2020 – Princess Adeyinka
The term “Lafayette Ideal” should not be used as a standardized nor uniformed term. It must be mendable and adaptive to each and every student on this campus because one thing I’ve learned from being at Lafayette is the importance of individuality and subjectivity. For me, the Lafayette Ideal extends far beyond Lafayette College. Although it may seem long at times, our college experience takes up a relatively short period of time in our lives. The greatest impact we can make goes far beyond Lafayette and our time here. However, I would be remiss not to mention how Lafayette has equipped me to help impact certain communities beyond College Hill. Here at Lafayette, I was able to explore different aspects of myself and my passions—forging the person I am now and creating a trajectory for my future endeavors. I realized my interest in policy-making and policy change early on but I never wanted it to be void of individual experiences. As a member of the Equity, Transformation, and Accountability Board, the Presidential Symposium Board, and former President of the Association of Black Collegians, I was able to use individual experiences to make larger policy-based changes here on campus. This passion extended into my senior year honors thesis which looks at how state-level policies impact the reentry experiences of formerly incarcerated women of color living in New York and South Carolina. As a result of my research, I’ve had the privilege to share some of my findings with reentry organizations in both states and I am currently working with several organizations to propose specific policy recommendations. Beyond my honors thesis, I was able to do similar work regarding food deserts in Chicago and Minneapolis through the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship. It is definitely just the start for me but I am excited about using individual experiences and narrative to make structural policy changes, even the smallest of them, and I have Lafayette to thank for exposing me to that possibility.
Other Information:
Academic Activity/Award 1:
Posse Foundation Scholarship|4|The Posse Foundation Scholarship is a four‐year, full‐tuition merit and leadership based scholarship awarded to student leaders during their senior year of high school.
Academic Activity/Award 2:
Honors Thesis|1|I am currently completing an Honors Thesis in both the Gov Law and A&S departments. My thesis focuses on how state‐level policies such as ban the box, food stamps ban, and occupational licensing reform impact the experiences of formerly incarcerated women of color. I compare the experiences of women in New York to women in South Carolina given that the two states have extremely divergent policies implemented. This has been extremely eye‐opening and rewarding as I was able to continue working with a few reentry organizations and other advocates for policy changes
in both states.
Academic Activity/Award 3:
Dean’s List|4|I have earned Dean’s List each semester of my time here at Lafayette
Academic Activity/Award 4: Minerva and Emil V. Novak Prize in Government and Law|1|This prize is presented annually to a student majoring in the department of government and law, based on overall excellence in academic work and
citizenship in the campus community. I was awarded this honor Spring 2019
Academic Activity/Award 5:
Eugene P. Chase Government Prize|1|This prize is presented annually to the student who, in the judgment of the department of government and law, has submitted the best written exposition in the field of political science during the academic year. I was awarded this honor for my paper titled “Vigilantism and Counterinsurgencies” in Spring 2019
Academic Activity/Award 6:
Excel Research Scholar|1|I was an excel research scholar in the A&S Department for Professor Vora during my freshman year. I assisted in interview transcriptions and literature review for her topic onliberal arts higher‐ed institutions in the Middle East
Academic Activity/Award 7:
Research Assistantship|1|I am currently a research assistant for Professor Kissane in the A&S Department. I have been assisting her research on the topic of leisure activity with regard to class and neighborhood. Unfortunately, due to the closing of campus and COVID‐19 I was unable to help in data collection, however, I am still providing assistance in literature reviews and interview transcriptions
Academic Activity/Award 8:
Pi Sigma Alpha|1|Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, limits membership to students who have demonstrated interest in Political Science and who meet required academic standards. I was selected for induction in Spring 2019
Campus Service Activity /Award 1:
Resident Advisor|3|I’ve served as a resident advisor since my sophomore year and won “Community Builder of the Year”. I have served as an RA for first‐year students as well as upperclassmen. As a resident advisor, I organize programs, enforce campus policy, write weekly reports about things going on in my community, and most importantly try to make the community welcoming and comfortable for
all my residents.
Campus Service Activity /Award 2:
Association of Black Collegians|4|I have been a part of the Association of Black Collegians since my freshman year. I have served as Treasurer, Vice President, and President for almost two years. I am still a member of the organization and I’m very proud of the work the current board continues to do for this
community.
Campus Service Activity /Award 3:
Equity, Transformation, and Accountability Board|2|I joined the ETA board during my sophomore year to help bring about the three things ETA stands for on this campus. The board came about through the list of concerns and demands brought to Lafayette administration in order to address the needs of minority students on this campus. The board has achieved so much as a whole and currently, there is work being done to revive it for future Lafayette students
Campus Service Activity /Award 4:
Lafayette Presidential Symposium Committee|1|I was appointed to the Symposium Committee in fall 2018 and spring 2019 to select Mr. Alan Cooperman, Director of the Religious Center at Pew as the spring 2019 Symposium speaker. The Symposium was created to bring diverse scholarship and research to campus while understanding the impact of certain research on the student population.
Campus Service Activity /Award 5:
Academic Resource Hub|4|I have been a student office worker in the Academic Resource Hub since my freshman year. I help the office plan certain programs, update tutoring databases, and other administrative duties.
