Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of focus: World Homelessness / Hunger, Financial Aid and College Students, African Corruption.
Major(s): Software Engineering
Project: I am considering my Puksta project to reduce food waste and address world hunger. I plan on researching local sources of food waste and then developing a solution, such as partnering with businesses for food donation programs. While I may not make a significant dent in the global hunger statistics alone, I believe that even If I were to make a difference for one person or family, I would have accomplished something meaningful.
Inspiration:Witnessing Sudan’s world hunger deeply affected me and sparked my interest in this issue. Seeing my family members having to deal with food scarcity due to food waste is why I want to research this issue and find solutions to reduce it.
Future Goals: Through my community engagement and social impact work focused on reducing food waste, I want to raise local awareness in Denver about food waste and its connection to hunger issues. I also plan on being able to contribute to the broader conversation about sustainable food systems and resource management.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Youth mentoring/Education Equity
Major(s): Health and Exercise Science
Project: In completing my Puksta project, I aspire to aid minorities, particularly first generation students, in successfully navigating through the hardships of being in an entirely new educational environment. Throughout this year, I hope to begin pursuing my project by raising awareness on issues such as lack of resources and support being provided and not being easily accesible to first generation students. Raising awareness is a crucial step in building a community of inclusiveness and equity in higher education so that is where I will begin.
Inspiration: What inspired me to choose this project is the negative impact that educational inequity and lack of mentoring had on me during my freshman year here at CSU, and I still notice the effects of these hardships now. I constantly found myself in environments where my peers would know how to access and utilize all resources provided to them while I’d be lost and discouraged when it came to my experiences and concerns. A lot of this was because I did not have a community to turn to since my family was not able to give me academic advice when it comes to college due to inexperience. I yearn to provide accessible support systems to first generation students so they do not have to undergo the same situations.
Future Plans: My goal is to make the transitioning into college experience a less frightening obstacle for first generation students and students of color. I want to assure students that they are not alone throughout this journey and they do belong, despite the doubts and hardships that may arise due to being introduced to an unfamiliar academic environment.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Health and Exercise Science
Project: I’m thinking of pursuing Mental Health Awareness within CSU’s community. There could be some improvement in the CSU health network by providing a fund for the inclusion of more people of color to counsel. The system that the health network uses currently is time-consuming and difficult to understand for many students seeking help.
Inspiration: I’ve always struggled to reach out for help, so trying to get myself to go to counseling was incredibly difficult. I’ve been to the CSU health network at least three times since being in college and still haven’t received adequate help. The appointments take a minute to make, the appointments are inconsistent, I was with a different counselor almost every session, and I felt like there wasn’t any diversity amongst the counselors I spoke to. So, as a black woman. I didn’t feel comfortable in a place where I was supposed to feel safe.
Future Plans: I’d want people of color who struggle to fit into the CSU community to get the right counseling service they deserve. I’d also hope that having a fund would help boost the chances of people going to get help. This would also make the school look better in terms of the action they take on what’s important.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Biology/Pre-nursing
Project: I want to create an art exhibition of art that has been made from people who struggle with all sorts of addictions.
Inspiration: Growing up in a household grappling with the challenges of drug issues has fueled my determination to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Inspired by the lessons learned while supporting my family, I am driven to contribute meaningfully, particularly in light of the ongoing homeless crisis affecting communities across America.
Future Plans: I aspire to enlighten individuals on more effective approaches to address drug addiction, while also shedding light on systemic flaws within the American system. Through education and awareness, I aim to contribute to a broader understanding of these issues and advocate for positive change in our societal structures.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Entrepreneurship
Minor: Finance
Project: What I would like to pursue for my Puksta Project is equal educational opportunity for minorities. From elementary and forward, motivating and providing resources to students of color to attend higher education and advanced classes such as honors, AP and IB in order to promote and have more diversity in advanced education.
Inspiration: What inspired me to choose this project was my experience in the education system. I grew up taking honors, AP, and IB classes which were predominately white. I always felt out of place and my peers and teachers never helped me feel included or smart enough. I would like to encourage and motivate students of color to take these advanced classes because we are all worthy of a higher education.
