Honoring Outstanding Students with Frederick Douglass and Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Scholarships | May 2021
The RIT Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement 2021 Community Impact Award recipients have been announced. The awards honor RIT students who serve others and provide leadership to the RIT student body. Congratulations to the following students who received the Frederick Douglass Scholarships:
Trinity McFadden, criminal justice, College of Liberal Arts
Patrick Edwards, economics, College of Liberal Arts
Rachel Romaine, international business, Saunders College of Business
Maria Morcos, physician assistant, College of Health Sciences and Technology
Abigail Reigner, mechanical engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering
The RIT Frederick Douglass Scholarship assists qualified students in their educational journey and awards up to $10,000. Students must demonstrate campus leadership, citizenship and community service and have a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the end of the fall semester.
Congratulations are also in order to the 2021 recipients of the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Pluralism Scholarship Awards. Each recipient was awarded a $2,000 scholarship for the 2021-22 academic year. Jordan was a visionary at RIT. He encouraged the celebration of diversity and inclusion among faculty, staff and students in particular inspiring them to become leaders and make a positive impact on the RIT community.
Christian Waldschmidt, Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Freshman Scholarship recipient
Christian Waldschmidt says he wants to build bridges to create a diverse community of leaders at RIT. He is a member of six organizations and holds leadership positions in two of them: Theta Psi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity where he is Associate Member Education Chair (PKP) and he is Communications Chair with Engineers for a Sustainable World. Both of these positions are usually held by upperclassmen.
Waldschmidt is described as a person who brings out the best in others and encourages critical thought which leads to positive change.
He is pursuing an accelerated dual degree: a BS in biomedical engineering and an MS in science, technology and public policy. Waldschmidt says he sets his standards very high—and despite his workload and COVID-19 restrictions this year, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA, made the Dean’s List and designed an innovative pharmaceutical device.
Jesse Phelps, Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Upperclassman Scholarship recipient
Jesse Phelps says during her time at RIT, she has followed Isaac L. Jordan Senior’s principles of unity, fairness and compassion. Her experience as an RIT Student Justice taught her to make all of her decisions with empathy. Phelps is described as a natural born leader and role model who is always ready to assist her peers. Phelps is a physician assistant major and serves as Chapter Representative for the Physician Assistant Student Association. She studied abroad in Croatia in 2019 and has a keen interest in international education. She is Secretary of the Global Health Association and is a Study Abroad Global Ambassador for RIT, speaking on behalf of the organization and working as part of the social media team. Phelps writes for Her Campus Magazine. She uses that platform to discuss topics such as women in medicine and the workplace, positivity and mindfulness, and the need for racial equity in America. Phelps appreciates the importance of teamwork and embodies it not only as a Captain of the RIT Women’s Lacrosse team, but in everything she does.