Campus Service Activity /Award 6:
Facility Supervisor ‐ Recreation Services|1|I served as the facility supervisor during my junior year. I handled many responsibilities including ensuring the security of the entire building, training and supervising those employed as facility monitors, maintaining a log of equipment necessary to keep patrons satisfied, and also recognizing outstanding performances of facility monitors.
Campus Service Activity /Award 7:
Facility Monitor ‐ Recreation Services|2|Prior to becoming a facility supervisor, I served as a facility monitor at the recreation center. The facility monitor screens patrons who enter the center, distributes equipment, and provide a broad range of customer service to the patrons. As an FM, I was also required to be CPR/AED certified through the American Red Cross.
Campus Service Activity /Award 8:
Criminal Justice Reform Awareness Week|1|I facilitated a talking circle during this year’s Criminal Justice Reform Awareness Week on transitioning from prison to society which is a key part of my honors thesis.
Campus Service Activity /Award 9:
Kirby Library Proctor|1|This year, I served as a proctor in Kirby Library. I helped patrons in finding particular books, assisted them in checking out books and other equipment, and overall helped maintained the dynamic of the library during my shifts
Campus Service Activity /Award 10:
Math Lab Proctor|1|This year, I also served a proctor in the Math Lab located on the second floor of Pardee. Some of the duties included maintaining a log of student usage, assisting students with help if needed, and ensuring that equipment stayed in the appropriate place.
Community Service 1:
Alternative School Break ‐ Making Reservation|1|Native Americans are one of the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups in this country and given that this is their land, it is heartbreaking to hear. As a team member of the Making Reservation ASB trip, I visited the Pine Ridge reservation located in South Dakota. The main focus on this ASB trip was rebuilding the relationship between Native Americans and
the rest of Americans in order to mend a history of mistreatment, violence, and genocide that has left many Native Americans systematically disadvantaged and impoverished.
Community Service 2:
YMCA SACC Volunteer|1|I served as a YMCA SACC (School‐Aged Child Care) Volunteer. As a volunteer, I helped students with homework and engaged in other learning‐based and fun activities at the YMCA center
Community Service 3:
Literacy Day|1|Literacy Day is a community‐oriented event that promotes enthusiasm for reading and other types of literacy. I participated in Literacy Day 2020 where I looked after a student from the Easton Community for the day and accompanied them to various activities about different cultures around the world.
Special Interest Activity/Award 1:
Jeff Ubben Fellow|1|The Jeff Ubben Fellows Program is an internal Posse Foundation fellowship awarded to only five Posse Scholars nationwide during their sophomore year. Posse Scholars eligible for the Jeff Ubben Posse Fellows Program are students who are college sophomores with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher, show tremendous leadership potential, and who will likely apply for the Rhodes, the
Fulbright, the Marshall, and other prestigious fellowships later in their college careers. Those awarded the fellowship are given a generous stipend and the opportunity to spend 4‐6 weeks with a major industry leader. As a fellow, I was able to intern with both Senator Elizabeth Warren as well as the Chief Justice of the District of Massachusetts federal court, Patti B. Saris.
Special Interest Activity/Award 2:
Public Policy & International Affair Fellow|1|The PPIA Junior Summer Institute (JSI) Fellowship Program is a rigorous academic graduate‐level preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers. During my junior year, I was awarded the PPIA fellowship. As a fellow, I spent seven weeks taking graduate‐level courses at the Humphrey Schoo of Public Policy in Minnesota. I was
also given the opportunity to conduct policy‐related research about food deserts in Chicago and Minnesota. At the end of the 2019 fellowship, I was named “Fellow of the Year” at my program site.
Special Interest Activity/Award 3:
Policy Recommendation/Memo Writing|1|As part of my honors thesis, I am currently working with two organizations, one in New York and one in South Carolina, to produce a policy memorandum regarding changes to make it easier for formerly incarcerated women to transition back into society
Special Interest Activity/Award 4:
School of International Training ‐ Dakar, Senegal|1|I studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal through SIT Study Abroad. I took courses related to decoloniality and conducted research about decolonizing orphanage spaces. While broad, I also had the opportunity to visit multiple cities Morocco such as Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, and Rabat
Special Interest Activity/Award 5:
SOS Village d’Enfants Internship & Research|1|As part of my study abroad experience in Senegal, I interned at SOS Village d’Enfants located in Dakar, Senegal that focuses on providing care, education, and support for orphaned children as well as impoveris
Special Interest Activity/Award 6:
Senator Elizabeth Warren Senatorial Campaign ‐ Volunteer|1|During my summer in Boston, I volunteered on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s reelection campaign assisting in town‐hall meetings and rallies.
Special Interest Activity/Award 7:
JPMorgan & Chase Co.|1|As a freshman, I secured an internship as a Markets Analyst at JPMogran & Chase. Although finance ended up not being the path for me, I learned a great deal at JP Morgan and I think knowing what you don’t want to do is just as important.
Special Interest Activity/Award 8:
Consortium on High Achievement & Success (CHAS) Conference|1|The Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) is composed of 26 selective liberal arts colleges and small universities dedicated to promoting high achievement, leadership and personal satisfaction.