Campus Involvement With a Purpose with Kennedy

Transcript

Okay everyone, I can’t wait for you to meet these students. We’re gonna head over to the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center to hear from Kennedy. Who’s a sophomore on a pre-med track in the College of Applied Health Sciences. She’s so impressive in so many ways including her level of involvement on campus. There are well over 1000 student groups here, everything from academic and athletic to cultural and just plain social. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’re empowered to start your own official group. As you’ll hear from Kennedy, that’s exactly what she did. Kennedy, please take it away.

Hi everyone. As a first-generation college student I didn’t really know what to expect when my family moved me to campus my freshman year. One of the best things about my first week on campus was Quad Day. Quad Day is where hundreds of registered student organizations set up tables across the main quad to invite people to join. There’s really something for everyone from ultimate Frisbee, to volunteer opportunities, to creative writing. Seeing all of the possibilities inspired me to start an organization that I saw a need for on campus, a pre-med mentoring organization.

Many people assume that pre-med students personally know a doctor or have doctors in their family. For a lot of people including myself, this isn’t the case. I was telling a friend this as we we’re leaving Quad Day and he said that I should start an organization. So, I did. Months later, my small idea turned into an official registered student organization called Mentors in Medicine. We help pre-med students get exposure to medicine through research, volunteering, and mentoring. Some of the other organizations I’ve been involved in have had a huge impact on my college experience. My freshman year, I quickly got involved with two of the culture houses on campus, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center or the BNAACC and La Casa Cultural Latina.

One of my favorite memories is the Annual Black and Latino Woman Summit. This summit consists of different sessions surrounding wellness, academic success and preparing for our future careers. This was an incredible experience because I was able to connect with different students and faculty and talk about critical issues and how to be allies for one another. I grew up in a neighborhood in Chicago where most of my peers don’t even consider college as an option and I wanna do whatever I can to help change those perceptions. As a student here, I advocate for increased college enrollment and retention as an ambassador for the Office of Minority Student Affairs.

I am also a resident advisor with university housing. I love being a Resident Advisor because I’m able to guide students in their transition to Illinois by really connecting with them and being a resource. The residents on my floor are all friends and it’s a really welcoming community. It has meant everything to me to be able to help other first year, first-generation and historically underrepresented students.

After I graduate, I plan on attending medical school and becoming a family medicine physician. I want to serve underrepresented minority populations in Chicago to eliminate healthcare disparities and ultimately improve the healthcare field. The University of Illinois has prepared me academically with the rigorous science courses and interdisciplinary curriculum, and socially with the culturally diverse organizations that I’m a part of. Well, that’s just a small piece of my story here at U of I. Thank you for having me share it. Back to you, Alex.

Thanks for sharing your story Kennedy. It’s really inspiring because it’s never just about you. You’re always looking for ways to include and help others, which is what involvement and inclusion are all about here on campus. Thanks for sharing. Bye, Kennedy.