LEADERSHIP SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Fall 2021
IC Food For Thought
Volunteer
Ithaca College Food for Thought is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people around the world who are denied access to basic living necessities, a quality education, and proper nutrition.
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As a member, I coordinated volunteer opportunities for meal delivery in Ithaca by establishing a line of communication between local outreach organizations and IC Food for Thought. We connected students with volunteer opportunities at Loaves and Fishes,
IC News
Student Writer
I have been a Student Writer in the Office of College Communications at IC for three years. This semester, I wrote articles about two on-campus events.
"Hitting the Right Notes" focused on the mental health needs of students attending the James J. Whalen Center for Music. I found that professors and students had an open dialogue, as the two groups are evidently collaborating to improve student learning conditions in the School of Music.
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"All in the Family" chronicled Family Weekend. I collaborated with Desiree Holz, another Student Writer. We worked together to blend our drafts into one piece for publication. Desiree, myself and a handful of others often provide guidance to newer Student Writers who are working on articles.
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Community Involvement
I delivered meals to "The Jungle" with Salvation Army on Mondays and Fridays (and one Tuesday evening as well).
I reported on outreach in Ithaca before and wanted to immerse myself in the actual work. It was a pleasure to be in community with other like-minded individuals from the Enhanced Street Outreach team. I am grateful for their willingness to introduce me to their work.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Social and economic justice are intertwined.
I wanted to expand on my commitment to the two by shaping my SLI experiences in a way that appealed to this reality.
ALLIES & CO-CONSPIRATORS
I learned how to go beyond allyship and become a co-conspirator who listens to marginalized communities while elevating their objectives and concerns. Being a co-conspirator means doing non-performative acts of solidarity and genuinely having a color conscious approach as you navigate opportunities and challenges.
GLOBAL FOOD CHALLENGES
We talked about the intersection between climate change and agriculture. I learned that the two go hand-in-hand. Although food shortages happen everywhere, they are concentrated to areas and regions in the Global South.
Investing For Your Future - Retirement Planning
Students from the School of Business presented on the ways in which young people can begin investing in their future, specifically retirement. We talked about the benefits of different retirement savings accounts, social security and saving money. I left the presentation feeling interested in opening a retirement savings account.
IC NEWS
Student Writer
Since I have been a Student Writer for two years, I have taken a leadership role in the team — along with less than a handful of other experienced writers. I have been providing guidance to newer writers and have helped them to formulate their pieces. This year, I placed a distinct focus on journalism and documentary content. See below!
THE ITHACA VOICE
I have continued interning with The Ithaca Voice, an independent digital daily based in Downtown Ithaca, as part of the Park Professional Development program in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. As an intern, I support reporters with background research and conduct interviews for ongoing projects. In the Spring 2021 semester, I spent much of my time developing a narrative piece on the Academic Program Prioritization (APP) process and its impact on faculty members.
Dr. Sandra Steingraber, former distinguished scholar in residence in the Department of Environmental Studies and Science, speaking at an Open the Books rally in November 2020. She stepped down from her position in response to the confirmation of the APP.
LEADERSHIP SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Spring 2021
I volunteered with WRFI Community Radio this semester where I've engaged in advocacy journalism through the Which Way Forward radio project, which has focused on police reform in Tompkins County. Police reform goes beyond policing; we have to reform public safety. It has been an honor to report from this community-oriented vantage point. Systemic racism needs to be rooted out of social services and the nation at large. My involvement in this project seeks to advance that goal at the local level. I contributed between 4-8 hours every week throughout the semester.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
THE MEANING OF LIFE
After speaking about what gets us out of bed in the morning (and so much more), I left the session with a deeper appreciation for what drives me day in and day out. I have learned to be more mindful of my values.
STUDENT LIFE BALANCE
I learned to better manage my time and engage in self-sustaining practices like meditation. Since the workshop, I've been practicing mindfulness daily. This has helped me to better recenter myself throughout the day.
A WORKSHOP FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES
This was certainly an interesting one—we spoke about existentialism. One thing I took away was the fact that vocation and individuality are separate. I realized that nurturing a sense of self is just as important as upholding one's career.
LEADERSHIP SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Fall 2020
THE ITHACA VOICE
Thus far, interning with The Ithaca Voice has provided me with the opportunity to take initiative when it comes to finding stories. This led me to capitalize on an important series of events happening right here in Ithaca: Community Voices Public Forums. These forums are part of Tompkins County's Reimagining Public Safety Collaborative, and I've been covering related developments since I began interning in November.
