Danialie Fertile

First Major: Government and Law
Second Major: American Studies
Minor: Women and Gender Studies

300 Word Statement

Our community balances between being informed and being empathetic to issues on and off our campus. The ideal students are those striving to bring multiple branches together for the common goal of supporting one another to reach new heights. I have been part of this team of dedicated students. My accomplishments involve bridging the gap between information and empathy in as many ways possible. I believe empathy is an academic skill and an extracurricular practice; this is something that is reflected in my classes and other commitments. I had great examples of dynamic leadership in upperclassmen students who came before me. Equally, I have been inspired and encouraged by my classmates. Our community is filled with passionate students who are involved in at least one thing, which often makes it hard to come together as a group. It has been my mission to create those spaces. My biggest goal for Lafayette has been to make this atmosphere inviting and comfortable for all students. Through activities like Kaleidoscope and jobs like working in admissions and the Gateway Career Center, as well serving on the Bias Response Team and a faculty committee, I have been committed to campus service so that our community can empathize and uplift one another while impacting social change. The accomplishments I am proudest of involve also the hardships and difficulties. Every setback is a setup for a comeback; I have certainly come a long way. My accomplishments are representative of the Lafayette experience that I hope everyone has had the opportunity to have in some way. The Lafayette students I know best are those who have managed to keep pushing through challenges, those who push themselves and their peers to think about the bigger pictures, and those who continue to create spaces for even more voices to be heard.

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

Excel Research 2
Beginning the summer of my sophomore year, I, along with another student, worked with Professor Brittany Perry of the Government and Law department. Our research focused on state legislative efforts to either expand or restrict access to higher education
Social Research Social Justice Conference (SRSJ) 1
Relating to my EXCEL Research, in the Spring of 2015, my research partner and I presented our findings and analysis of state legislation and Latino populations as they relate to immigrant education bills at Muhlenberg College.

Campus Service/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

Kaleidoscope Peer Coordinator 3
Kaleidoscope Peer Educators create the environment for powerful intergroup dialogue on campus relating to social justice and the “Big Eight.” Since my junior year, I have been co-lead coordinator.Commonly referred to as SCOPEs, we do a lot of different things for the campus community. We work with two prospective student weekends, Our Beloved Community and Prologue, to start getting potential members of the community engaged and actively ready to discuss social justice. We have launched major campus outreach initiatives, such as involvement with orientation for first year and transfer students. As a member of this organization, I have been able to conduct workshops for student government and collaborate with members of Greek life.
Student Representative for Faculty Committee on Diversity 1
Working with this faculty committee has enabled me to vocalize a student perspective to a group of people trying to enhance the campus experience for all. We were responsible for coordinating the Open Forums of the Posse Recommendation along with the Faculty Committee on Enrollment Planning. Outside of that, we have offered Significant Advice to the President and FAP groups. At the forefront of our discussion and planning is the advocacy for the most marginalized populations on campus.
Senior Interviewer, Office of Admissions 1
Since April of 2016, I have conducted over 100 interviews with high school seniors who have expressed an interest in joining our community. Along with each interview includes a write up and a corresponding follow-up email. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. It’s a bittersweet feeling leaving Lafayette, but it’s exciting to see all the potential that these prospectives have.
Student Administrative Assistant, Gateway Career Center
Mock Trial 2
Through mock trial, I have represented Lafayette at competitions around the country, including tournaments at Stanford, Yale, and University of Pennsylvania.
“The Truth” 2
The Truth was at times a-capella music group on campus during my first and second years on campus. We performed at Evening of Acapella Fall of 2013.
Nia 3
Nia is a women of color collective that empowers women on campus. The group has been around for over 10 years on and off, and has really created a space for international students and girls around campus. When I was a sophomore, i was president of this organization.
Coordinator – Madame de Lafayette 2013
The Madame de Lafayette programming initiative comes through Gender and Sexuality Programs in November. My sophomore year I helped coordinate the events and speakers associated with this month.
#MoreThanMizzou Co-Coordinator 2015
One of the biggest accomplishments I contributed to at Lafayette was the #MoreThanMizzou forum that took place in the fall of 2015. Troubled by the complexities of social issues taking place on campuses around the country, several students and I came together to organize a space for our community to unpack these issues.
Bias Response Team

Community Service – Total Years Involved

Volunteer with International Student Orientation 2
Every year international students have the opportunity to come to campus a few days earlier than first year students in their class year and go through orientation as an international community. I have helped with this activity since my sophomore year. This past year, I helped ISA Peer Mentors with the planning of that week.

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

David A. Portlock Cross-Cultural Award
I was the recipient of this award my sophomore year for creating the spaces for collaborations on campus from various organizations.