Fatimata Cham-2023
Fatimata Cham
Major: Government and Law
Second Major: Women and Gender Studies
Minor:Religious Studies
GPA: 3.70
PERSONAL STATEMENT
As a poet, words remind me of who I am and who I will become. A poem by Merle Stain, “We can be lights for each other, and through each other’s illumination, we will see the way”. I felt this light burning in my chest from the moment I arrived on campus.
Prior to my arrival my college counselor told me “Lift as you climb”. I believe this is the very essence of the Lafayette ideal. Having the ability to illuminate your peers and lift them as you climb. As a first generation low income Gambian and Senegalese woman from the South Bronx my identity alone will not help me answer this question. Rather it is the content of my character that I believe makes me fit the Lafayette ideal.
Poetry has allowed me to see the beauty in everything, turning even the ugliest of my experiences into words and action. Whether it was in my various roles as a Vice President and Director in student government, where I worked on the Lafayette Racial Justice Fundraiser to collaborate with 20 other student organizations to raise $20,000 in two weeks towards Black Lives Matter or during the Covid-19 pandemic working on further developing initiatives like increasing minimum wage through Dear Laf, or starting my own club on campus called Girl Up Lafayette, this light propelled me to new possibilities.
Along the way others were lighting my candle. With each discussion or meeting, I saw my peers be passionate and courageous. It gave me the courage to show up everyday and work. My relationships with other members of the community have allowed me to become the Lafayette ideal.
OTHER INFORMATION
“Fatimata when I get back home make sure all of the dishes are done, the rooms are done and pick up your little brother from daycare”. For as long as I could remember I saw the world through my mother’s eyes. My mother grew up in the Gambia, in a small village called Serekunda. I was 12 years old when I had to manage my grades, maintain the house, and care for my brothers. The chores that I had to do at that age, my mother had to do at the age of 6. She never attended grade school, and formally only received a pre-school level education. I did not understand why I could not just focus on school. Why did I have to start thinking about marriage early on in my life? When it was time to switch schools for 9th grade, my counselor suggested an out-of-state education due to my neighborhood schools being subjected to inequities. Many people in my community were opposed to me attending a boarding school in New Hampshire because I was a girl. They would say you need to focus on finding a husband. I remember spending hours crying because my uncles would often mock me in the elevator and tell me to go help my mom cook. In my native tongue they would say, “yagareh yani ah” (you are a girl so start acting like one). Fortunately, my mother believed in me. When I graduated high school, I was named
“Best of the Bronx” by our local news station and received a scholarship from Coca-Cola for tuition and books. But these accomplishments were not my motivation. It was the woman who could barely write her name, who left her mother over 20 years ago, etched my dreams, and made me believe. My passion for combatting issues of gender inequality is not just about me, but about the other Soninke girls like mymom who sacrificed without ever putting themselves first.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITY/AWARD
Truman Scholarship-1 year
The Truman Scholarship is a nationally competitive 30,000 academic and public service scholarship towards graduate school. 55 to 65 scholarships are awarded each year to students across the country for their engagement in public service on campus and outside the classroom. It is a living memorial named after President Truman. I was second in school history to receive this award representing New York City. Truman Scholars participate in leadership development programs and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the Federal government.
Fellow, Center for Integrated Teaching and Learning-2 years
In my time as a fellow for the center for integrated teaching and learning I co-authored two publications. Co Authored: “The Development of a Protocol for Advancing Inclusive Teaching Efforts”, which has been accepted with minor revisions to the Journal of Educational Research and Practice. (2023) and Co Authored: “Student Pedagogical Partnerships to Advance Inclusive Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic” which is published in the International Journal for Students as Partners (2023). I worked through the inclusive instructors academy where I worked closely with professors and faculty utilizing the protocols to provide student feedback of the student experience in the classroom. These professors and faculty ranged from the Math department, to Economics and French. Furthermore, we had meetings virtually monthly with other fellows and Dr. Addy to provide feedback on how the programming was going. We looked at various things like student participation, proper pronunciation of names, and proper utilization of tools like the usage of visual examples, and how the professor was engaging students through different mediums.
