Major

Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Minor

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies

Hometown

Villanova, Pennsylvania

An issue of public concern I’m passionate about is …

Immigration advocacy! Specifically, I feel strongly about providing direct support for individuals detained in ICE detention centers by connecting them with legal aid, documenting conditions in the center and helping put each individual’s personal experience into a shareable format that maintains the integrity of their experiences.

Engagement or community service experience

I am currently the vice president of the Cornell Anti-Detention Alliance (CADA). CADA is a group of passionate students who are committed to providing justice for asylum-seekers who are wrongfully incarcerated in ICE’s Buffalo Federal Detention Center, the largest immigration detention facility in the Northeast.

Through fundraising, pen-pal letter writing, social media campaigns, protests, visitations and other direct services, we work to make sure that all migrants’ rights are recognized and to establish a reliable support system for migrants. Personally, CADA has changed my life as my relationship with one previously detained individual, Ingrid, has opened me not only to the world of Spanish but also to one of compassion and openness. Although I cannot be of legal assistance to her, Ingrid highlights the importance of conversation and friendship to get through hardship. Through communicating with her, I realize that we are not as different as political discourse makes us out to be.

Ingrid, and I, although from different countries, both want the opportunity to connect with people and consequently spread love and acceptance. In sum, my work with CADA has shown me that family is not defined by last name, or even locational proximity. Instead, family originates from love and care. Ingrid, along with the other migrants I have been in contact with, are strong beautiful people whose hardworking and inclusive spirits are what this country needs. It breaks my heart to think that they are considered illegal on this stolen land.

A quote that inspires me

“The most successful women in the world are totally, crushingly vulnerable. So are most successful men.” —Helen Gurley Brown, the creator of Cosmopolitan magazine

Fun fact

I am a twin! My twin sister is in ILR here at Cornell.