RAMAPO STUDENTS:
PRIDE AND PASSION FOR
HELPING OTHERS
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Ramapo College students are dedicated, engaged and committed. They are united in their compassion and give creatively of their time. On campus, off-site or in another country, almost 700 students, as well as the members of more than 90 clubs and Greek organizations, are involved in community service, service learning projects, cooperative education, Alternative Spring Break and fund raising. All tallied, their efforts yield thousands of hours of community service and thousands of dollars raised for philanthropic causes. These students are not exceptional. Rather, their deeds are typical of the Ramapo College experience.
Gesmene Ulysse, president of Omega Phi Chi, ticked off a list of community events she and her sisters participated in during the fall: Light the Night Walk for family and survivors of leukemia and lymphoma, Take Back the Night, sponsored by the Women's Center and a Breast Cancer Walk. They also raised funds to support World Vision, a relief and advocacy organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure that supports research and programs for breast health education and CEO Women, an organization that creates economic opportunities for low-income immigrant and refugee women.
The Computer and Technology Club brought cheer to five Ramapo students serving in Iraq and their military units by coordinating an Adopt-A-Ramapo-Soldier Program. Sponsored by the Association of the United States Army, club members mobilized Ramapo students, staff and area residents to donate personal care products, food, CDs, books, phone cards and other items requested by soldiers. "The club set a minimum goal of 2,500 items, one for each of the soldiers serving in these five units," said Kathleen Walsh, president of the club. Choosing this service project was a given for Walsh, who has interned with the Department of Defense at Fort Monmouth for three years. Ultimately, more than 11,000 items were collected.
Stephanie Stroh combines compassion with a curiosity about other cultures. She's been to China, Egypt, Isreal, Italy and South Korea to help in local communities and will travel to Tanzania this month to participate in a youth outreach and counseling program. It was during a semester-long cooperative education program at a for-profit company, however, that she decided to pursue a career in the non-profit sector. "I always had a passion for helping others, but I wasn't sure if I wanted this to be my career or a hobby," she said. The December 2008 graduate, who earned a B.S. in Business Administration, said, "My business degree has given me practical knowledge of how to use my time to better serve the world. Not all business is about making a profit - the end goal can be focused on providing value for society." Stroh wants to pursue a career in human rights advocacy.
