Category: Students

Senior Leadership Awards Honor 32 Students

Posted on

Thirty-two students known for their invaluable contributions to the Kalamazoo College community were honored April 30 at the 17th annual Senior Leadership Recognition Awards.

The recipients represent talented athletes, outstanding academic performers, members of the President’s Student Ambassadors and student-organization standouts. Here are the honorees:

Gold Afolabi
nominated by Natalia Carvalho-Pinto, Intercultural Student Life

Katrina Arriola
nominated by Liz Candido, Religious and Spiritual Life

Maya Banks
nominated by Diomedes Rabago, Spanish; and Katie MacLean, Provost’s Office

Richard Brown III
nominated by Francisco Villegas, Anthropology/Sociology; and Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund

Isabelle Clark
nominated by Katie Miller, Women’s Basketball

Adam Decker
nominated by David Wilson, Physics

Vivian Enriquez (not pictured)
nominated by Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey and Moises Hernandez, Center for Civic Engagement; and Francisco Villegas, Anthropology/Sociology

Anna Gambetta
nominated by Santiago Salinas and Anne Engh, Biology

Brendan Gausselin
nominated by Mike Ott, Baseball; and Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund

Merritt Hamann (not pictured)
nominated by Nick Giard, Men’s Basketball

Kaylee Henderson
nominated by Dennis Frost, History

Maeve Hening
nominated by Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey and Moises Hernandez, Center for Civic Engagement

Audrey Honig
nominated by Jeffrey Haus, History and Jewish Studies; and Liz Candido, Religious and Spiritual Life

Denise Jackson
nominated by Danielle Turner, Residential Life; and Jon Collier, Student Activities

Lisa Johnston
nominated by Eric Nordmoe, Mathematics

Nicklas Klepser
nominated by Brian Dietz, Student Development

Juanita Ledesma (not pictured)
nominated by Katie Miller, Women’s Basketball; and Natalia Carvalho-Pinto, Intercultural Student Life

Tristen Mabin
nominated by Natalia Carvalho-Pinto, Intercultural Student Life

Nat Markech
nominated by Jon Collier, Student Activities

Alonté Mitchell-Presley
nominated by Jon Collier, Student Activities

Daniel Mota-Villegas
nominated by Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund, and Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey, & Moises Hernandez, Civic Engagement

Kelly Nickelson
nominated by Sara Stockwood and Binney Girdler, Environmental Stewardship and Biology

Nikoli Nickson
nominated by Ann Fraser, Biology

Aisat Oladokun
nominated by Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund, and Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey and Moises Hernandez, Civic Engagement

Sydney Patton
nominated by Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey, & Moises Hernandez, Civic Engagement

Helen Pelak
nominated by Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund

Brynn Rohde
nominated by Lisa Ailstock, Jennifer Combes, Deb Annen-Caruso, Cindi Anspach, Liza Escamilla, & Jennie Hill, Student Health Center

Asia Smith (not pictured)
nominated by Alison Geist, Teresa Denton, Paulette Rieger, Emily Kowey and Moises Hernandez, Civic Engagement, and Francisco Villegas, Anthropology/Sociology

Savannah Sweeney
nominated by Jon Collier, Student Activities

Vanessa Vigier
nominated by Tony Nelson, Center for International Programs

Brandon Wright (not pictured)
nominated by Vince Redko, Men’s Lacrosse, and Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund

Alaq Zghayer
nominated by Sandy Dugal, Kalamazoo College Fund; Brian Dietz, Student Development, and Jon Collier, Student Development

Gold Afolabi
Gold Afolabi

Katrina Arriola
Katrina Arriola

Maya Banks
Maya Banks

Richard Brown III
Richard Brown III

Isabelle Clark
Isabelle Clark

Adam Decker
Adam Decker

Anna Gambetta
Anna Gambetta

Brendan Gausselin
Brendan Gausselin

Kaylee Henderson
Kaylee Henderson

Maeve Hening
Maeve Hening

Audrey Honig
Audrey Honig

Denise Jackson
Denise Jackson

Lisa Johnston
Lisa Johnston

Nicklas Klepser
Nicklas Klepser

Tristen Mabin
Tristen Mabin

Natalie Markech
Nat Markech

Alonté Mitchell
Alonté Mitchell

Daniel Mota-Villegas
Daniel Mota-Villegas

Kelly Nickelson
Kelly Nickelson

Nikoli Nickson
Nikoli Nickson

Aisat Oladokun
Aisat Oladokun

Sydney Patton
Sydney Patton

Helen Pelak
Helen Pelak

Brynn Rohde
Brynn Rohde

Savannah Sweeney
Savannah Sweeney

Vanessa Vigier
Vanessa Vigier

Alaq Zghayer
Alaq Zghayer

Current Events, Student Interest Prompt Growth in Community and Global Health

Posted on
Community and Global Health Adjunct Britta Seifert
Britta Seifert ’12 is teaching the maternal, child and adolescent health course within the community and global health concentration as an adjunct faculty member this term. She has invited K alumni working in the field to speak to students interested in the concentration’s many career pathways.

Combine students who are enthusiastic about social justice, growing global and domestic disparities in health exacerbated by a pandemic, and alumni who care about making a difference, and the result is a notable uptick in interest this year in Kalamazoo College’s community and global health concentration.

