Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Inequalities in the health system regarding black women
Major(s): Biological Sciences
Project: This upcoming year I’m thinking about I’m thinking about having people be more away about black women when they need it. A lot of times in the hospital, most people won’t listen to black women.
Inspiration: What inspired me was myself. I was born with tricuspid atresia and during my hospital visits, I was attended too and cared for. I had realized that not a lot of black women like me had gotten this care and I wanted to change that.
Future Goals: With my community engagement and social impact work, I hope to accomplish more attentiveness to black women. I would also want more people to respect black women.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Communities in poverty, Migrants struggling in the U.S.
Major(s): Landscaping Architecture
Project: I think I want to help out in community’s in which people struggle to speak English, as well as people in poverty, specifically children. Something like helping Spanish speaking parents with translations for schools or making a group for after school that can help kids with homework, provide food or snacks, something in that field.
Inspiration: My parents came from Mexico and struggled to raise me and my siblings, it’s something I’m passionate about because I went through the hardship myself. Being able to help people going through similar experiences to mine is something that would bring me joy and a sense of achievement.
Future Goals: I hope to help parents and their children live a more normal life and bring them a sense of relief. I also hope to grow relationships with them and be a connection for them.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Improper parenting and how it can effect the mental health of kids, Child marriage, and no access to education due to poverty.
Major(s): Architecture
Project: For my Puksta project I really wanted to focus on how poverty has led to girls and women in most third world countries and how it has led to prostitution, trafficking, and child marriage through documentation of women.
Inspiration: Poverty leading to prostitution, and child marriage instead of education has always been an issue in my country, and it isn’t discussed enough because it’s been normalized in the culture, however reading one of my favorite book called Sold by Patricia Mccormick and movie Gangubai Kathiawadi really highlighted the sexual abuse kids and women have to go through in that kind of business.
Future Goals: I hope to highlight the wrongs of child marriage and pushing girls and women into the business of prostitution through a documentary of women who has been close to a victim of similar sexual abuse and child marriage, and by possibly reaching the communities who cannot afford education for their children and showing how they can get help and resources to get out from such positions.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Sexism, gender equality, and Racial Advocacy and Equity
Major(s): Explanatory Studies/Pre-Biomedical Engineering
Project: My Puksta Project aims to elevate awareness about the critical importance of maintaining efficient hospital equipment and its profound impact on patient care, particularly in neighborhoods predominantly composed of people of color, such as those in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. This initiative will involve a thorough investigation into the statistics and personal stories surrounding the consequences of delayed medical equipment repairs. Additionally, I will organize and lead workshops and presentations at schools, community centers, and through online platforms to engage and educate the community on this vital issue.
Inspiration: What inspired me was the prolonged delay I experienced in having my MRI appointment rescheduled from a two-week wait to a three-month delay, due to equipment malfunctions. This situation underscored a broader issue: the hospital, situated in a diverse and underserved neighborhood, appears to suffer from a lack of adequate resources and attention. This experience highlighted the urgent need for improved infrastructure and resource allocation to ensure timely and equitable care for all patients.
Future Goals: Through my community engagement and social impact work, I hope to accomplish Raising Public Awareness about the crucial role of efficient hospital equipment in ensuring quality patient care, particularly in underserved neighborhoods with significant populations of people of color, Highlight the negative impact of Equipment Delays on patients, And foster community involvement through empowering them with knowledge and encouraging collective action to address and resolve these healthcare challenges through my social impact work with Puksta.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Poverty, Mental Health, Environmental Issues
Major(s): Business Management and Entrepreneurship
Project: My goal is to help underrepresented communities’ businesses grow. I will learn to create sustainable enterprises, manage resources effectively, and foster entrepreneurship. I hope to start businesses that support my community’s growth, create employment opportunities, and preserve cultural traditions.
Inspiration: I was inspired because of the direct ties I have. Experiencing firsthand how difficult it can be to have the resources and knowledge to opportunities can be a huge obstacle to face without support.
Future Goals: I hope to accomplish a wider understanding of the different businesses ran by people from various backgrounds and what that entails. I want to give back to my community and be the support system people need.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Youth Mentoring, Education Equality
Major(s): Elementary Education
Project:I aspire to help first generation students feel supported through the college process. School is a luxury that many have the opportunity to complete but don’t have the access.
