How This Student is Using Tech to Make the College Admissions Process More Equal
I am fortunate enough to be a member of multiple scholar communities, but was torn by the lack of diversity in most of them. Through conversations with trusted advisors and peers, I isolated the general lack of information and resources available to low-income students as one of the largest contributors to the homogeneity. Just the idea of diversifying the educational system really excites me and pushes me to work harder on The Admit List.
How did you get in this position? Were you elected, selected, or did you start the project yourself? What steps did you take to fulfill this role?
In November of 2018, a few other college students at various campuses nationwide and I decided that we wanted to make a change at all of our institutions. The Admit List is a product of our conviction and desire to give opportunities to students who don’t know what is available to them.
What other activities, projects, or jobs do you do at school? Spill your resume!
I’m a research assistant for a graduate dissertation about segregation academies throughout the South. I also host high school students visiting the University of Virginia, and am working with three other UVA students to launch a program that will ideally help close the achievement gap in Charlottesville’s K-12 system.
What is an accomplishment you're proud of?
Recently, my younger brother had to write a paper about an individual he admires and he wrote about me.
What is a challenge that you've faced and overcome?
Like so many other women nationwide, I deal with imposter syndrome. It might not even be fair to say that I’ve completely overcome it, but I’ve worked hard to make sure that I don’t let my insecurities about deserving to be somewhere keep me from achieving my goals.
What advice do you have for women who want to make a difference at their school?
Reach out to professors! Reach out administrators! Apply to grants! College is this really cool, unique space where there are so many opportunities and individuals that are there for no other reason but to help you succeed, and not enough people take advantage of it. If there’s something you want to change, reach out to the people around you. Odds are, there’s someone that feels as passionate as you do about changing the status quo.
Fairygodboss is all about celebrating female leaders — so every other week, we celebrate a young woman who is making a difference in her school or local community. Do you know a student leader who’s making an impact? Celebrate her and thank her by nominating her here.
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