This is the story of our time.
For months, anti-racist protestors have taken to the streets of their communities to demand change in the very structure of policing in the United States and across the globe. Outrage ensued after the murders of George Floyd and other people of color (POC) who died at the hands of police. These injustices reflect the systemically racist nature of policing, especially in the United States, and place into question the legitimacy of the current model for public safety. All of this reached a boiling point over the summer of this year as people called out this system for its historic and disproportionate targeting of POC, as well as the inflated budgets that provide the police with more resources to use against the communities that they are supposed to serve.
The sheer volume of these sustained protests forced states to reckon with these flawed systems and pursue reform that will actually make for a fair and effective version of public safety. The United States is in this phase at the current moment. Municipalities are learning from their constituents and have begun to model reform after changes that have already proven their worthiness elsewhere.
As a witness to this pivotal shift in the national consciousness, I seek to understand how contentious politics—specifically with regard to Black Lives Matter—are paving the way for change, change that recognizes the far-reaching impacts of the racial state. Racism is a two-pronged scourge on humanity, so it requires a two-pronged approach that devises both structural and ideological solutions.
Police reform is happening everywhere after months of heated protests against systemic racism and police brutality. Covering this important topic has required me to analyze and synthesize these discussions in a way that properly contextualizes discourse.
Pitching stories in an actual newsroom has taught me a valuable leadership lesson: good journalists who serve the public demonstrate leadership when they pursue stories that make a difference in the lives of others. They lead by holding institutions accountable.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
INTERVENE @ 2016
After being presented with an array of possible crisis scenarios, I felt much better prepared to identify a potentially problematic situation and intervene accordingly. Some of these included domestic abuse, racial exclusion and more.
PARK FORUMS: SOBEIDA ROSA, CO-FOUNDER AT LANCASTER CHANGEMAKERS' COLLECTIVE
Talking with Sobeida and learning about her experience at IC was enlightening. She emphasized the challenges POC face in higher education and explained how exhausting it can be to have to explain herself to non-POC who fail to understand the impact of comments they may make about POC. Sobeida and I are both journalism students. During the Zoom call, we had some time to chat in a breakout room for a few minutes about navigating the Roy H. Park School of Communications as POC.
VIRTUAL SLI: COLOR BLIND OR COLOR BRAVE? (LDW)
What a rich and important discussion. This was my favorite SLI of the semester because we spent time talking about how colorblindness is problematic and learned how to be color brave, or anti-racist. Being color brave means understanding that racism is both overt and implicit.
FOOD BANK OF THE SOUTHERN TIER
Serving the Community
Last semester, I volunteered with Island Harvest and assisted with food distribution in low-income neighborhoods amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I found this experience so rewarding that I chose to do something very similar this semester. Food banks like Island Harvest, City Harvest and Food Bank of the Southern Tier are the lifelines of communities in need at this difficult time.
While volunteering with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, I prepared food items alongside volunteers who were at least twice my age. All of us were there to contribute to the welfare of people suffering from food insecurity. It was fulfilling to see this side of aid efforts. Although I wasn't handing out food like last semester, I felt whole knowing that each box we packed would end up there and into the hands of those who need it.
LEADERSHIP SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Spring 2020
BUZZSAW
Section Editor, Upfront
Despite not being able to meet in person, the Buzzsaw editorial team has been conducting weekly meetings via Zoom to produce its "TAPE" issue. We felt that now is as important a time as ever to be able to give our peers the opportunity to have their voices heard in light of the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the novel Coronavirus pandemic. Although the majority of the issue's pieces relate to COVID-19, we alternatively encouraged our writers to seek out topics of interest to them. This led us to compile a seasoned assortment of works that reflect the thoughts of our dedicated contributors as it relates to our current situation and their own experiences. We also made it a priority to release an article focusing solely on the impact the virus has had on the Ithaca College community. While it would have been ideal to include all the illustrative voices of those who have been affected, a select few members of our editorial team explored multiple angles and collectively reported on everything we encountered. Be sure to visit buzzsawmag.org when our "TAPE" goes live!