Tri Alpha First-Gen Honor Society-3 years
The Tri Alpha First-Gen Honor Society, “was founded on March 24th, 2018 at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA and since then has inducted undergraduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and honorary members, recognizing the academic achievements of first-generation college students”. To be eligible for tri-alpha “the student has achieved an overall GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.. Neither of the student’s parents, nor step-parents, nor legal guardians, completed a bachelor’s degree”. I was inducted into Tri Alpha my sophomore year of college.
Harvard PPLC Scholar-1 year
Harvard PPLC is a nationally recognized program/conference for students interested in public policy. Students get the opportunity to learn about graduate opportunities related to public service. We had the opportunity to engage with faculty and staff from the Harvard Kennedy School. We were provided a case study where we looked at the military experience of women and analyzed it by looking at data provided by the professor. In addition, we were also provided a database with scholarships and fellowships related to public service. There were about 30 students selected to be a part of this cohort.
LVAIC conference-1 year
I presented my FYS research project at the LVAIC global student conference. The project focused on the Philippines people’s power movement(1986) and Egypt’s nonviolence movement(2011) and whether they were effective in combating the issue of dictatorship in their respective countries and the tactics that they used to do so. Many people are unaware of the Philippines People Power movement because it was before the time of social media, in contrast, many people are aware of Egypt’s nonviolence movement and in looking at these two different time periods and the resources they had available we can see how this impacted their outcomes and people’s reaction towards these international movements. I presented on how both of these movements were also able to take down several dictatorships and involve the general population of their respective countries. Furthermore, my thesis took into account the tactics that were used because in Egypt for instance, they used Tahrir square which was a focal point in Egypt and was right outside of governmental buildings. They also stayed there for several days at a time. In the Philippines, these demonstrations happened in Metro Manila which is the seat of the government. In these cases, they were not only able to receive the attention of their country but the world as well.
Mckelvy Scholar-3 years
The Mckelvy house is a special living house off campus where students host discussions on a variety of topics. In my time at the Mckelvy house as scholar, I have served as co-internal chair for the house, social media chair and most recently community chair. In these roles I have worked to try and build an inclusive environment. From social media features to Black History Month screening to painting sessions for other scholars to attend. My discussion topics ranged from “performative activism”, to “surrogacy” amongst other topics.
Dean’s List-3 years
Dean’s List is awarded to students who achieve at least a 3.60 with a full course load. I have received Dean’s List 5/7 semesters here at Lafayette.
Jean Corrie Prize in Poetry Honorable Mention-2 years
The Jean Corrie Prize ($100 by deed of gift) is sponsored by both the Lafayette College Department of English and the Academy of American Poets. I was the honorable mention twice in 2020 and 2021. My poems included, “What do criminals look like”? And “My Blackness is a crime”.
Rev. J. W. and R. S. Porter Bible Prize-1 year-
This is 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.
Pi Sigma Alpha Invitation (2023)-1 year
I received the invitation to join Pi Sigma Alpha but have not been inducted into the society yet. The criteria for Pi Sigma Alpha according to the government and law website includes: “completion of at least six Government and Law courses (including three courses at or above the 200 level); attainment of at least a 3.45 cumulative average in courses within the department of Government and Law; and, scholarship sufficient to place the student in the top one-third of his/her College class”.