Interest has grown from about 24 students in an average year to about 50 accepted to or requesting admittance, says Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement Director Alison Geist, M.P.H., who also directs the community and global health program. The concentration, which emphasizes health equity, prepares students to identify, investigate and articulate global and community health issues to think critically, and collaborate with others to address some of today’s most pressing challenges.

“In the last nine years or so we’ve gone through this tumultuous time in our country where there’s much broader awareness about issues such as racial disparities, police violence and climate change and they’re being recognized as threats,” said Britta Seifert ’12, who is teaching the maternal, child and adolescent health course within the concentration as an adjunct faculty member this term. “Social justice issues have been really visible and part of our national discussion. It’s a way that students can say, ‘I see these inequities in society, and I want to devote my career to addressing injustice.’ Public health is a tangible and important way that people can do that.”

Seifert was an anthropology and sociology major at K with a women’s studies concentration before community and global health was available as a full concentration to students. However, in her sophomore year, she took a public health class taught by Geist. That class studied infant mortality rates and health disparities in Kalamazoo through a service-learning project. Seifert then conducted a senior individualized project on infant-mortality rates in Calhoun County, Michigan.

“That class was an entry point for a lot of K people to public health,” Seifert said, while complimenting Geist’s influence on both alumni and current students. “It’s exciting for me to see that there’s now this whole concentration at K, and students get to explore it more deeply. It’s such a multi-disciplinary field that it’s a really great fit for a liberal arts college. There are a lot of different angles you can take toward a career in public health.”

After graduating from K, Seifert joined the Peace Corps, where she taught health education to high school students in Kyrgyzstan. In 2019, Seifert obtained a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and began working for Mathematica, an organization that analyzes data to develop pathways to progress for public- and private-sector influencers.

Seifert’s experience is benefiting students in her course, which addresses the social determinants of health, health equity and racial justice, while exploring topics in maternal, child and adolescent health. Seifert said the general field of maternal, child and adolescent health focuses on diverse health and social issues that affect parents, expectant parents, people of reproductive age and children. Such issues range from traditional topics such as breastfeeding and contraception to complex social issues such as violence, housing and immigration, and how they’re affected by racism and inequality.

As the instructor, Seifert has called on several K alumni to serve as guest speakers in her class this term including Hannah Reischl ’12, a senior business process consultant in strategy design and implementation for Kaiser Permanente; Mark Ebell ’83, a professor at the University of Georgia; Allyson Howe ’12, a youth programs senior specialist at the University of Colorado; Amy Houtrow ’96, a professor and endowed chair for pediatric rehabilitation medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Ramya Dronamraju ’16, a public health expert at Vital Voices Global Partnership.

“One of my goals with the class is to show students the different careers in public health and I’m trying to bring in people who do very different types of work in the field, both in terms of the issues that they work on, and the type of work they do so,” Seifert said. “I have some clinicians, researchers, community organizers, program implementers, people who work in the government and people who work for nonprofits.”

Most of the students in Seifert’s class are juniors and seniors. She said a few of them would like to become physicians. One is a pre-law student. Others have been accepted to public health master’s programs to start next year or say they would like to apply to such programs in the future. Some have yet to figure out what path they would like to pursue after college. Regardless, there is room for all of them to find careers they love in the field, making the concentration’s growth even more satisfying.

“We need data science people in public health,” Seifert said. “We need clinicians, social workers, lawyers, researchers, epidemiologists and biologists. It’s such a diverse field in terms of career paths, and all the different types of people who work together on public health. It’s a growing field with a lot of opportunity, and I think it’s a great career path.”

Senior Week Readies Graduates-to-Be for Jobs

Posted on
Senior Week
The Center for Career and Professional Development is helping seniors concerned about preparing for and facing the job market during a pandemic. Senior Week will offer one-on-one meetings between students and alumni, career coaching and more.

When Kalamazoo College students talk about what they need from their education and career preparedness, they can bet the Center for Career and Professional Development is listening.

The CCPD staff proved that this spring when seniors spoke publicly about the worries they have for life after K in the pandemic’s wake, and in response, the CCPD unveiled plans for Senior Week, May 17-21.

The biggest highlight of the week will come from seniors meeting one-on-one in career-building sessions with K alumni. About 60 alumni already have agreed to participate in these Hornet Huddles from a variety of industries and fields, and more are expected.

Seniors can sign up now through Handshake with this how-to video as guidance. A list of the alumni volunteering is available with their companies and organizations, industries and job titles. The goal is to provide seniors new perspectives of how to reach success in the job market from alumni successful in similar fields. Some of the alumni are looking to specifically help students of color or first-generation students. Others are open to meeting with any senior. Registration will be available through May 14.

In addition, seniors also can expect guidance from career coaches, senior spotlights through social media and a push for students to respond to their first-destination surveys, which will help the CCPD guide seniors still looking for their first post-graduation jobs.

Guidance from career coaches

Career coaches are available to seniors year-round. During senior week, they’re available exclusively to seniors. Coaches can help students take career assessments, choose from employment or graduate school options and improve resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. Available appointments are plentiful and drop-in hours will be available from noon to 1 p.m. daily through Teams.

First-destination survey push

When seniors complete the survey in spring, it tells CCPD staff what those still looking for their first post-graduation jobs need and how the CCPD can help. Staff have committed to follow up with every senior still looking, and they’re offering a drawing for 10 $25 GrubHub gift cards for those who respond by May 21.

Senior spotlights

The CCPD’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels will feature content during Senior Week that is specifically geared toward seniors.

