Madeline Gambino

Madeline Gambino

First Major:      REL
Second Major:  HIST

Thesis: “At What Point Does the Heritage Disappear?”: Assimilation and Diasporic Identity in a Maronite Lebanese Community

300 Word Statement

The Lafayette “ideal” manifests itself differently with each student who seeks to do more, learn more, and be more. Our passions led us to different corners of the campus and into the world outside, where so many of us become leaders with our own distinct styles. As a History major, I have heard that narratives are crafted by winners, but as a writer, traveler, and empathetic citizen, I know there are also so many other quieter—and quieted—voices to which we must also listen. This is where I try to ground myself as a leader.

In my research abroad in Morocco and in my honors thesis, I asked communities to share with me their stories in their own words and sought to understand them through theory. As a WA, I encourage students to be as confident in their written voice as their spoken words. During my time as an Admissions interviewer and a member of LIME, I helped talented, ambitious students present themselves most effectively in the college application process. As a Kaleidoscope facilitator, I lead “difficult conversations” on concepts such as privilege, power, and identity so that we can help those with quieted voices feel welcome to speak up. Through the Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship and the Marquis Scholars Steering Committee, I assisted and applauded those who seek to share their creative and academic passions with their communities.

I know the whole campus is necessary to entirely embody the Lafayette Ideal. For my contribution, I have sought to use my voice and to find platforms on which to speak for my passions. But mostly importantly, I also learned how I might use my strengths to help others do the same

 

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

Senior Honors Thesis 1 Joint History and Religious Studies honors thesis on “‘At What Point Does the Heritage Disappear?’: Assimilation and Diasporic Identity in a Maronite Lebanese Community,” in which I analyze the diasporic identity of a Lebanese Maronite community in Easton, PA, through use of interviews with community members. I argue that this community has experienced gradations of exile, dispersion, and diaspora throughout its history, resulting in a social and religious identity far more complex than any one definition of diaspora might illuminate.

Marquis Scholar 4

Creative and Performing Arts Fellow 4
I was accepted as a CaPA Fellow for my creative writing. I have written thirteen full-length novels. Through CaPA, I have begun seeking representation for my work by an agent.

Phi Theta Alpha 2 National History Honor Society

Reverend J. W. and R. S. Porter Bible Prize 1
Awarded annually to students judged by the department of religious studies to have demonstrated high proficiency in the study of religion, based upon work done in their first and second years.

Gilbert Prize 1
Awarded annually to students who, in the judgement of the department of English, have demonstrated superiority in English.

Eugene P. Chase Phi Beta Kappa Prize 1
Awarded to a sophomore who has demonstrated scholarship as a first-year student.

Lafayette Alumni of the Lehigh Valley Scholarship Award 1
Awarded to a Lafayette senior in the greater Lehigh Valley, or who graduated from a greater Lehigh Valley High School, who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement

Class of 1910 Prize 1
Awarded by the Department of History to the senior student(s) who has excelled in the study of history and who, in the determination of the department, manifests the greatest promise for responsible civic leadership.

EXCEL Scholar 1
In my sophomore year, I worked with Professor Robert Blunt on his research on the Mungiki organization, Mau Mau, and “oathing” in Kenya.

 

Campus Service/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

Marquis Scholars Steering Committee 4
As a member of this committee, I helped the Marquis Scholars shift its previously internal focus to programs for the whole of the campus. I have assisted other committee members on their projects, and in the 2013-2014 school year I proposed and chaired the “Smart Humor” series, through which we brought a film producer and two comedy writers to speak to campus about effectively using humor to address social concerns.

Kaleidoscope Facilitator and Office of Intercultural Development Student Assistant 3
I am a trained Kaleidoscope facilitator and have led discussions on topics such as power, privilege, and oppression for students, faculty, administrators, and prospective families. In the summer of 2012, I worked with the Office of Intercultural Development to create the script for the freshman orientation program, “Self-Described,” as well as a multicultural competency presentation.

Writing Associate 3
I work with students to develop ideas and their writing for class. For the 2013-2014 school year, I was named one of four Mentor WAs.