CAMPUS SERVICE ACTIVITY/AWARD
Student Government, Student Body-Vice President-4 years
I served in Student Government for all 4 years at Lafayette. My freshman year I served as a member on the Equity and Inclusion committee. Where I focused primarily on student experiences alongside Lola Dada. The summer of 2020, I worked alongside Lidya Abebe and Maria Salmeron to lead a coalition and collaboration of over 20 student organizations to raise over 20,000 dollars in two weeks for the Black Lives Matter movement. We donated to three different organizations representing the intersectional identities of Black Lives. The fundraising effort included each organization educating their platform and community on various topics impacting the Black community. Including environmental racism and immigration. We also created a Equity and Inclusion instagram where we highlighted various Black women on campus and the work they have done. I was later named “Rookie of the Year” on Student Government. In my sophomore year at Lafayette I worked on various initiatives including the Pard Pantry. Alongside Flor, I wrote the resolution to ensure the Pard Pantry would be a permanent project on Student government and had a consistent timeline for future members of Student Government to follow. I also created the DearLafayette Ad-Hoc committee to help build the relationship between the Dear Lafayette coalition and student government. In addition, I served on the Student Life Faculty committee alongside Lauren Ameruso where we provided feedback on various student proposals and the overall student experience on campus. In my junior year, I became Director of Equity and Inclusion where I continued to lead efforts to open the Pard Pantry on weekends etc. I also met with VP Diorio to continue forth conversations about increasing minimum wage on campus. Furthermore, in that time I led my committee on the various projects and initiatives they were working on. My senior year I was elected Student Body Vice President. In my time for the fall semester I worked alongside Trebor Maitin and Olivia Lattanzi on the constitution and bylaws committee. Where we met to continue forth the efforts from the previous year. To edit the constitution and ensure that it would be passed by both faculty and board of trustees. I also continued to lead efforts on the menstrual equity project. Alongside Olivia Puzio and Cailtin Mulloy we surveyed the various students on feedback on the dispensers provided by Aunt Flow and Lia Charles. We also met with the leader of Aunt Flow to discuss what the long term partnership would look like. In addition, I continued to work on the Pard Pantry in that time and briefly served as E&I director again. I also worked on the Faculty Academic Progress Committee providing student feedback when needed. Lastly, in my senior year I was awarded the “Your a Star” award and an award related to my role on the executive board.
Senior Interviewer, Office of Admissions-2 years
I served as a Senior interviewer for the office of admissions where I interviewed various prospective students across the country. I conducted at least two interviews per week in the evening and morning. I also served as a student ambassador and tour guide for the office of admissions. Where I conducted 54 virtual tours for prospective students. I also served on various panels where I got to share my experiences on campus and my involvement in clubs/extracurriculars.
President, Muslims Student Association-3 years
The Muslims Student Association is a club dedicated to building space for Muslim Students on campus. In my time on Muslims Student Association, I have served as the president of Muslims Student Association and the Public Relations/Social Media Representative. I led various efforts such as the “Circle of Power” with Professor Patel and Professor Kanjwal. Where we had discussions relating to the muslim experience. As president, I organized alongside my executive board a total of 30 Ramadan iftars for the month of Ramadan. We worked with sponsors from administration and faculty to the school to try and host iftars and also send students to the local mosque. Our first Ramadan event was in the Marlo Room.
Kaleidoscope, Social Justice Peer Educator-3 years
In my time as Kaleidoscope Social Justice Peer Educator more specifically my sophomore year I worked to lead various discussions. I led 3 Social Justice 101 training for the incoming class of 2024, 2 faculty trainings and discussions related to diversity in the classroom, and I worked with Milena Berestko to lead a session on ableism and abolition work. In my junior year I led a discussion on performative activism.
President, Girl Up Lafayette-4 years
I founded this club my freshman year. We have changed and transitioned throughout the years. We are a club dedicated to spreading awareness about gender equity. As club president throughout the year we have led various discussions called “coffee, conversations and changes”. Ranging from social media and body image, to what is femininity, to discussions related to domestic violence awareness. Working alongside Turning point of lehigh valley we met with them to help plan the vigil in support of Domestic violence awareness week. We also have had tabling sessions related to womanhood around the globe and various experiences on campus.
Gateway Peer Advisor-2 years
I served as a gateway ambassador for the past two years. Most recently I served as a gateway peer advisor. I helped out at the Gateway career fairs guiding students, I also conducted resume reviews for various students and worked to collect information for my advisor of the program.
Dear Lafayette Coalition-2 years
I am a founding member of the Dear Lafayette Coalition, It was a coalition dedicated to empowering students of Black, POC, Indigenous identity. We curated a list of demands surrounding various aspects of campus ranging from racial, social and educational equity on campus. We collaborated with various organizations on campus to help provide community whether it was through town hall meetings, or instagram lives to provide space. We have also collaborated with various colleges in the LVAIC conference to build further transparency. Most specifically our efforts included advocating for minimum wage increase, diversity in faculty and increased mental health resources and more service components added to the curriculum.
