Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series of high-achieving students who are engaged with the city and region in impactful ways, made possible through a partnership with Campus Philly.

Every once in awhile, Temple University's Stephanie Alleman asks to take a break from addressing envelopes, entering database info and other administrative duties to step into the other room and be among the children of Tree House Books.

It is at this nonprofit after-school program that offers education enrichment opportunities to underserved children of North Central Philadelphia where Alleman has truly found a home, a long way from her native Loysville in rural Central PA.

"Tree House Books has given me a family that I look forward to seeing everyday I walk through the door," Alleman says.

Alleman is one of nearly 100 volunteers (mostly Temple students) who promote a love for reading and writing through mentoring, a magazine workshop and other learning activities. On Tuesdays, Alleman is a team leader for after-school tutoring.

"I have had an amazing experience," says Alleman. "Mentoring children educationally has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

"Having the kids bring in their straight-A report card (is so worth it)."

When Alleman isn't branching out at the Tree House, she is also a team leader of an assessment team with Penn Child Studies and also works at Saxbys Coffee in Rittenhouse Square, giving her the opportunity to spend time in different parts of the city and experience Philadelphia in a unique way.

STEPHANIE ALLEMAN
School and Year: Temple University, junior

While attending high school, I knew that I wanted to be in the city after graduation. I had visited Pittsburgh and Philly a few times and loved it, however I settled with Indiana University of Pennsylvania because of a reputable Early Childhood Education program. Once the semester started, I realized how much I hated IUP because of the secluded location and yearned for being in the city and experiencing everything that the city had to offer. I knew that I needed to make a change, and it was that night that I applied to Temple University. Overall, the culture and vibrancy of our city is what drew me in to Philadelphia. I could really see myself living in Philly.

How do you explore Philly?
Most of the places I explore in Philly are events (shows, farmer's markets) that I hear about via social media. I don't visit much of the tourist areas unless I have family of friends visiting, but I enjoy going downtown and walking around. I also enjoy biking around the city.

What are your favorite hidden gems?
One of my favorite(s) is The Green Line Cafe in West Philadelphia. I'm a big fan of coffee shops – especially small, locally owned coffee shops. They have a really great tea selection. I [also] love the Art Museum steps. I love the view they offer and one of my favorite things to do is make a bag dinner and have a nice dinner date on the steps.

Will you stay after graduation?
The plan is to stay after graduation. There are many parts of the city that I could see myself living in, so maybe I'll just have to stay long enough to try them all out! I would like to get a teaching job then continue onto graduate school to get my Masters and Doctorate from a university in Philly.

What is your dream neighborhood?
I would probably want my dream neighborhood to be just like Ciani's, age 10, from Tree House Books:

We're riding down the street / Susquehanna is the one / Buildings are big and clean / Climbing up the rock walls / We have fun in our neighborhood. / We party every night / We dance until dawn / Horses come to pick us up / They take us to City Hall / We have fun in our neighborhood. / We dance to the beat / While we're doing crafts / All the family's together / We love each other all the time / We have fun in our neighborhood. / We have fun and we rhyme with words / And we give our clothes to poor people / We have fun in our neighborhood.

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