Denim Day Supports Sexual Assault, Violence Survivors

Posted on
National Denim Day flyers
Vicenza Military Community participates in International Denim Day by US Army Africa is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

The Kalamazoo College community is invited to participate—in person, virtually and through social media—in a variety of events for National Denim Day on Wednesday, April 28, a day that supports survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence.

Patricia Giggins, a Los Angeles-based activist and executive director of Peace Over Violence, launched Denim Day in 1999 in response to an Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction. The court ruled that an 18-year-old woman who brought rape charges against a 45-year-old driving instructor must have consented to the assault because her jeans were tight. In other words, it was assumed that the assailant could not have removed her jeans without her help.

The absurdity of the decision prompted women in the Italian Parliament to wear jeans the next day to stand in solidarity with the survivor. Although the ruling was ultimately overturned, the annual Denim Day campaign has continued to raise awareness of sexual assault and violence.

K students, faculty and staff can participate through social media by wearing denim and sharing their pictures through Instagram using #DenimDayatK and following @kc_s.p.e.a.k, the Sexual Peer Educator Alliance at Kalamazoo College (SPEAK).

In other offerings for the day, the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Advocacy will provide information from the Kalamazoo YWCA, the College’s Counseling Center, Planned Parenthood and SPEAK, in addition to resources on victim services and Title IX, from 4 to 6 p.m. at tables outside Hicks Student Center.

Also, join survivors and allies from 7 to 9 p.m. to show support and listen to stories of survivorship from gender-based violence in a Take Back the Night Speakout. Anyone interested can join the rally at the Quad or participate virtually. Participants may also submit anonymous survivor stories. YWCA counselors will be available for Telehealth sessions.

The events are sponsored by several offices at K including its Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Advocacy. Learn more about its efforts during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, at sexualsafety.kzoo.edu.

Kalamazoo College Unveils Winter 2021 Dean’s List

Posted on
Winter 2021 Dean's List
Congrats to the Kalamazoo College students who qualified for the winter 2021 Dean’s List.

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least three units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, during the winter 2021 academic term. Students who elect to take a letter-graded course on a credit/no credit basis (CR/NC) are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration during that term. Nor are students who receive an F, NC or W grade for that particular term. Students with incomplete (I) or in-progress (IP) grades will be considered for Dean’s List upon receipt of the final grades. Dean’s List recognition is posted on students’ transcripts. Kudos to the entire group.

Winter 2021

A  B   C  D  E  F   G   H   I   J  K   L   M  N   O  P   Q  R   S   T   U   V  W   X   Y   Z

A

Jeztrelle Abella
Isaiah Abellard
Morgan Acord
Isaac Agranoff
Alejandro Aguirre
Zishawn Aijaz
Harsha Ajjarapu
Kelley Akerley
Hashim Akhtar
Rachel Alarcio
Jazzmyn Albarran
Michele Alia
Lana Alvey
Max Ambs
Patrick Ambs
Farida Amini
Darsalam Amir
Larkin Anderson
Mia Andrews
Aramide Apo-Oyin
Madeleine Armstrong
Tim Axtell

B

Julia Bachmann
Tolkien Bagchi
Litzy Bahena
Nicole Bailey
Jenna Bailey
Annalise Bailey
McKenzi Baker
Lindsey Baker
Chloe Baker
Revaz Bakuradze
Spencer Baldwin
Elizabeth Ballinger
Georgios Marios Bantis
Natalie Barber
Madison Barch
Faith Barnett
Foster Barnett
Abigail Barnum
Elena Basso
Hunter Bates
Mitchell Baty
Quentin Baur
Jenna Beach
Blake Bean
Rita Bendetti
Maci Bennett
Mitchell Berg
Cassandra Bergen
Dominic Bertollini
Meghan Best
Jonah Beurkens
Maryam Rafiah Beverly
Maya Bieszki
Usaid Bin Shafqat
Anna Binkley
Daniel Black
Katherine Black
Preston Blanzy
Lizbeth Blas-Rangel
Rose Bogard
Nikola Bogoevich
Elliott Boinais
Jonah Bolton
Lukas Bolton
Samantha Boritzki
Troy Bormann
Luke Bormann
Holly Bowling
Haylee Bowsher
Emily Braunohler
Aerin Braunohler
Austin Bresnahan
Lauren Bretzius
Penelope Brewer
Jack Brockhaus
Juleon Brodie
Shay Brown
Shayon Brown
Rosemary Bryant
Marilu Bueno
Thomas Buffin
Donovan Burleigh
Elizabeth Burton
Lauren Bussell
Drake Butcher

C

Stefan Cabrera
Abigail Cadieux
Natalie Call
Emily Canas
Kevin Cano-Santillanes
Vanessa Cardenas
Catherine Carlberg
Kayla Carlson
Chloe Carlson
Eleanor Carr
Ashley Casagrande
Clare Catallo-Werner
Zoe Celeste Schneberger
Iris Chalk
Rebecca Chan
Jacob Chantres
Connor Charamella
Emily Cheng
Lance Choe
Tae-Woong Choe
Benjamin Chosid
Gabriel Chung
Isabelle Clark
Hailey Clees
Madeleine Coffman
Nicholas Cohee
Sedona Coleman
Gabriel Coleman
Louise Colin Sloman
Melissa Congote
Samantha Conley
Jennifer Converse
Thomas Cook
Caitlyn Cooper
Noah Coplan
Indigo Corvidae
Chase Coselman
Anna Costanzo
Haley Crabbs
Violet Crampton
Wyatt Crampton
Lauren Crossman
Cara Cunningham
Emma Curcuru

