# Meet Danielle Uter

**Source**: https://civichouse.upenn.edu/2025/12/11/meet-danielle-uter/
**Parent**: https://civichouse.upenn.edu/

We interviewed Dani Uter, a Graduate Assistant at Civic House.

Read about her time, experience, and favorite moments with us below!

**What work are you doing at Civic House?**

I’m one of the Graduate Assistants at Civic House, and my role really stretches across all of our programs. I’ve been connected to Civic House since my first year (through PennCORP, Civic Scholars, and working as a Curriculum Assistant) so it feels full-circle to now support those same spaces. I work closely with the curriculum team to help develop what our curriculum looks like each year and to maintain a written history of Civic House and its work. I also support the Civic Scholars program and PennCORP from a broader perspective, which has allowed me to stay engaged with the students and staff who shaped me so much.

**What inspired you to do the work you’re doing now?**

Civic House was truly my home as an undergraduate. The staff here influenced my academic interests, my career path, and honestly, the type of person I wanted to become. This is the place where I felt like I could show up authentically, and where I was challenged to think deeply about social justice and community work. That experience, and the relationships I built with staff and students, made it feel natural to return as a graduate assistant. Now I get to work with younger students in roles that once shaped me, and watching their growth has been one of the most meaningful parts of my job.

**What’s been an area of growth for you during your time at Civic House?**

Letting myself ask for help. As a first-generation, Black eldest daughter, “Penn Face” hit me hard. I used to think I had to handle everything alone, and it took a long time to learn that vulnerability is part of community care. Civic House was the first space that encouraged me to let people know when I was struggling. Practicing that here changed the way I navigated the rest of Penn: with my friends, in my relationships, and in other academic spaces. And it all started because of PennCORP, which is how I found Civic House in the first place.

**What do you enjoy most about your work at Civic House?**

One of the projects I’m most proud of is helping to revamp the Civic Scholars application and rubric. We wanted to take a more holistic approach and to think carefully about who a Civic Scholar is, what values they hold, and how to ensure the application aligns with the goals of the program. This is the first year we’re rolling out the new version, and it feels rewarding to contribute something that will shape the future of the program.

**What impact have you made on the West Philadelphia community through your work?**

A big part of what Civic House emphasizes is reflection and understanding what mutually beneficial relationships actually look like. Doing that introspective work has changed how I show up in the community. I honestly think the community has had more of an impact on me than the other way around. Being a PennCORP Student Director and building workshops that center both West Philadelphia and Penn helped me understand my role in community partnerships more clearly. Those experiences pushed me to ask deeper questions about community, responsibility, and how I want to show up in the world.

**What’s the most important thing you’ll take away from your time at Civic House?**

That it truly takes a village, and that I want to be one villager in someone’s village. My first two years at Penn were some of the hardest years of my life, but the more I got involved with Civic House, the more I found a community where I could be honest, be supported, and be myself. Civic House gave me a safe space when I needed it most. I want to carry that forward and be that safe space for others.

**What would you like to see changed in Civic House moving forward?**

Awareness. There are so many students who would benefit from Civic House but never hear about it until late in their time at Penn, or not at all. I know people who would’ve thrived here if they had known about the programs earlier. I’d love to see Civic House reach more students who care deeply about social justice and community work, and for those students to find this space sooner.

[###### Penn Alternative Breaks Fall Trip

November 18, 2025](https://civichouse.upenn.edu/2025/11/18/pab-fall-2025/)