Future Plans: What I hope to accomplish is making advanced classes more diverse. By making these classes more diverse more and more students of color will feel comfortable and worthy enough to take advanced classes which in the long run benefit their academic career.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Public Policy, English, Socio-Legal studies
Project: Political representation is one of the most important protections that we are granted as Americans. However, our most vulnerable populations will oftentimes go underrepresented in political polls, rallies, voting and other activities such as protests and city council meetings. As conversations of equity and equality continue to prevail within society, so must the tangible tools that we utilize to materialize these very ideals. It is imperative that our institutions promote the importance of civic engagement through education and access. I hope to help contribute to this growth by working with a varied of organizations that advocate for the systemic time and resources equal civic engagement.
Inspiration: Growing up I went to school to a densely populated public elementary school and then obtained a scholarship to attend a private school. This experience allowed me to see the differences between these two institutions of education, and how some children, given their economic background, are granted a much greater opportunity within their education. This difference had much to do with funding but was also influenced by culture, pedagogies, and expectations, all of which seemed influenced by race, class, and socioeconomic status. My hope is that all kids, regardless of background, have the opportunity to a quality education.
Future Plans: My hope is to learn more information about how the educational system affects younger children and in what ways it could be improved so that every child reach their highest potential. Through Public Policy, I’d like to learn how we can create sustained change for K-12 public schools in Denver and also across the US.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Psychology
Project: Currently I’m working in CCESL’s youth organizing program to help high school student produce change in their communities. In the future, I want to work more with students on tutoring/mentoring to push more students to make it to college.
Inspiration: I grew up in more underfunded areas of Denver where opportunities were not readily available. I wanted to change the way I grew up for those younger than me as the few opportunities I was given changed my life. I want to be that change that I received.
Future Plans: I want to push low-income students to pursue their education. I want to give them the tools to be able to get scholarships and get accepted.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Psychology
Project: In my Puska Pathway project I am looking for mental health areas. Specifically going into sexual assault awareness and domestic violence. I would love to work towards and find new ways to aid people and families in these intense situations.
Inspiration: This social issue sparked a passion inside of me because of my own history with sexual assault I wish I could have known what to do or who to turn to for help and different ways to find the solution to my problem. As for domestic violence, my mom has had a history of domestic violence and one of the main things that kept her in the situation was not knowing what to do or who to ask for help.
Future Plans: I hope to create first of all more awareness around these social issues but also to help find new ways to fight for the people who are going through situations like this. Also, find ways to give free mental health help to families.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Entrepreneurship
Project: Advocating for Mental Health Awareness and providing outlets for self-expression.
Inspiration: I want to emphasize the importance of self-expression and individuality. The more one accepts and appreciates oneself and is aligned with how one wants to express oneself, the better one’s mental health and well-being are. The more we think and act this way, the more we prosper as a society and individuals. A healthy outlet to do so is through art. The core sense of self and art are closely related. Art helps us all. It is very beneficial for us as it is a form of expression that fosters our natural need for self-expression and fulfillment to communicate feelings and sentiments towards anything. The world becomes a better and happier place to live in via the power of art. Art is all around us and open for interpretation, leaving a big void to fill, and allowing us all to get involved.
Future Plans: Looking ahead, I aspire to be a guiding light for upcoming artists in Denver, championing individuality. I have a wealth of creativity to share with the world, but more importantly, along the way, I want to empower others to express themselves, particularly in my community.
Posted on November 1, 2023
Major: Accounting
Project: Spreading student loans and debt awareness in DPS High School.
Inspiration: The raising of student loans and debt in society inspired me to work with high school students regarding student loans. Student loans should not be normalized because it harms students after graduation.
Future Plans: With my project, I wish to get more students to apply for scholarships and find alternate ways to finance for college instead of getting loans. I want to make sure the students that I help graduate with high school knowing they don’t have student loans to worry about later.