D

Gabrielle Daane
Shayla Dailey
Nicholas Dailey
Beatrix Damashek
Jessica Dant
Riley Davis
Gwendolyn Davis
Claire de Vries
Kiernan Dean-Hall
Adam Decker
Julia Degazio
Robert Dennerll
Catherine Dennis
Sarah Densham
Vincent DeSanto
Nolan Devine
Katerina Deyoung
Christina Diaz
Sofia Diaz
Melissa Diaz Cabrera
Abigail Dickstein
Kelsey Diekman
Alexis Dietz
Rachel Dobb
Marissa Dolorfino
Mallory Dolorfino
Riley Dominianni
Susan Dong
Adam Dorstewitz
Sydney Dowdell
Ryan Drew
Caitlin Drouse
Alexander Dubin
Rena Dubs
Emily Dudd
Sydney Dukes
Alexa Dulmage
Zachary DuMont
Gabriel Dunbar
Katia Duoibes
Alex Dupree
Hannah Durant
Gina Dvorin

E

Eli Edlefson
Jairo Eguia
Nathanael Ehmann
Meghan Eilenfield
Bradley Ekonen
Sara Elfring
Noah Ellinger
Kahira Embry
Sara English
Sarah Eringaard
Gabrielle Evans
Sam Ewald

F

Faith Faber
Olivia Fairbank
Thomas Fales
Jazmyne Fannings
Colton Farley
Andreas Fathalla
Marcos Ferguson Morales
Emma Fergusson
Morgan Fischer
Payton Fleming
Faith Flinkingshelt
Clifton Foster
Parker Foster
Andre Fouque
Grace Frazier
Caelan Frazier
Allison French
Hana Frisch
Nathaniel Fuller
Tristan Fuller
William Fulton

G

Nikhil Gandikota
Kaitlin Gandy
Nathan Garcia
Aliza Garcia
Brynna Garden
Grace Garver
Sean Gates
Trish Gatsi
Kobe Gementiza
Lena Gerstle
Johanna Ghazal
Farah Ghazal
Levon Gibson
Katie Gierlach
Aidan Gillig
Graham F. Girdler
Gabriela Gomez
Gustavo Gonzalez-Martinez
Abigail Gray
Olivia Green
Donovan Greene
Mya Grewal
Timothy Grobosky
Lily Gross
Preston Grossling
Matthew Gu
Mauricio Guillen
Zoe Gurney
Stephanie Guyor
Cristina Guzman
Carolina Guzman

H

Sophia Haas
Yoichi Haga
Emma Hahn
Emily Haigh
Emily Hamel
Grace Hancock
Vien Hang
Ryan Hanifan
Garrett Hanson
Madeline Harding
Eleanor Harris
Lucy Hart
Meaghan Hartman
Isabelle Hawkes
Jiniku Hayashi
Katherine Haywood
Hannah Heeren
Megan Heft
Kaylee Henderson
Connor Henney
Emiley Hepfner
Maya Hernandez
Julia Hernandez
Rosemary Hernandez
Angela Hernandez
Jennefer Hernandez
Hadley Hilner
Sam Hoag
Bijou Hoehle
Thomas Hole
Julia Holt
Audrey Honig
Cole Horman
Hazel Houghton
Addissyn House
Sharon Huang
Micah Hudgins-Lopez
Ahilud Huerta
Eleanor Hughes
Samuel Hughes
Audrey Huizenga
Lukas Hultberg
Ian Hurley
Madelaine Hurley
Benjamin Hyndman

I

Juan Ibarra
Carolyn Ingram
Mary Irish

J

Taylor Jackson
Denise Jackson
Nicholas Jackson
Samantha Jacobsen
Samuel Jacobson
Tristan James
Danielle Janowicz
Mya Jennings
Julia Jeong
John Jesko
Ashani Jewell
Diana Jimenez
Aaron Johnson
Ryan Johnson
Ann Marie Johnston
Jackson Jones
Ellie Jones
Madeline Jump

K

Isaac Kaczor
Liza Kahn
Amani Karim
Grace Karrip
Maria Kasperek
Lucas Kastran
Will Keller
Blake Kelsey
Samuel Kendrick
David Kent
Anum Khan
Mahum Khan
Hunter Kiesling
Jackson Kiino-Terburg
Hyunwoo Kim
Phoebe Kinch
Lily Kindle
Mikayla Kindler
Kaylee Kipfmueller
Isabella Kirchgessner
Kaleb Kitchka
Lena Klemm
Nicklas Klepser
Allison Klinger
Ella Knight
Rhys Koellmann
Molly Kohl
Marie Kohrman
Anexy Koizumi
Melody Kondoff
Maxine Koos
Grace Kraft
Christian Kraft
Brandon Kramer
Rachel Kramer
Ethan Krasman
Jordyn Kravitz
Nikolas Krupka
Kieya Kubert-Davis
Karlee Kulp
Koshiro Kuroda
Claire Kvande

