ATIM EKPE, COHORT 1

I was born and raised in Long Island, New York I am a second-generation American; my parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in the 80s. I am currently a Junior and Political Science major at the City College of New York. I have served as an Embedded Tutor for the Writing for Social Sciences class and an English Composition Tutor for high school juniors and seniors in conjunction with the CollegNow Program, at the Colin Powell School's City Tutors organization. I was drawn to the Beyond Identity Program by its promise of being a place where blossoming activists and scholars can partake in discourse and initiate action. Furthermore, I was excited by the idea of having an environment where scholars can conduct research as it pertains to gender issues, under the tutelage of activists and scholars in the field. Ultimately, I hope to continue this research into law school and study Human Rights Law so that I can better advocate for vulnerable women and young girls who are victimized by the laws in their countries. My hope is that someday my research will lead to the deconstruction of oppressive laws that dehumanize women and engender new laws that protect women and improve their quality of life.

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DALIA GRINAN, COHORT 1

Dalia Griñan is a Black Studies major and Women’s Studies minor.  She previously studied at Vassar College for two years before transferring to City College in Spring 2017.  Dalia aims to work in the reproductive and sexual health education field. Her specific interests center on designing and implementing educational programming that is socially conscious and LGBTQIA+ inclusive.  Dalia is excited to be able to take part in the Beyond Identity program and grateful for the opportunity. As a scholar and an activist, she aspires to follow the teachings of the many revolutionary women and femmes of color who have been doing justice work for generations.  Dalia hopes that the first cohort of the Beyond Identity program will be able to do meaningful work around coalition building, navigating identity politics, developing their voices, and leaving a legacy for CCNY students to further develop.

CHRISTELLE JASMIN, COHORT 1

Christelle Jasmin is a first-generation Haitian-American undergraduate student at the City College of New York. There she studies International Studies with a concentration in Development and Women’s Studies. Christelle has dedicated her intellectual career to thinking about sustainable agricultural innovations that will holistically address the pressing social and environmental issue that is the global food system. In this vein, Christelle enjoys studying food from various perspectives such as climate change, economic inequity, foreign policy, and feminist theory. As a Colin Partners for Change Health Justice Fellow, two years ago, Christelle wrote a policy brief to address health disparities unique to queer and transgender people of color for the Center for Popular Democracy. More recently, as a Weston Fellow, Christelle studied sustainable development and agricultural techniques at a Senegalese Ecovillage, where she spent most of her time on the Women’s Permaculture Garden. As a one-year Beyond Identity fellow, Christelle looks to improve her writing and explore more deeply the ways in which women of color are affected by big agriculture’s environmental degradation. Christelle is looking forward to engaging in meaningful and challenging discussions with her peers.