Students on the Move | March 2024
We have a lot of good news to share about our DDI students this month! Keep reading….
We are proud of you! Congratulations to 353 Division of Diversity and Inclusion students who have attained Dean’s List in the spring and/or fall semesters of 2023. A special reception will be held in their honor tomorrow, March 7th in Fireside Lounge. Dean’s List consists of students who have received a GPA of greater than or equal to 3.40, do not have any grades of incomplete, D or F and have completed at least 12 credit hours.
Congratulations to Native American Future Stewards Program student Kaulani Ceberano who designed a patch as part of FSP’s participation in NASA and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium’s First Nation Launch competition. This is how Ceberano describes the patch: “Native Hawaiians were navigators, using the stars as our guide. I would like to believe I have paid homage to that concept, along with our culture. Under the theme 'Payload,' I sought to infuse a deeper significance. As the woman adorns a haku lei, it symbolizes honor and importance. With these values, however, comes the weight of responsibility. Just as a physical payload demands strength, one must also have strength to honor their place in the world. Within the haku lei, I have incorporated the colors representing the four directions (red, white, yellow, black) as a tribute to all Native Americans. With her eyes gently parted, she perceives only a fraction of what lies before her. There is a vast world, both earthly and celestial, waiting to be explored. We have merely scratched the surface, leaving much unseen and undiscovered.”
HEOP Students and State Lawmakers Discuss Student Aid
Submitted by Maria Vega, Director, Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
RIT recently joined forces with several other independent colleges and universities throughout the state to advocate for student aid. Despite initial plans to transport students and staff to Albany, inclement weather forced a switch to virtual meetings. Throughout the day, seven zoom sessions were conducted with the offices of Senators Sean Ryan and Samra Brouk, as well as Assemblymembers Sarah Clark, Khaleel Anderson, Jennifer Lunsford, Demond Meeks, and Harry Bronson.
During these meetings, two HEOP students, Ryan Gusqui and Jadei Jara, shared their personal experiences and highlighted the importance of programs like TAP and HEOP. Jara, a second-year management information systems major with a minor in software engineering, and Gusqui, a second- year enrolled in the School of Individualized Studies, spoke about the invaluable resources provided by HEOP, including tutoring and counseling services. They also emphasized the sense of community fostered by the DDI Summer Experience, which has significantly impacted their time at RIT.
The discussions centered around various topics, such as increasing the income-eligibility limit for TAP, raising the minimum and maximum TAP amounts, and restoring Grad TAP. Additionally, there were calls to boost funding for opportunity programs, which had been reduced in the Governor's budget, and to reinstate Bundy Aid for all institutions. Encouragingly, the legislative staff showed strong support for these initiatives.
Furthermore, it's worth noting that the HEOP grant has been renewed for the next five-year cycle (2024-2029), securing nearly $4.9 million, exceeding the original requested amount by over $91,000.
The continued advocacy efforts and successes, such as the renewal of the HEOP grant, underscore the vital role of programs like HEOP in providing equitable access to education and empowering students from diverse backgrounds to thrive academically and beyond.
Join the CSTEP/LSAMP/McNair programs in congratulating the following DDI students: Nhyira Asante a fourth -year biomedical science major, McNair Scholar, CSTEP and LSAMP member has been accepted into the Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO) program for next year. This is a postbaccalaureate program run by the National Institute for Health. Julia Tolar, a fourth- year Illustration major, McNair Scholar has been accepted into the California Institute of Integral Studies program for a master’s in counseling psychology with a concentration in expressive arts therapy. Dominick Velez, fifth- year electrical mechanical engineering technology major and a McNair Scholar has been awarded a Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) fellowship, which grants him $10,000/year for four years while pursuing his PhD in physics starting this fall.
In addition, the McNair Scholars Program just accepted seven new scholars to join the program! They are James Campbell, a third-year psychology major, Claire Dantzlerward, a third-year chemical engineering major, Elena Fuentes Solano, a second-year biomedical sciences major, Sarah Hong, who is a third -year nutritional sciences major, Lincoln Mercuro, a third- year computer science major, Jaime Offeiokyne a second- year software engineering major and Mya Soto, a third-year biochemistry major.