L

Margaret LaFramboise
Sophia Lajiness
Caroline Lamb
Samantha Lamrock
Onora Lancaster
Nicholas Lang
Levid Lara
Lam Phuong Le
Juanita Ledesma
Angel Ledesma
Dillon Lee
Isaac Lee
Natalie Leeper
Sydney Lenzini
Kathryn Levasseur
Marissa Lewinski
Donna Li
Thomas Lichtenberg
Connor Lignell
Cassandra Linnertz
Celia Lipton
Lu Liu
Sichun Liu
Mengzhuo Liu
Sandra Lizarraga
Alvaro Lopez Gutierrez
Ellie Lotterman
Adele Loubieres
Amy Lucas
Teresa Lucas
Chloe Lucci
Nicholas Lucking
Isabella Luke
Jillian Lynk

M

Tristen Mabin
Rachel Madar
MacKenzy Maddock
Rodrigo Magana
Deven Mahanti
Samantha Major
Jacob Margolick
Natalie Markech
Joshua Martin
Clara Martinez-Voigt
Harshpreet Matharu
Kanase Matsuzaki
Lillian Mattern
Trevor Maylath-Bryant
Claire McCall
Alexia McColl
Lucas McGraw
Ashlynne McKee
Grace McKnight
Abbey McMillian
Zaydee Menchaca
Crystal Mendoza
Eva Metro-Roland
Julie Meunier
Nathan Micallef
Luke Middlebrook
Cooper Mills
Camille Misra
Rebecca Mitchell
Caleb Mitchell-Ward
Anna Modlinski
Lina Moghrabi
Brooklyn Mohr
Aleksandr Molchagin
Rachel Molho
Jennifer Montemayor Bautista
Ariana Moore
Brooklyn Moore
Elayna Moreau
Ryan Morgan
Isabel Morillo
Amanda Morrison
Elizabeth Moskal
Arein Motan
Daniel Mota-Villegas
Eleanor Mrak
Elliot Mrak
Matthew Mueller
Heather Muir
Miles Muirhead
Ezekiel Mulder
Erin Murphy
Anna Murphy
Madison Murphy

N

Yukiko Nakano
William Nartey-Tokoli
Mihail Naskovski
Blagoja Naskovski
William Naviaux
Lindsey Nedd
Justin Negrete
Abigail Nelson
Matthew Nelson
Nicholas Nerhood
Elizabeth Nestle
Sudhanva Neti
Elisha Neuner
Idika Ngozi Joy
Sang Nguyen
Kelly Nickelson
Nikoli Nickson
Char Nieberding
Dustin Noble
Joanna Nonato
Zachary Norgrove
Alyssa Norman
Caroline Norton
Maeve Novotny
Jayne Nthiga
Terry Nuechterlein
Kendall Nuffer
Nmesomachi Nwoko

O

Ileana Oeschger
Udochi Okorie
Eliana Orozco
Olivia Oswald
Gunzaya Otgonjargal
Gunzi Otj

P

Blake Parpart
Jenna Paterob
Jefferson Patrell
Sydney Patton
Jason Paxtor
Helen Pelak
Natalia Pena Ochoa
Anthony Peraza
Nionni Permelia
Scott Peters
Alexis Petty
Nhi Phan
Parker Pickell
Sydney Pickell
Megan Ploucha
Anna Podolan
Karen Portillo
Erin Portillo
Isabella Powell
Rachel Powell
Doug Propson

Q

Emma Quail
Aarzoo Qureshi

R

Elle Ragan
Savera Rajendra-Nicolucci
Leah Ramirez
Kathryn Ramon
Lafern Ramon
Roman Ramos
Samantha Ramser
Dominic Rascon-Powell
Samuel Ratliff
Abby Rawlings
Clarice Ray
Kelli Rexroad
Zoe Reyes
Christopher Richards
Luke Richert
Jackson Riggle
Ashley Rill
Laken Rivet
Lucas Rizzolo
Kate Roberts
Kaitlyn Robinson
Katherine Rock
Petra Rodriguez
Reyna Rodriguez
Jocelyn Rodriguez
Margaret Roethler
Skyler Rogers
Lily Rogowski
Brynn Rohde
Danielle Roof
Yaneth Rosas
Alec Rosenbaum
Ryan Ross
Rahil Ross
Panayiotis Rotsios
Jacob Roubein
Maelle Rouquet
Tabitha Rowland
Oliver Rubin
Marcus Rucker
Luisa Ruiz
Jacob Ryan

S

Richard Sakurai-Kearns
Sydney Salgado
Bobby Samples
Hannia Sanchez-Alvarado
Marco Savone
Zoe Celeste Schneberger
D.J. Schneider
Dugan Schneider
Justin Schodowski
Lia Schroeder
Madeline Schroeder
Beth Schulman
Hannah Schurman
Camille Schuster
Michael Schwartz
Darby Scott
Mae Scott
Nilah Seals
Delores Shackelford
Usaid Bin Shafqat
Eli Shavit
William Shaw
Lily Shearer
Steven Shelton
Austin Shepherd
Hannah Shiner
Emma Sidor
Elizabeth Silber
Xavier Silva
Samantha Silverman
Manveer Singh
Caroline Skalla
Kayla Skiver
Kyle Skiver
Jack Smith
Asia Smith
Michael Smith
Olivia Smith
Curtis Smith
Emma Smolek
Ariana Soderberg
Allison Sokacz
Asante Solomon
Hanis Sommerville
Erin Somsel
Armaan Sood-Mankar
Larissa Soto
Quinn Springsteen
Camran Stack
Nicholas Stein
Abby Stewart
Emma Stickley
Alex Stolberg
Kate Stover
Matthew Swarthout
Michael Sweeney
Keegan Sweeney
Kaleb Sydloski
Brandon Sysol
Clara Szakas
Nina Szalkiewicz
Ella Szczublewski

