Student Spotlight

Each month, the Office of Inclusion & Multicultural Engagement (OIME) will highlight two CSU students who are exemplary in their involvement with the office. 

November 2016

Willie
Senior - Major: Social Work

When Willie learned of open Navigator positions, one of the things that stood out to him the most was the opportunity to work with the Sullivan-Deckard Scholars, a group of students at CSU transitioning from foster care to student life at CSU.

"I'd like to work as a youth and adolescent counselor in a school setting," Willie said. "A lot of youth voices are given certain stigmas and labels. I want to help give teenagers a voice."

As a Student Navigator for the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, Willie has been exposed to an array of people that have helped make him "improve my way of thinking and mindset."

Willie added that being a Navigator "constantly reminds me to hear perspectives different from my own."

In his free time, Willie enjoys reading and creative writing. His favorite genres are science fiction, mystery and philosophy.

October 2016

Makayla
Sophomore - Major: Psychology

When Makayla, a student in the Sullivan-Deckard Opportunity Scholarship program, graduates she hopes to pursue a career that allows her to study the fascinating mind.

"I originally wanted to be a psychiatrist, but my classes involving the brain and neurosystem have piqued my interest and passion," she said.

Her experience as a Sullivan-Deckard Scholar will help her reach her goals. In the Sullivan-Deckard program, which helps youth tranistion from foster care to college life at CSU, she has obtained skills that make her a better student such as time management.

"The Office of Inclusion & Multicultural Engagement has benefitted me in many ways. Workshops and the Lunch and Learn gave me soft skills and showed me how to apply them, the comfortable setting and knowledgeable Navigators made it a safe space, and connections from visitors helped me build a professional network," she said.

In her spare time, Makayla enjoys drawing, sculpting, reading and visiting new places.

September 2016

Brianna
Sophomore - Major: Chemistry/Pre-Med

In late October, Brianna will be presenting at the Family Medicine Education Consortium Conference in Pittsburgh, which is a perfect venue for the aspiring physician to meet leaders in the field.

Brianna will be discussing her Adopting Grandparents Project (AGP), which pairs those in senior living communities with students who visit on a regular basis.

"This project was something I thought of when I looked at the community and tried to find a group of people who could use a little love," she said. "The name 'AGP' is special to me because I am going to be adopted soon and it was my way of giving back."

Brianna is a Sullivan-Deckard Scholar, a program for youth transitioning out of foster care to student life at CSU. That is why her project is so important to her, she said.

Brianna kicked off her project by spending a few hours a week with her new grandparents in the program, a grandfather who had experienced blindness and dementia and a grandmother who was paralyzed. She listened to music with them, walk about the grounds, chatted about their days and watched movies. About one month into her visits, she lost her adopted grandfather. Still, she continued to visit her grandmother. It made her happy to learn her "adopted" grandmother was "being more social after visiting with me, smiling more and overall more outgoing than before," she said. 

When she graduates, Brianna hopes to attend medical school and specialize in Emergency Medicine.

June 2016

Briana 
Junior - Major: Health Sciences with a minor in Health Care Management

During her summer break at CSU, Student Navigator Briana has been working with the Sullivan-Deckard Scholars who are coming to college for the first time as they transition out of the foster care system.

"They're very committed to their futures," she said. Briana has been chaperoning the Sullivan-Deckard Scholars in some of their activities but also serves as an instructor about study habits, college preparatory skills and more. The experience will help her prepare for her dream career in health care administration.

Working with underserved populations is something Briana would like to do professionally. Briana said she would like to work in a hospital setting to increase access to health care for all despite their race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion, color or other factor. She said she wants to influence hospital policy to help bridge misunderstandings between patients, doctors and other stakeholders in healthcare.

May 2016

Fatimah
Senior - Major: Social Work

Fatimah never thought she'd need to learn how to speak Portuguese.

But now she's practicing some basic phrases and keywords. The Student Navigator will be leaving for studies abroad this summer in Lisbon, Portugal.

"I thought it was a little out of the box," Fatimah said. "I'm hoping to fulfill a desire to explore different regions of the world and ways of living."

With a social work major, Fatimah who hopes to work with people of all backgrounds, she is sure the experience will make her a more worldly person.

"It'll give me a different perspective on life," she said of her travels.

This will be her first time abroad. Fatimah hopes this will be one of many future trips.
 

April 2016

Prakriti
Senior - Major: Accounting

When Prakriti came to Cleveland, she found a home away from home in the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement’s Mosaic House.

As a Navigator, she developed her leadership skills. Prakriti has led group discussions, been a panelist and given speeches to the CSU community that have made her a more confident person.

With her family thousands of miles away in India, Prakriti was impressed by how much fellow students and the Mosaic House staff were vested in her succeeding at CSU.

“They’re the force that tells you, ‘you can do it.’ It helps a lot,” she said. “I don’t have family here but there’s a constant support I can rely on at Mosaic House.”

 

March 2016

Ma'Taya
Sophomore - Major: Criminology and Sociology with a minor in Psychology 

Ma'Taya is a Student Navigator in OIME, helping her fellow students achieve academic success. 

"To student navigate you should be able to practice what you preach," Ma'Taya said. "Being involved with the office has kept me on my toes as a student and has led me to earning a spot on The Dean's List and getting my GPA to the highest it has ever been."

She added, "Making all students of any background feel welcomed and appreciated is something very valuable to us, and that is why the office is beneficial."

Ma'Taya said that being involved with the office has made her a more confident leader. When she graduates, she plans to attend the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Michael
Junior - Major: Accounting

 As a Student Navigator, Wilson has worked with students of all backgrounds.

"My student advocate role here has helped me become a more culturally aware individual and given me the courage to speak up against social injustice," he said.

Michael believes that the Office of Inclusion & Multicultural Engagement is important at CSU because it encourages students to be more academically successful and promotes cultural awareness.