IC NEWS
Student Writer
I was hired as a Student Writer for Ithaca College News in February 2020. From my home in Long Island, New York, I wrote a piece on the Center for LGBTQ Education, Outreach, and Services highlighting the recent virtual engagement organized by the Center's director, Luca Maurer. The article also shed light on the ways in which the novel Coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately impacting the LGBTQ community. As both a journalist and a member of the Ithaca College community, it was truly rewarding to write this piece. It was great to illustrate the work Luca and friends are doing to support the LGBTQ community not only at the college but across the institutional realm. (Luca Maurer, below, working remotely. Image Source: Ithaca College News)
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
SALARY NEGOTIATION
Understanding the worth of your skillset is crucial to narrowing down a reasonable salary range for the position you are looking to fill. The Salary Negotiation Workshop put on by Career Services taught me where to look for the typical salaries of jobs in my respective field. After attending the session, I feel much better prepared for the salary discussions I will eventually have with my future employers.
PARK VIRTUAL SALON
In this virtual discussion from the Park Salon Series, hosted by Ann Marie Adams, we sat down with Calvin Yohannan '19, Assistant Account Executive at Zeno Group. We talked about the continued importance of networking, especially in these uncertain times, and how to find remote internships for the upcoming summer. I felt hopeful hearing Adams and Yohannan explain the availability of internships in the communications industry. I'm grateful to be able to have an internship this summer.
WHEN IN DOUBT PLAN IT OUT
Part of the SLC Speaker series, Ashley Stalnecker enlightened us about the functionality of bullet journaling. I've struggled with ADD from a young age and this SLI really spoke to me. I realized how useful bullet journaling could be to track my progress, set future goals and delegate tasks. I typically use the Reminders app on my phone to maintain structure in my day-to-day, but since the session, I've been writing post-it notes, planning out my weekly schedule using an erasable whiteboard and journaling! I'm still adept, but as Ashley explained, the practice of bullet journaling is a learning curve. I hope to soon be able to transfer all of my responsibilities into an agenda-oriented bullet journal!
ISLAND HARVEST
Serving the Community
Island Harvest is the largest hunger-relief organization on Long Island. I volunteered with them to support the families who have been hit especially hard by the novel Coronavirus pandemic. For the first few hours, we prepared bags of non-perishable food and other essential items like masks and hand sanitizer. Then, once everything was packed and ready to go, we handed out bags at different stations. Everyone who lined up for food was given a number. Every couple of minutes, people came to my station carrying empty bags or boxes and left with food to put on their dinner table. By the end of the day, we collectively fed over 1,000 families.
LEADERSHIP SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Fall 2019
BUZZSAW
Section Editor, Upfront
Since April 2019, I've been an editor at Buzzsaw, an on-campus magazine whose goal is to deconstruct society, pop culture, politics, college life and dominant Western beliefs. I edit for the publication's Upfront section, which consists of investigative, long-form and data-driven journalism. As an organization, we provide our peers with an outlet for their writing and curate engaging content. Our priority has always been to provide voices to the voiceless, report (OR provide commentary) on impactful events, encourage writers to write about topics that interest them and publish well-vetted stories capable of sparking informed discussions. Being a member of Buzzsaw and upholding the responsibilities that come with it has been the most fulfilling aspect of my collegiate experience thus far. I maintain the same excitement I experienced after my first Buzzsaw meeting whenever we come together to create the next issue of the magazine. I've come to love working with my fellow editors by copy-editing and fact-checking articles in the Bogart basement, or as we know it, the BuzzCave.
DISTINCT
Staff Writer
Distinct is Ithaca College's student-run, lifestyle magazine. I've written for them since my first semester at IC. This publication has helped me to locate my voice as a writer and establish a writing style without skewing the accuracy of a piece's content. Distinct fills a much-needed niche at IC and I'm glad I've been able to contribute to a publication that has a different flavor from Buzzsaw and The Ithacan, the newspaper I wrote for throughout my freshman year.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
CLIMATE JUSTICE: BEYOND THE METAL STRAW
At the end of this SLI, we ranked ourselves to see how sustainably we live our lives. I actually didn't rank too high on this and have since made adjustments like taking shorter showers and eating less red meat.
EMPOWERING GROUPS BY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
A lot of what I do at Buzzsaw is talking to colleagues and writers throughout the editing process. This workshop helped me to identify the benefits of language I already use and consider using more words that recognize the effort put forth by the individual.
THE COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE: SELF-ADVOCACY
Knowing how to express your goals and aspirations can be just as important as the goals and aspirations themselves. This SLI encouraged me to take advantage of a professor's office hours and to meet with advisors more.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Serving the Community
Through Service Saturdays, I had the opportunity to help build a home with Habitat for Humanity. As a group, we helped to fill the foundation around one of the house's pillars. In order to get the job done, we took turns using the skit-steer to transport gravel to the work area. We also used shovels and other tools to make sure the gravel was spread evenly.