T

Samuel Tagget
Rina Talaba
Madison Talarico
Claire Tallio
Leah Tardiff
Brianna Taylor
Thomas Teftsis
Emily Tenniswood
Olivia Tessin
Omar Thaj
Suja Thakali
Cade Thune
Jayden Thurmond-Oliver
Maria Tolentino Guzman
Syeda Tooba
Derik Torres
Anna Torsky
Samantha Toth
Margaret Totten
James Totten
Jonathan Townley
Madeline Townsend
Marie Townsend
Caitlin Tremewan
Danielle Treyger
Frances Trimble
Uyen Trinh
Maria Tripodis
Blue Truong
MiaFlora Tucci
Aija Turner
Annie Tyler

U

Patricia Scott Uebelhoer
Zachary Ufkes
Duurenbayar Ulziiduuren
Chilotam Urama
Ifeoma Uwaje

V

Alexis Valdes
Clara Valenti
Emma Van Houten
Brianne Vanderbilt
Anna Varitek
Josseline Vazquez
Gabriel Vidinas
Vanessa Vigier
Mirella Villani
Jessalyn Vrieland

W

Ava Wagle
Megan Walczak
Elle Waldron
Andre Walker
Alex Wallace
Andrew Walsh
Barney Walsh
Madison Walther
Gabrielle Walton Schwartz
Elizabeth Wang
Jacob Warner
Leah Wathen
Jacob Waun
Emmeline Wendel
Elias Wennen
Trevor Whipple
Samantha White
Tanner White
Ryley White
Megan Williams
Katelyn Williams
Tariq Williams
Skai Williams
Hannah Willit
Clayton Wilms
Riley Wilson
Jordyn Wilson
Madalyn Winarski
Ryan Witczak
Christian Witt
Emily Wittman
Ronan Wolfe
Mikki Wong
Brandon Wright
Tori Wright
Andrew Wright
Lydia Wright

X

Y

Eleanor Yaruss
Tony Yazbeck
Shusei Yokota
Mikayla Youngman
Ynika Yuag

Z

Kaylin Zajac
Nikan Zandi Atashbar
Zoe Zawacki
Camryn Zdziarski-West
Jacob Zeller
Alyssa Zino
Nathaniel Zona
Margaret Zorn
Juanita Zuniga

Newman Fellowship Empowers K Student to Build Civic-Leadership Skills

Posted on
Newman Civic Fellow Emily Cheng
Emily Cheng ’23 is continuing to develop her standout civic-leadership skills through Kalamazoo College by accepting a place in the 2021-22 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

Emily Cheng ’23 is continuing to develop her standout civic-leadership skills through Kalamazoo College by accepting a place in the 2021-22 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

The fellowship is offered through Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization that advances the public-service purposes of higher education. About 290 students from member institutions in 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico will comprise the cohort this year. Recipients such as Cheng demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally and globally.

“When I applied, I was curious about what Newman Fellows do in general and how Campus Compact teaches students to be confident in themselves while developing leadership skills,” Cheng said. “I am interested in the nonprofit space as a career, but I’m also interested in things the fellowship teaches like advocacy, collaboration and mentoring.”

Cheng is known on campus as a member of the Sexual Peer Educators at K (SPEAK) group, for which she began and co-manages an Instagram account @kc_s.p.e.a.k. She also is the co-president of the Asian Pacific Islander Student Association, while serving as a Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute Fellow for the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.

Elsewhere, she has found her interests in community organizing to create social change through working with local grassroots campaigns, where she has met and worked with inspiring mentors and friends who have catalyzed her passion to fight against institutions that constrain the people she cares about.

Cheng chose to attend K largely for the format of the K-Plan, which allows students to formulate their own curriculum, along with the College’s study abroad programs. The Intercultural Center, however, has given her the courage to seek opportunities such as the Newman Fellowship thanks to people such as Director of Intercultural Student Life Natalia Carvalho-Pinto.

“The Intercultural Center has been my home away from home,” Cheng said. “Even while we’re virtual, people like Natalia are amazing because she is still such an encouraging spirit,” Cheng said.

Each year, Newman Fellows participate in virtual training and networking to give them some of the skills and connections they will need to create change. The cornerstone of the fellowship is the annual Convening of Fellows, which offers intensive skill-building and networking over the course of two days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

Each recipient, including Cheng, received a recommendation letter from their institution’s president.

Cheng “is a student leader who has dedicated her time on campus and in her community to advocating for reproductive rights, access to affordable housing, and diversifying the students holding on-campus leadership positions,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said in recommending her. “She has found community at the Intercultural Center, as a place that catalyzed and affirmed her desire to work with her community to create larger, greater change.”

The fellowship is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who advocated for civic engagement in higher education. In the spirit of Newman’s leadership, Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors nominate student leaders from their campuses to be named Newman Civic Fellows.

“We are proud to recognize these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to engage with them,” Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn said. “The experience of the last year has driven home to all of us that we need open-minded, innovative, public-spirited thinkers and doers. That is what Campus Compact is about, and the stories of our Newman Civic Fellows demonstrate who they are.”