AAron O Hoff Award-3 years
I was awarded the World Citizen Award my freshman year. For my dedication to spreading awareness of the experiences of those globally. My sophomore year I was awarded the Emerging leadership award for my potential as a leader. My junior year I was awarded the 1972 award for my dedication to spreading awareness for women’s experiences and representing the first class of women at lafayette.
McDonogh Network Leroy Nunery 77 Intellectual Citizenship Award-1 year
This award is presented to the student whose research on important social, political, or economic issues advances knowledge and involves the student in activities within a community.
Dyer Center Fellow-1 year
I served as a Dyer Center Fellow virtually. Where we were working to renvision STEM programs in Easton, PA. It was one of my first fellowship experiences. I learned a lot about organization, collaboration and how to really flesh out an idea.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Ella Fellow, Sadie Nash Leadership Project-1 year
Cohort of 12 students selected around the NYC and New Jersey area selected to work on leadership development and projects related to their communities. I worked as an Ella Fellow to develop the online community Muslims Matters using the funding received to interview muslims from around the globe about issues in their countries and about their muslim identity to combat islamophobia. Furthermore working to raise thousands in aid for various individuals from their respective countries. In addition, I attended monthly discussions about social justice and identity.
Dear Lafayette Mutual Aid-2 years
I worked on the Dear Lafayette Mutual Aid alongside the coalition. We worked to distribute 15,000 dollars to 65 members of the Lafayette community more specifically those of BIPOC identity. We collaborated with SHEESH, LAF Sunrise and various sororities and fraternities.
Turning point of Lehigh Valley-1 year
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness week we worked to collaborate with Turning Point of Lehigh Valley and participated in the vigil downtown. We held a tabling session with resources for students.
Gambian Youth Organization-1 year
Unfortunately in my community there was a fire in the apartment due to a space heater. My aunt along with various other members of the Soninke community lost their lives all because of the lack of heat in their building. I volunteered over the course of winter break with the Gambian Youth Organization to sort through clothing and serve as a translator for families. I also led a town hall for these families where I served as a moderator for the panel with resources and what they can do to gain assistance. In addition, I created a guide to calling your representatives about the issue.
Counselor, Camp Equity-1 year
Served as a virtual counselor for the classroom of 10 5th and 6th grade students. I worked on educating them about equity and issues related to racial justice, and many other aspects to their identity. Led discussions and student activities such as helping students figure out which Native American land they were on and how to research topics related to social justice.
Spiritual Influencer Award-1 year
I was awarded the Spiritual influencer award by the Senegambia award show for my dedication to community and religion.
Presidential Service Award-1 year
I was awarded the presidential service award for my over 100 hours of service in the local Bethlehem community. I worked in the soup kitchen preparing and serving meals and working alongside students within the local elementary school.
Coca- Cola Scholar-4 years
I was selected as one of 150 scholars from across the country for Coca-Cola due to my leadership and service. It was a 20,000 scholarship to be used for up to 10 years of school including undergraduate studies and graduate school.
Fellow, Women Empowering Nations CANTU GLOW Global Fellow-1 year
I was selected as one of 12 girls from the larger cohort of 54 girls to participate in the Cantu Fellowship. I worked to develop a sustainable business model to improve the CANTU brand. I worked alongside Rachel Appiah and Cynthia Anaba to provide solutions such as working with local shea farmers. In Ghana, we presented our project, we volunteered with 200 girls to provide them with pitch and storytelling training and visited the Cape Coast Castle. We are in the process of starting the ambassador program where we will be working and volunteering locally with the global shea alliance to push CANTU to fund their initiatives.
YMAN Black Empower Fellow select-1 yea
I was selected as an YMAN Black Empower Fellow to build service and mutual aid within my local community. We went to California for a Black Girls Rest retreat and we were provided a stipend to continue service within the local community.
ATHLETIC ACTIVITY/AWARD
Rock Climbing-3 years
I competed rock climbing in high school. Placed fourth in the New Hampshire region. I still climb from time to time. I also did adaptive sports where I supported those with disabilities to climb.
SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY/AWARD
Published Author/Poet-5 years
I published a book titled “Perfectly Imperfect” in 2019. It is a series of short poems dedicated to my identity. Pieces range from talking about the Black experience to activism.
Dear Apple TV Season 2-1 year
I was casted in the Apple TV show called Dear… alongside Malala Yousfzai. I got to talk about my activism and work related to climate change in a letter to her. I also go totalk about environmental inequity in the Bronx, NY and steps that can be taken to change it.
Bloomberg Ambassador-1 semester|I was selected as a Bloomberg Ambassador. On the ground, I held over 20 1-1 with students to talk about my experience working and interning at Bloomberg and the various experiences they can gain from interning or potentially working there.
Fellow, Takeoff Fellowship-1 year
I was selected as a Takeoff fellow. It is a fellowship for first generation college students to provide them with resources and I worked on a project specifically focused on DEI in the workplace. I looked at various statements made by the companies in the wake of the murder of Geroge Floyd in 2020 and whether there were actual steps taken to address the lack of DEI in the workplace. I also provided solutions for how companies can fix them.
Generation Green Fellow-1 year
I worked as a Generation Green Fellow to help address the lack of awareness surrounding climate activists. I created a database for African climate activists and what we can do to support work being done within the Black diaspora surrounding climate change.
Founder, Muslims Matter/Leaders of the future:-3 years
I founded this in high school and have continued this work throughout college. It is currently on a hiatus but it was an online platform where I interviewed and provided resources for muslims around the globe. Countries included: Afghanistan and Kuwait.
Intern, Diallo Campaign District 16 NYC Council-1 year
I interned on the Diallo Campaign. He was running to be the first Guinean NYC council representative. In my time working on the campaign, I worked on creating a 3-page written platform idea for different issue areas including gender equity and climate injustice. Worked to maintain communications with the district. Created a 4 page script for potential campaign videos. And lastly, I worked on researching climate change and education in the district.
Intern, Bloomberg-2 years
I interned at Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies. I served as a Diversity Recruiting Intern and a Women’s Economic development intern. In my time as a Diversity Recruiting Intern I planned and developed a welcome event for all CUNY Administration in partnership with Bloomberg. Developed the itinerary for the event and managed communication with alumni . I worked alongside 6 other interns to provide recommendations to Bloomberg on improving the workplace during a hybrid environment. I Co-Created a virtual tour experience called “B-Unified” alongside another intern. I sourced and filtered through over 200 previous attendees for the upcoming Bloomberg Diversity HBCU Summit. I developed and planned the service opportunity for students in this event. In my time as a Women’s Economic Development Intern, I worked on the Women’s Economic Development Team to help engage women from around the globe in building their own business and giving them forms of income. I Created a storytelling campaign for women in overexploited countries to be used in a potential exhibition in Rwanda. I worked on tracking COVID-19 cases in the 54 Commonwealth countries using CDC data. I Produced a written memo for an upcoming initiative in South Carolina.
The LIST honoree Social Impact Award-1 year
This is awarded to someone who has utilized their social platform to make an impact. I wrote a poem titled “Dear France” about the hijab ban in France which reached over 200,000 people to take action on the hijab ban. I also utilized my platform to talk about colorism which reached over 40,000 people and talked about how colorism has played a role in the rewriting of history. In addition, I wrote a poem about Black History Month which reached 13,000people. In each of these cases I was able to mobilize people to take action on these various issues and ultimately have continued to use my platform of 19,000 people by creating a linktree with resources and petitions.
United Nations Local Pathways Fellow-1 year
I was recently inducted as a Local Pathways fellow for the United Nations. It is a program under the United Nations and SDSN where fellows are trained for 10-months, young innovators analyze the local context of their cities, to then develop concepts for a project to implement. The program was launched by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth Initiative (SDSN Youth) with the mission to empower and equip young leaders from cities across the world with the knowledge, resources, and a platform to: Guide and inform their advocacy and outreach work; Provide them with a framework for engagement with local stakeholders; Provide them with a platform to contribute to the process of mutual learning and exchange of urban solutions; Support their efforts to promote local understanding, dialogue and problem-solving for sustainable development.