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 Alera Jicha ’23, a Biology major and commuter student from Newburgh, New York. Alera Jicha ’23 has occupied leadership roles since her days at Newburgh Free Academy in the Hudson Valley. As captain of the Newburgh Free Academy varsity volleyball and basketball teams for two years of high school, Jicha constantly sought to build rapport collectively and on individual bases. “I had to figure out ways to connect with my teammates without making them feel like I was trying to gain power over them,” Jicha said. “I had to reach out to each one of them in their own personal way.” Jicha’s time as a student-athlete ended after high school, so she had to explore new outlets to develop leadership traits and skills when she became a commuter student and Biology major at Marist College. During her first semester Jicha connected with Darren McCormack, Associate Athletic Director of Facilities and Operations, at a work-study job fair and eventually earned an events staff role where she worked at football, volleyball, and basketball home games. She said her work-study experience helped her stay connected to her interest in sports and build a support system despite the challenges that most commuter students can face. “School can be a good way to step away from problems that could be going on at home,” Jicha said. “You need to be able to surrounded yourself with people who can provide you with comfort and a sense of escape.” “I’ve lost a lot of friends who have died due to drugs or gun violence and I want to help change that pattern. I know I’m not going to be the only one working at it, but someone has to start." Due to the poverty and other issues she has seen arise in her hometown, Jicha feels obligated to inform other people that there are outlets for them to grow and thrive.
“I’ve lost a lot of friends who have died due to drugs or gun violence and I want to help change that pattern,” Jicha said. “I know I’m not going to be the only one working at it, but someone has to start. I want to help people gain that common respect for each other so that they can come together and make it to where they want to be without having to go to jail or be led down the wrong path.” Early in the Gumbo Coalition program Jicha was drawn to Marc Morial, the author of the book students read and discussed, because he also grew up in a poor neighborhood and was able to rise above tough situations to become a well-respected leader. Jicha said she was impressed by how Morial adjusted his leadership style to fit his teams and colleagues. “It’s interesting how (Marc) brought so many different components of his leadership skills to the program.” Jicha said. “There were different times in his life where he had to change his leadership skills to try to get everyone on board with him and make sure he was making the right decisions for other people.” Jicha demonstrated her ability to organize a group that would work toward a common goal when she helped organize a peaceful on campus protest in September 2020 in the wake of a verdict in the trial for the killing of Breonna Taylor. Plans for the protest started from group messages and grew to more than 300 people marching all over the Marist College campus. “(The protest) was our space to come together when we felt like we were being threatened,” Jicha said. Advocating for minorities is a responsibility Jicha wants to continue to take on in her career. She hopes to go to medical school or pursue positions in forensic science. “There are a lot of African American women who suffer daily because they don’t get the proper attention in the healthcare system and pass away at a higher rate,” Jicha said. “I want to try to help people of color live the best life that they can for as long as they can.” 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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By Kevin McCall During 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 Phyia Walker ’24, a Communications major with a concentration in Advertising. Resilience has defined Phyia Walker ’24 for the past few years on her journey from Brooklyn, New York, to Poughkeepsie, New York. Walker entered a new high school her senior year after her previous school, Bishop Carney High School, closed down. She transferred further west from the all-girls school in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn into the co-ed Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge. Walker had been re-elected president of her class three times at Bishop Carney, but she was going into Xaverian not knowing anyone. Nevertheless, Walker found her niche when she followed her passion for broadcasting. She auditioned for WBXN, Xaverian’s broadcasting network, and eventually became the lead anchor of the school’s television station. Walker said her path to this role showed her the importance of equity. “At first it was hard to navigate a new school, but because I was persistent I was able to get this opportunity that I never had (at Xaverian) before,” Walker said. “Getting the position showed me I could pursue something regardless of my previous experience.” The Gumbo Coalition program appealed to Walker because she wanted to help people around her realize their potential to be leaders in addition to develop her own leadership skills. She said she most enjoyed speaking with Marc Morial, the author of the book she read as part of the program, because she could relate to his personal experiences. “Marc Morial is a strong person that is adamant about what he believes in,” Walker said. “He talked about growing up in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans and taught me that it doesn’t matter where you come from. At the end of the day, it’s about where you’re going.” In her first two years at Marist College Walker has been expanding her talents and abilities. She was a member of the varsity rowing team her first semester at Marist and currently works as a Research Interviewer at the Marist Poll. At the Marist Poll, Walker interviews people to gather public opinion at the local, state, and national levels on topics such as politics and the economy. Walker said the role she is most proud of is being a Resident Advisor (RA) to students in Marian Hall. “I want to be a resource for the Marist community and try to help out everyone that I can because the transition to college can be hard, ” Walker said. “(Marc Morial) talked about growing up in a poor neighborhood in New Orleans and taught me that it doesn’t matter where you come from. At the end of the day, it’s about where you’re going.” Walker is majoring in Communications with a concentration in Advertising at Marist College. She has attended career services’ employer information sessions and met with representatives from organizations like Ogilvy and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). Walker said she is focused on expanding her network with like-minded individuals and learning from every experience that she earns.