Inspiration: I am a first generation student. My struggles with attending school have been at large. I know a mentor could have made a huge difference in making the process seamless as possible.
Future Goals: I hope to help first generation students feel and like they belong. I thrive to help parents understand how important those deadlines are so there student can be successful.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Mental health issues in the black community, how mental health problems affect black women, how homelessness affects mental heath in black community.
Major(s): Psychology
Project:I’m considering collaborating with a mental health facility in South Africa to gain insights into how mental health issues impact various communities. My goal is to apply this knowledge to raise awareness about mental health within the African community in my local area. I’m hopeful that the organization I partner with will provide guidance on effective implementation strategies for this initiative.
Inspiration: I was inspired to choose this social issue because it is a rising issue in the African community, and I know too many of my people who either lost their lives because of this issue or is going down the wrong path and want to help bring that awareness and support.
Future Goals: My aim is to promote mental health awareness within the African community. Additionally, I seek to understand how to support individuals with mental health challenges while honoring their religious beliefs. This is particularly important for groups like the Zulu and Xhosa people, who often interpret mental health through a religious lens. I want to learn how to strike a balance between respecting their spiritual practices and providing effective mental health assistance.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Youth Mentoring, College Preparedness, Latinx Support, First Generational Support, Transitional Programs for College/University
Major(s): Biomedical Sciences (Anatomy and Physiology), Languages, Literatures and Cultures (Spanish)
Project: I was thinking about pursuing a project in helping First Generation and/or Latinx Students who are interested in Veterinary Medicine, and create a program where students will learn about the basics of Vet Med and as well as building a community and allow them to have college preparedness at Colorado State. This would be a summer program at Colorado State allowing students to become familiarized with the institution and gain support from current/past DVM students from CSU.
Inspiration: I decided to pursue this project because coming into Colorado State, I have always had the mindset of working towards becoming a Veterinarian, which led me to join/advocate for support groups for students like me. I joined Pre-Vet Club, Biomedical Student Association, declared a Pre-Vet Track and met with multiple people to help me on my track towards becoming a Veterinarian. All of these different programs are helpful but were a little intimidating and not helpful when entering my first year of college and being told i’m “already behind” on my requirements for the VMCAS and Vet School in general. Which sort of led to me thinking, Am I really prepared for Vet School… Should I even continue? Those thoughts still haunt me when I think about them now and I want to help students who were just like me to gain the knowledge and experience to help them feel prepared and know they are going into an institution where it’s much different than high school, and the start to their careers.
Future Goals: I hope to empower first generation students, latinx students and those who are interested in Veterinary Medicine, to feel prepared for their incoming year at Colorado State and allow them to gain different forms of knowledge whether it’s Veterinary Medicine or College Preparedness, but having them know that they are welcomed at an institution like CSU and providing as much support the summer before their first year up until their last semester at CSU.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Homelessness, Food insecurity, Environmental issues
Major(s): Landscape Architecture
Project:I am thinking of ways to incorporate communities into combatting food insecurity amongst students. I want to build a sense of community in where people feel like their doing an impact in society alongside provide fellow rams with resources that are needed.
Inspiration: My inspiration for this project stemmed from when I was young, I was able to give back to my community through canned food drives and gift baskets during holidays. This is what I am trying to incorporate among students at CSU, it offers a sense of community while fighting a serious social issue that gets disregarded a lot.
Future Goals: I hope to accomplish this with flyers or anything to get the word out about the resources that are offered on the CSU campus. Also to host canned food drives and I feel that would allow people to feel themselves making an impact which is the goal.
Posted on October 20, 2024
Issue(s) of Focus: Immigration
Major(s): Psychology
Project:This year I choose to focus on immigration because it shapes the cultural diversity and economic vitality of a community. Understanding immigration acknowledges the challenges and opportunities that come with integrating new residents into the social fabric.
Inspiration: I was inspired to choose immigration because it significantly impacts the dynamics of social change and civic engagement. Additionally, coming from an immigrant family I understand the barriers that different communities face. Additionally, this focus allows me to explore solutions to create a more just and fair society.
Future Plans: With my community engagement and social impact work, I hope to improve and create a more inclusive environment where new families can participate in civic life. By addressing the unique challenges faced by immigrants, I aim to enhance their integration and contribution to the community. This work will also help uncover and dismantle systemic barriers, leading to a more equitable and vibrant society.