Admissions Representative 3
From Dec. 2010-May 2012, I worked as an Ambassador and Tour Guide, and in summer 2013, I held a position as a Senior Interviewer, interviewing prospective students for their applications.

Trustee Committee on External Affairs 1
I am the sole student representative on this committee, as well as the sub-commitee on Easton and Community Relations.

Academic Search Committees 2
I have participated in 3 academic search committees for Religious Studies (2013, 2014) and History (2014).

Hoff Awards Selection Committee 1
As a member of this committee, I reviewed nominations and selected recipients for honors due to their outstanding contributions to Lafayette.

Family Weekend Planning Committee 1
As the Chair of Academic Programs, I planned and implemented panels, presentations, and a faculty lecture for Family Weekend.

Posse Plus Retreat 2
My sophomore year, I joined Posse scholars, their mentors, and their guests in a retreat to explore questions of gender and sexuality. Junior year, I returned to the retreat to take part in discussions about class and privilege.

Fantasy Reading Group 1
My freshman year, I co-founded the Fantasy Reading Group with Professor Patricia Donahue and created a space for interested students to gather, read together, and discuss themes, authors, and stories in the genre.

 

Community Service – Total Years Involved

Lafayette Initiative for Malagasy Education 2
LIME is a peer mentoring program that brings together Lafayette students and Malagasy high school students. My sophomore interim in January 2012, I traveled to Madagascar to work with these Malagasy students and prepare them for the application process to American colleges. Together, we worked on the SATs, the TOEFL, personal statements, and the Common Application. Prior to the trip, I worked with my peers on lesson plans, and upon returning to Lafayette, I continued to work with the students via social media and helped raise funds to aid their success.

Green Move Out 1 In 2011
I participated in planning and implementing Green Move Out as a member of the committee. Additionally, I served as the Web Designer for the Green Move Out website.

Athletics Activity/Award – Total Years Involved

Club Equestrian Team 1
My freshman year, I was a member of the Lafayette Club Equestrian Team and took part in competitions. Since then, I have continued riding off campus.

Intramural Soccer 1
I was a member of an intramural soccer team my freshman year.

 

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

Interim Abroad: Kenya 1
I spent January of 2013 in Kenya studying “Religion, Society, and Change in East Africa.” I had 7 days intensive Kiswahili language lessons and took part in a short homestay with a Maasai family.

Study Abroad: Morocco 1
For the fall semester of 2012, I traveled to Rabat, Morocco through the School of International Training’s Multiculturalism and Human Rights program. During this semester, I took part in an 8-week homestay in Rabat and a 1-week homestay in a rural village, received instruction in both Modern Standard and Moroccan Arabic, and an independent research project on sub-Saharan African immigrants practicing Christianity in Rabat. For this project, I interviewed students in additional to illegal immigrants on the role their faith played in their migration experience.

Study Abroad: Germany 1
In the summer of 2011, I took part in the LVAIC German language program in Bonn, Germany, during which I participated in a 5-week homestay and intensive German language instruction.

Piano Lessons 4
Prior to arriving at Lafayette, I took 13 years of classical piano lessons. I continued my training at Lafayette by taking piano lessons through the Music Department each semester I have been on campus. Through the Music Department, I have also performed

The Social Research Social Justice Conference 1
In April 2013, I presented “On Faith, Discrimination, and Racism: Exploring the Narratives of Sub-Saharan African Christians in Rabat” at Muhlenberg’s SRSJ Conference.

National Conference on Undergraduate Research 1
n April 2014, I will represent Lafayette College at the University of Kentucky as I present “Heritage and (Dis)Continuity: Maintaining Identity in a Maronite Lebanese Community” at the University of Kentucky.

Blogger 1
During my junior year, I blogged for the “Voices of Lafayette” page, writing about my experiences abroad in Morocco, my campus activities in the spring semester, and my position as Senior Interviewer throughout the summer.

Academic: Dean’s List 4

Lafayette Leadership Institute 2
My freshman year, I participated in the conference for “emerging” leaders, an experience complemented by my attendance at this year’s conference for upperclassmen leaders. Both conferences include keynote speakers, alumni discussions, and workshops to help students develp their own leadership styles.