“Right now I’m trying to get involved as much as I can and build my skills so that when I do pursue a particular opportunity outside of Marist I have all the confidence I need behind me,” she said. 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. 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. By Kevin McCall During 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 Kayla Dixon ’22, an Communications major with concentrations in Advertising and Public Relations. As she prepares to graduate this weekend Kayla Dixon’s impact on the Marist College community can be felt in many areas. For the past year she has served as Senior Legacy Committee Co-Chair, helping the Marist Advancement Office raise money for the Class of 2022. Dixon said this leadership role in particular has taught her how to collaborate on initiatives and make sure everyone on her team is on the same page. “I would be a bad leader if I just said ‘this is the plan, we’re going with my idea, and I’ll figure it out’,” Dixon said. “Delegating tasks and being a good listener are important characteristics of a strong leader.” Dixon does not take any of her responsibilities lightly and always goes the extra mile. She was a Resident Advisor (RA) for two and a half years, cultivating events for students who lived on her floor and managing conflicts within her residence hall. Dixon worked in Leo Hall, an dormitory of all first-year students, as well as Midrise Hall and Lower Fulton during her tenure. When students arrived on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic she had to learn to pivot quickly to check in with her residents. Especially during campus pauses when in person interactions were extremely limited. “Sometimes things don’t go according to plan,” Dixon said. “(Prior to the pandemic) I was very involved with my residents by knocking on their door and engaging with them. But then I still did little things to make them feel special like slide notes under their doors to ask them how they were feeling.” This kind of empathy and empowerment was prominent to Dixon as she interacted with speakers throughout each of the Gumbo Coalition sessions. “This program enhances leadership and brings people of color together,” Dixon said. “Sometimes our voices can get minimized and it’s important for us to know that we can achieve anything we put our mind to.” To augment and unite the ideas of students of color at Marist College Dixon has served multiple positions on the board of the Black Student Union. She was most active in the organization in Fall 2020 when she helped organize and execute a peaceful protest on campus to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter Movement. She helped propose diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to senior leadership in Marist’s Student Affairs office. These discussions included implementation of a safe space for people of color and possible courses on race and ethnicity that would be a requirement for graduation from Marist College. Dixon said the Center for Career Services team was instrumental in providing her with professional development experiences that occurred off campus. In her sophomore year, for example, Dixon was part of a group of Marist students that participated in the 2019 Publicis Media Multicultural Talent Pipeline Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. The career forum was an educational immersion into the media, marketing and advertising businesses designed for college students from underrepresented backgrounds. Similar to the Gumbo Coalition program, Publicis Media MCTP showed Dixon how to network with other professionals in her desired field. She also connected with Marist College alumni who work in advertising and public relations during Road to the Workplace trips to ViacomCBS and IPG Mediabrands. Dixon’s continuous efforts to build relationships have opened up doors to multiple internship opportunities. This summer she will intern with Vayner Media, an advertising and marketing agency with a clientele that includes TikTok, UNICEF, and PepsiCo. Her long-term career goals include working full time at a public relations firm and possibly starting her own firm. “I always enjoyed watching commercials and the creative aspect of the advertising,” Dixon said. “Now I know that I’m better at public relations because of the outreach that goes with it. Getting to know people and the public’s opinion is more my niche.” 