Peers, Faculty Cheer K Student to Third Place at Japanese Speech Contest

Posted on
Japanese Speech Contest Participant Uyen Trinh next to a cherry blossom in Tokyo
Uyen Trinh ’21 finished third in February at the Japanese Speech Contest conducted by Detroit’s Consulate General.
Grace Frazier '23
Grace Frazier ’23 watches Uyen Trinh participate in the Japanese Speech Contest.

For the third consecutive year, at least one Kalamazoo College student has placed among the top three finishers in a prestigious Japanese Speech Contest organized by Detroit’s Consulate General of Japan.

Uyen Trinh ’21 was K’s only contestant in the 25th annual event on February 20, finishing third overall, in an opportunity she’s sought for a few years, especially since returning from a study abroad experience at Waseda University in Tokyo.

“I’ve been taking Japanese courses since my first year in college, and I’ve been attending the contest in Novi since my sophomore year,” Trinh said. “I had planted in my mind the idea that I wanted to compete myself, and that desire had only gotten bigger.”

Contestants from Michigan colleges and universities drafted their own speeches in Japanese to present in front of the judges. Trinh’s speech, titled “Freedom in the Family,” discussed her family in Vietnam and her host family in Japan, while comparing the relationships between the parents and children.

Josseline Vazquez '22
Josseline Vazquez ’22 watches Uyen Trinh participate in the Japanese Speech Contest.
Anexy Koizumi '22
Anexy Koizumi ’22 watches Uyen Trinh participate in the Japanese Speech Contest.

“I really wanted people to feel my experience because it included a lot of personal encounters, things I witnessed in Japan and situations I have back home,” she said. “I was thinking a lot about the best ways I could read the speech aloud for people to understand what I want to communicate. My goal wasn’t really to place. I was just really happy when I finished my speech because I felt like I delivered it how I wanted it to be.”

Despite a virtual format for the contest this year, many of Trinh’s K peers and professors helped her prepare before the event, which was streamed live through YouTube. Kanase Matsuzaki ’23 organized a special lab before the contest, inviting Trinh to attend as a guest speaker. Students from two Japanese classes attended, hearing the English translation of Trinh’s speech in advance, and then asking Trinh questions in Japanese. Several attended the contest remotely to cheer her on, including three peers who watched despite personally experiencing the ongoing winter weather emergencies happening in Texas and Mexico.

Visiting Student Beatriz Contreras
Visiting Student Beatriz Contreras watches Uyen Trinh participate in the Japanese Speech Contest.
Angela Hernandez '23
Angela Hernandez ’23 watches Uyen Trinh participate in the Japanese Speech Contest.

Faculty members, including Associate Professor of Japanese Noriko Sugimori, listened meticulously to Trinh recite her speech in advance and offered synonyms for the most difficult words if her pronunciation wasn’t perfect.

“I’m very grateful to Sugimori Sensei and all the Japanese faculty who helped me, along with the other Japanese students,” Trinh said. “Their support made the speech possible.”

Spinning her experience forward, Trinh said she hopes to return to Japan this summer to work at Summer Olympics events, especially after COVID-19 cut her study abroad plan short. She then will graduate from K in fall and plans to work in the finance field after graduation.

“There are so many things I still want to do in Japan,” she said. “The program cancellation was announced only about two days before my departure from Japan. I hope I can relive that memory and meet my host family again.”

K Student Builds Black History Month Seminar

Posted on
Black History Month Seminar Creator Destiny Hutcherson
Destiny Hutcherson ’21 teamed up with peers from Albion and Hope colleges to build a series of Black History Month events titled “Reality is Wrong, Dreams are Real.

A Kalamazoo College student has developed a partnership with peers at Albion and Hope colleges to create a four-part series of Black History Month events which will run February 26 through March 1 titled “Reality is Wrong, Dreams are Real.”

Destiny Hutcherson ’21 said she feels it’s important for Black students to have a space where they can meet other Black students and talk about experiences that are unique to them, especially when there is a lack of Black representation on campus that Black students could turn to in times of need; representatives who understand their culture and customs, and most importantly, could relate to their struggles not only in college, but also the world. These events—planned with some guidance from the Kalamazoo College Council of Student Representatives, the Office of Student Activities and the Intercultural Center—could provide that, especially with other Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) schools participating.

“What you want to do is turn to people who look like you when you need advice,” Hutcherson said. “I was fortunate to have a Black advisor as a first-year student, but a lot of students don’t get that. I wanted to make something that could close that gap in the pandemic and help students find someone they can relate to.”

The conference’s logo, done by Stanton Greenstone ’21, features a flower growing from concrete alongside the moon and a star. The flower symbolizes students growing even in tough situations. The moon and star represent faithfulness in Ghanaian art. The “Reality is Wrong, Dreams are Real” title refers to Tupac Shakur, who once talked about being a flower who grew in difficult circumstances. It also touches on something timely, Hutcherson said.

“Tupac rapped in the 90s, but this is something that’s even more apparent now,” she said. “The reality we have is rough and it’s not inclusive to Blackness sometimes. Even though that’s the reality, in some ways, it’s wrong because I feel like one day dreams will overtake that. I don’t want this just to be a sad event, looking at the realities of what’s happening to Black people. I want it to be about what Black people want to do with their lives. A dream can be as simple as graduating college for a Black person and that dream is reality. My dream was creating something that cultivates Black space.”

