2018-Emma Sherry

Emma Sherry

First Major: Government & Law
Second Major: Spanish

300 Word Statement

Marquis de Lafayette departed for the American colonies from France when he was only nineteen to fight in the American Revolution and has since been memorialized alongside historical giants like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Although Lafayette’s experience may seem distant from that of the students who now attend the college bearing his name, I believe that the Lafayette ideal reflects the values with which Lafayette himself lived; namely, passion, idealism, and a bit of audacity.
As a first-year, I audaciously believed that I could challenge injustices both on and off campus and found communities of equally passionate and idealistic individuals through groups like Kaleidoscope, for which I am a facilitator, and the Landis Center for Community Engagement, where I worked as a MOSAIC coordinator. Later, I participated in the creation of inclusive communities as a founding member of StandUp, a social justice blog, and Rise, an intersectional feminist zine of which I am an editor. In each of these spaces, I collaborated with others to provide a platform for non-dominant voices and stories.
I also worked to transform traditionally privileged spaces to become more inclusive. As a member of Pi Beta Phi, I independently created and presented social justice education curriculum specifically tailored to Greek life, which served as a template for other chapters. Now, I am contributing to efforts to make social justice education a mandatory part of new member education for all Greek members. Inside the classroom and as an EXCEL scholar, I have engaged with questions regarding democracy, access, and equality and plan to eventually continue my education at law school to learn to combat injustices on a broader scale. I plan to carry on the legacy of the audacious, revolutionary abolitionist Lafayette far past graduation and to emulate it for the rest of my life.

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

  •  Marquis Fellow (4)

I am member of the first class of Marquis Fellows, Lafayette College’s highest academic merit scholarship, which is awarded through a competitive interview process.

  • Phi Beta Kappa (2)

National Honor Society

  • Pi Sigma Alpha (2)

National Political Science Honor Society

  • Sigma Delta Pi (1)

National Hispanic Honor Society

  • Frank Kline Baker Spanish & Latin American Civilization Award

Awarded annually to students who attain the greatest proficiency in the study of Spanish and Latin American Civilization.

  • Minerva and Emil V. Novak Prize in Government and Law

Presented annually to a students majoring in government and law based upon overall excellence in academic work and citizenship in the campus community.

  • EXCEL Scholar: Department of Environmental Studies (1)

I worked with Professor Andrea Armstrong to organize and evaluate data from municipal stormwater management plans regarding public participation in stormwater governance. I developed qualitative analysis of participation processes and communicated my findings through a poster. “Privatization of Local Stormwater Governance,” at the Eastern Sociological Society Conference.

  • SIT Study Abroad: Valparaiso, Chile (Fall 2017) (1)

I studied “Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development” in Valparaiso, Chile my senior fall semester. While abroad, I conducted an independent study, “Ver Con Otros Ojos,” in which I created a magazine for a student feminist organization at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, conducted interviews, and protested alongside members of the organization to reproduce knowledge about contemporary Chilean feminist movements.

  •  Dean’s List (4)

I am proud to have made Dean’s List every semester that I have been a student at Lafayette. Dean’s List is awarded to students achieving at least a 3.60 during the semester.

Campus Services/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

  • Kaleidoscope (3)

Social Justice Peer Educator: Chosen from a competitive interview process to plan and facilitate discussions with members of the Lafayette community regarding identity to foster social awareness and inclusivity.

  • Lafayette College Office of Admissions (2)

Diversity Recruitment Intern: Coordinated two annual weekend-long programs for more than ninety prospective students of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and communicated regularly with student guests, many whom were first generation students, to share critical information.

  • StandUp Lafayette (2)

Founding Member and Editor. Published pieces concerning identity and equity on a weekly basis.

  • Rise: An Intersectional Feminist Zine (1)

Founding Member and Editor. Collaboratively create, edit, and design pieces for semesterly zine publication. I co-facilitate regular meetings to generate themes, share ideas, and produce multimedia content.

  • Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women (3)

I served as both the Vice President of Finance and the first Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator for Pi Beta Phi.

  • Student Life Faculty Committee (1)

Student Representative: I contributed to monthly meetings of the Student Life Faculty Committee from Fall 2016-Spring 2017.

Community Service – Total Years Involved

  • Vera Institute for Justice (1)

Development Intern: Supported the work of Vera staff to reform the criminal justice system.

  • Pennsylvania Democrats (1)

Steering Committee Head: Lead all local presidential campaign efforts, including canvassing, clip-boarding, and Get Out the Vote initiatives, on Lafayette’s campus and College Hill. District had higher voter turnout than 2008 and 2012 elections as a result of outreach efforts.

  • MOSAIC Staff: Landis Center for Community Engagement (2)

Pard Projects Coordinator and Member of the College-Wide Days of Service Committee: Communicated with community partners to identify organization needs and the coordinated one-time service opportunities.

  • Alternative School Break (1)

Students for Urban Poverty and Education Reform (SUPER) Team Member: Planned and presented mini-lessons on the US government for a South Bronx elementary school.

  • The Journey Home (1)

Program Volunteer: Engage in weekly art and storytelling workshops with women inside the Northampton County Prison. Support fundraising efforts and research program expansion opportunities, such as a Prison-to-School Pipeline partnership.

  • NJASC Leadership Training Conference (2)

Junior Counselor: I volunteered with the New Jersey Association of Student Council’s annual leadership conference for middle and high schoolers to provide the same formative experience that I had when I was a delegate.

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

  • Sanctuary Campus and #OurCampusWalkout,

I collaborated with other student activists to coordinate the #OurCampusWalkout after the 2016 election to demonstrate support for undocumented students on Lafayette’s campus. We later met with President Byerly to present our list of suggestions to make Lafayette College a sanctuary campus.