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. By Kevin McCall During 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 Caroline Kirsten ’22, a Biology major who is also in the Arthur O. Eve HEOP Program. Although Marist graduating senior Caroline Kirsten ’22 is originally from the Bronx, her leadership skills first developed in quieter and more serene settings. While leading a group of teenagers on a hike up a mountain using only a compass for navigation, Kirsten needed to reassure her campers that they were heading in the right direction. “I had to be the person who was uplifting everyone,” Kirsten said. “Because they were counting on me to give them a sense of comfort and have someone that they could lean on.” Kirsten has always shown an interest in nature. While in the Bronx she would spend her Saturdays maintaining walking trails, cleaning up parks and rivers, and learning about different types of trees and birds in the area. During the summer Kirsten traded in the views of high rise buildings in her hometown for greener landscapes and fresher air, attending a Massachusetts based camp that was part of the Manas Education Program. Kirsten landed her first leadership role at this summer ecology program when she was 17 years old. She said her job as a counselor emphasized the need to seek feedback from others. “Sometimes people confuse leadership with being only yourself, but it also takes being a member of a team,” Kirsten said. “When I made choices I wanted to make sure we made a decision after we had come together and expressed our preferences and opinions.” For Kirsten, the diverse backgrounds and ideas of participants and speakers in the Gumbo Coalition program stood out. For example, she got to interact with a mother who was attending school full time and international students at other colleges and universities. Attending the sessions helped Kirsten figure out the best way to express herself in a leadership role. She felt the advice the speakers in the program gave was applicable to lots of positions including jobs, internships, and volunteer work. “When you lose confidence in yourself that can cloud your perspective,” Kirsten said. “The program brought up situations you will need to stand up for yourself or amplify your own voice and own ideas.” In the fall of her junior year Kirsten had what she called “a groundbreaking moment” for her career aspirations. She interned in the Emergency Room at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Before my internship it was hard to grasp just how serious COVID was, but once I was able to place myself in the shoes of healthcare workers I gained appreciation for them,” Kirsten said. “I saw how chaotic the healthcare system can be and had to try to manage myself within the chaos and be able to focus on taking care of the patients and giving them what they needed.” “I want to be able to make that connection between the patient and doctor,” Kirsten said. “Because when there is a disconnect, the patient can feel like a lab experiment rather than a human being. That disconnect can especially be an issue in hospitals where a lot of patients are women of color.” A large part of Kirsten’s internship was shadowing physician’s assistants at the hospital who were reading the results of X-Rays and other tests, diagnosing patients, and determining course of action. Kirsten worked during the night shift when people with the coronavirus were coming into the Emergency Room along with homeless people and other people suffering from various forms of addiction.
Seeing the wide range of medical issues these patients were diagnosed with inspired Kirsten to look into the field of forensic nursing as a possible career choice. Forensic nurses treat and advocate for patients who have long-term health problems after being a victim of assault, abuse, neglect, or other forms of violence. “I want to be able to make that connection between the patient and doctor,” Kirsten said. “Because when there is a disconnect, the patient can feel like a lab experiment rather than a human being. That disconnect can especially be an issue in hospitals where a lot of patients are women of color.” Kirsten is researching accelerated nursing school programs in New York City that would allow her to become a registered nurse. She said the speakers in the Gumbo Coalition program taught her how to gather information and use it to get buy in from your colleagues for your own ideas on how to progress in a variety of environments. “Sometimes there are situations in healthcare where you might have to voice your opinion during debates about the course of action to take with a patient,” Kirsten said. “You want to be able to have your facts and everything you need to show why you should take this course of action.” 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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