The Black History Month events are open to current K students and include:

Art Therapy with Kwame Akoto-Bamfo at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Akoto-Bamfo, a globally-famous Ghanaian sculptor, is known for projects such as an outdoor sculpture dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Transatlantic slave trade, on display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened in 2018 in Montgomery, Alabama. Students participating in this session have received art materials provided through the mail.

Game Night at 8 p.m. Saturday. The night will begin with an ice breaker and mocktail hour for Black students to network. That independent time, Hutcherson said, will be especially important to Black students as most events also are open to allies. The rest of the night will involve games and possibly a showing of Coming to America, the 1988 comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.

Seminar sessions that begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. The day will feature 10 to 11 breakout sessions, including topics that deal with being an ally, and identity-based discussions that deal with being Afro-Latinx, queer and Black, and more. A Black doctor will also speak about navigating the health care system as a Black person.

Balance, Beats and Breaks at 6 p.m. Monday. Students will enjoy mindfulness practices with raptivist Aisha Fukushima, a performance lecturer, social justice strategist and singer/songwriter.

“I know that we’re at a predominantly white institution, but my goal is that we have a good number of Black students registered for it,” Hutcherson said. “I’ve centered my focuses on identity-based events at K, and I believe this is another event that is designed for filling in a gap that Black students have not had in the past year, especially seniors.”

“In the future, in a perfect world, I would also like to open this to Black alumni so it’s not only events for students, but a larger affair with other thinkers who will come in and mentor Black students,” she added. “It would be about healing, education and networking, so that it’s tailored to be a conference on giving Black students hope emotionally, and sending them on a path to generational wealth. I’d like this event to be as joyous as an HBCU extravaganza.”

Amazon, K Students to Network in Career Development Event

Posted on
Pacific Northwest Scenery Near Amazon Facilities
Several Kalamazoo College alumni work at Amazon in roles such as marketing, human resources and business development. K students will have a chance to network with them Thursday, February 11.

K to the Pacific Northwest, a series of K-Treks helping students network virtually with alumni at global companies, is continuing from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday with K to Amazon.

Offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), K-Treks are traditionally career-immersion experiences in which students travel to explore jobs of interest. With virtual experiences this term, all students are invited to participate regardless of their major.

Several K alumni work at Amazon in roles such as marketing, human resources and business development at facilities such as the Amazon Spheres. Some of those alumni were recently featured in LuxEsto, the College’s digital magazine.

“We tell students that the best path to landing a job or an internship is through one’s network,.” CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller said. “Recruiters might sift through hundreds of resumes for a single job posting, but someone in your network can open doors to unknown companies and opportunities. Even virtually, you can’t beat an opportunity to meet K alumni and expand your network.”

Amazon focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming and artificial intelligence, and is one of the world’s most valuable global brands. Students may register for K to Amazon, co-sponsored by the Marketing and Investment Club, through Handshake at any time before the event. While at Handshake, students may also register for K to Starbucks, slated for March 4.

Learn more about this term’s K-Treks at the CCPD website.

Virtual Kitchen Serves Recipes, Connects Students

Posted on
masoor dal k virtual kitchen
MacKenzy Maddock ’22 leads Kalamazoo College’s Virtual Kitchen every Thursday, giving students a chance to connect over prepared foods such as masoor dal, a spicy Indian red lentil soup. Photo credit: “Masoor Dal” by elstro_88 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.

A cooking show served with a dash of Kalamazoo College is available to students this term. If you’ve ever wanted student-suitable ideas for easy-to-make, inexpensive, palate-pleasing meals that offer a change of pace and a variety of flavors, make sure to tune in.

Every Thursday, from 6 to 7 p.m., MacKenzy Maddock ’22 leads K’s Virtual Kitchen via Microsoft Teams through the Office of Student Activities (OSA). In each show, at least one student staff member cooks meals while talking with other K students.

“I make a new meal every week and try to pick affordable ingredients as well as try to include options that are vegan and vegetarian friendly,” Maddock said. “My goal is to include as many students as possible and consider their financial capacity, accessibility to resources, and interests in food. Students that participate have the option to get a cooking kit provided by the school which includes utensils used in the kitchen.”

MacKenzy Maddock Virtual Kitchen
MacKenzy Maddock ’22, a chemistry and psychology double major and a Kalamazoo College volleyball player, leads K’s Virtual Kitchen every Thursday.

Masoor dal, a spicy Indian red lentil soup, was a recent featured recipe prepared by Alaq Zghayer ’21, and students can expect such diverse dishes in future editions of the Virtual Kitchen.

“I’m working on diversifying the event to be more inclusive to other cultures, religions and groups of people on campus as well as to just learn about other kinds of food,” Maddock said. “I’m doing this by collaborating with the many student organizations we have on campus, and I’m excited for what the next few weeks are going to be like. I think the event is constantly developing and I would love for more participants every week.”

The event’s evening time slot makes it accessible to students across the country. Recordings make it available to students around the world. Students can register for each Virtual Kitchen by emailing k18mm01@kzoo.edu or messaging Maddock on Teams to receive access to the cooking channel, which includes previous editions to the show as well.

“I would like to think that this event is an easy way to socialize while doing something that you need to have to survive, food,” Maddock said. “I also think cooking is a huge thing that brings people together and I think that is something that is really necessary right now.”

Maddock, a double major in chemistry and psychology and a volleyball player, understands the need to unplug from a busy schedule. “I am trying to make this space a safe place to decompress after a long day of work, school, sports, etcetera, and I think that that is really worth it to the students that participate.”