By Kevin McCallDuring the Spring 2022 semester, a record seven Marist College students participated in the virtual Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program sponsored by Resorts World Casino New York City. Of all the institutions who had students in the program, Marist College had the highest number of participants with seven. In this series of blog posts, some of the Marist students will speak about their leadership experiences, key learnings in the program, and plans to become future leaders. In this post you will hear from Franciluz Lizardo ’22, a Biology major who is also in the Arthur O. Eve HEOP Program. While she was applying to colleges and attending Marist College as a first generation Latina student, Franciluz Lizardo ’22 knew one skill that would be especially valuable for her to obtain. “It can be hard for first generation students to get accustomed to what is expected of them in the college environment,” Lizardo said. “Learning from experience and trial and error, I knew that leadership was an essential trait for me to have regardless of what I did in my career.” Lizardo received assistance with her college applications from Latino U College Access, an organization that provides programming and individualized support to high-achieving, low income Latino, Latina, and Latinx high school students to help them find institutions with the financial and academic support that best meets their needs. To this day, Lizardo assists with a few Latino U College Access events in her spare time. When Lizardo declared a Biology major and psychology minor at Marist she admitted she did not follow politics closely. But the Gumbo Coalition program interested her because she wanted to read Marc Morial’s book and see how aspects of leadership were practiced in a variety of settings. “It was interesting to see how your own motivations can be different based on industries,” Lizardo said. “But, at the same time, all of the speakers held common values about leadership like having compassion and appreciating the work that their employees do.” At the start of her junior year, Lizardo earned a prominent leadership role within the Marist College student body. She was the School of Science representative for the Academic Council and became part of a group that was tasked with creating a contingency plan for laboratory work during campus pauses. The group of student leaders had to come up with ways for science students to stay on track with hands on learning in the labs if in person classes had to be put on hold due to rising cases of coronavirus on campus. Once the plan was drafted, the group presented it to the School of Science Advisory Board and it was finalized in Spring 2021. “Learning is an essential part of life. Everyone should have the opportunity to learn and I’m grateful to have had that chance.” Lizardo said it was tough to keep track of government and campus regulations at all levels, which were rapidly changing, when coming up with the plan.
“It was pretty challenging to put all of the CDC, social distancing, and maximum occupancy requirements into one document that would be approved for the semester,” Lizardo said. “As a team we were able to help sustain each other’s motivation and knew we had each other’s back.” The contingency plan was approved and is ready to be implemented at Marist if necessary. As for Lizardo’s plans for her own future, she is open to many options where she can lead in a clinical or research setting. She is passionate about mental health, but is also considering a career in speech pathology or other jobs where she can work with people who have learning disabilities. “Learning is an essential part of life,” Lizardo said. “Everyone should have the opportunity to learn and I’m grateful to have had that chance.” Lizardo is also looking into master’s or PhD programs in neuropsychology. She will receive her bachelor’s degree in Biology in December 2022. About the Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program: The Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program is a 12-week virtual mentorship program sponsored by Resorts World Casino New York City. The program brings students face to face with recognized leaders across business, media, and the non-profit world. Over the course of the program, students learn the attributes of a transformative leader, how to build consensus, and how to make decisions under pressure through immersive discussions and exercises. Upon completion of the program students receive a $500 scholarship. The program is inspired by renowned civic leader Marc Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League, and the leadership lessons from his first book, The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons that Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve.
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