses on building relationships, connecting the community to the organization’s mission and creating meaningful volunteer experiences.
A rewarding part of her work has been working with the children in the shelter.
“They can heal a lot, especially if it’s done in a safe and welcoming environment,” Vargas said. “I feel like that’s what Charlotte Family Housing tries to do for our kids.”
She has worked closely with the shelter’s children through its no-cost summer camp program, assisting with camp operations, planning birthday celebrations for families and engaging with community partners.
“Junie has made a special impact working with the children at the shelters and the community,” Angelia Stephens, shelter community family support coordinator, and Lawana Crawford, lead resident advisor, said. “This is just a few of the many ways Junie makes a difference.”
The camp’s impact became clear when a parent told her, “Honestly, I think this is the best summer camp my child has ever been in.” Hearing that reaffirmed why the work matters to her.
However, her impact also shows up in the volunteer partnerships she helps support.
Serving side-by-side
Partnering with the Kernodle Center for Civic Life for the 2025 Alternative Fall Break trip to Charlotte gave Vargas a full-circle moment, connecting her undergraduate experience with her professional role.
“When I looked at those students, I saw myself,” Vargas said. “They reminded me why this work matters.”
For Elon students, the experience was equally impactful. “It was very inspiring just to see or hear that she graduated in 2021, knowing that this is work she started doing right out of college,” Lauren McCowan ’28 said.
During the trip, students learned about Charlotte Family Housing’s mission, helped with landscaping at the shelter, and assembled snack bags for the children staying there.
“Being able to see the impact in real time made it more wholesome and heartfelt,” Kennedy Stewart ’28 said. “Being hands-on just makes it better.”
For Juliett Santos Reyes ’29, working alongside Vargas sparked reflection.
“Working with her made me reflect on what’s important in my life, what can become important to me,” Santos Reyes said.
For others, the experience ignited a renewed commitment to service.
“I would love to continue volunteering,” Tajallah Amirkhil ’28 said. “That will be one of my main priorities after the Alternative Break trip.”
Moments like these reveal the ripple effect of partnerships in which student learning, alumni leadership and community needs come together in meaningful ways.
The ripple effect of civic engagement
The reflections shared by students highlight the impact of programs, such as Alternative Breaks, in extending Elon’s ethos of engaged learning and civic engagement. Through partnerships with organizations such as Charlotte Family Housing, students move beyond hands-on service to engage in meaningful, ethical community learning.
“Alumni already doing meaningful work show students what the next step looks like,” said Logan Varker, community director for the East Neighborhood. “It’s inspiring to see the impact of their Elon experience carried into communities beyond campus.”
Andrew Moffa, assistant director of the Kernodle Center, emphasized the importance of long-term engagement.
“Sustained engagement is key, as it enables a longer, mutually beneficial relationship,” he said. “This type of engagement enables more sustainable change, which we are always striving for.”
Reflecting on the experience, Vargas sees the impact clearly.
“Elon gave me more than a degree — it gave me a mindset,” she said. “Every experience taught me to see people first.”
A legacy of connection and service
Vargas’s reflection captures not only her own journey but the broader legacy these experiences create. As partnerships like these continue to grow, so does the ripple effect, extending Elon’s values into new communities and shaping the paths of future students and alumni alike.
Vargas embodies the values of civic engagement and authentic connection, honoring what she learned at Elon, implementing those lessons in her professional role, and passing them on to the next generation of students.
“Service isn’t something you graduate from,” Vargas said. “It’s something you carry — in your work, your community, and the way you choose to lead.”