Each year, Duke Service-Learning recognizes a senior student, a faculty member, and a community partner with the Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards. Named for Betsy Alden, a pioneer in service-learning at Duke beginning in the 1980s, the award honors individuals who embody the values of meaningful community partnership, reflection, and a commitment to social change. Recipients are selected for their exceptional dedication to community-engaged learning. Each receives an honorarium, and their stories are shared with communities within Duke and beyond. Learn more about the legacy of Betsy Alden.
For more than 15 years, Susie Post-Rust has guided Duke students in building authentic relationships through storytelling. In her documentary photography course Small Town USA: Local Collaborations, students partner with residents in Hillsborough, NC—capturing their stories while learning what it means to listen, engage, and work alongside a community.
Post-Rust was nominated by multiple individuals, including a former student, a Durham Public School teacher, and the mayor of Hillsborough. All spoke to the lasting impact of her teaching and how she creates a learning environment rooted in mutual respect and presence. Nominator and Service-Learning Assistant Dhruv Rungta wrote:
“People leave with a stronger sense of empathy, a clearer idea of how to work alongside communities (not just study them), and concrete skills in communication and storytelling. Many students have gone on to win awards—from Benensons, international grants, even an Emmy—but just as many walk away with something quieter but just as lasting: a relationship with a community partner they care about and a better understanding of how to move through the world with care and curiosity.”
Bonnie Wang is the recipient of the 2025 Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Community Partner Award for her decade-long collaboration with Duke’s Chinese language program. Her decade-long partnership with Professor Yan Liu has impacted hundreds of students across both institutions, through projects that weave language learning with social justice, sustainability, and community connection.
Whether co-leading courageous conversations on anti-Asian racism or spearheading a sustainability-themed collaboration across Duke, Durham Academy, and a partner school in Taiwan, Wang is always innovating. She creates learning spaces that are both joyful and brave.
“She’s the kind of person who makes everyone feel seen,” Liu wrote in her nomination. “Bonnie has a gift for helping students feel at ease while challenging them to think bigger—about justice, identity, and how we show up for one another.”
Wang’s ability to create hybrid exchanges, mentor students across age groups, and build bridges between institutions reflects the very heart of service-learning: relationships rooted in care, curiosity, and collective growth.
As a Durham native, Alexis Mosu brings both passion and perspective to her community-engaged work at Duke. She has served as a Service-Learning Assistant in Spanish 306 and 308, offering support to fellow students while inviting them to engage deeply and ethically with local communities. Her leadership also extends beyond the classroom: she serves as Volunteer Coordinator for Root Causes and participates in the NC Campus Engagement Student Dialogue initiative.
Alexis is known for her thoughtful facilitation and her ability to spark meaningful reflection.
“She doesn’t just participate—she evolves the conversation,” her nominator wrote. “She helps students think critically about engagement and pushes for justice-centered learning.” Alexis embodies what it means to learn with, from, and in service to community.
Niki Young has played a central role in the design and development of Postpartum Partners, a first-of-its-kind service-learning course for interprofessional graduate students in health professions. As a medical student, Niki first participated as a learner, then became a teaching assistant and program builder—helping to integrate doula training, community partnerships, and health equity into graduate medical education.
Reflecting on the experience, Niki wrote:
“I gained empathy and understanding of the tangible ways social factors influence our community’s health. Through service-learning, I’ve developed a new family that made Durham feel like home.”
Her commitment to accompaniment, advocacy, and community-rooted care exemplifies the values of the Alden Award.
