The Importance of Affinity Groups on Campus - 4/26/2021

 Conversation Overview

Please join Cynthia Ruffin, Jacqueline Rose, & LaCoya Katoe Gessesse with Special Guests: Antioch University Seattle, Black Student Union Members for a Messy Conversation on the importance of Affinity groups on campus.

The AULA BSU will host a Messy Conversations to encourage a conversation on the purpose and designation of affinity groups on campus such as ours, the Black Student Union. We will determine how many on campus are aware of the organization and its history. It is also an opportunity to educate others regarding the statistical information of support and assistance provided by their fellow students, faculty co-advisors, and community members for matriculating African American students across national college campuses in America.

Cynthia Ruffin - BA in Liberal Arts AULA 2013. Master in NonProfit Management 2021. Founder and Director, Revolutionary Angel Productions, a groundbreaking mission-based and value-driven production company investing in communities by producing socially relevant content for businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. By questioning and disrupting the status quo, RAP's films ignite the imagination and reflect a deep and abiding love for humanity. Staff Co-Sponsor of BSU.

Jacqueline Rose is a new student at Antioch University Los Angeles currently in attendance as a Bachelors's Program Liberal Arts major, emphasizing creative writing. She anticipates completing an MFA in Creative Writing at Antioch. With more than 20 years of combined professional and volunteer efforts in education, including former ventures as a Cultural Diversity Outreach Scholarship Program Administrator, Teaching Assistant, Men Aiming Higher, Inc. Fundraising Chair, and School District Communication Liaison, Jacqueline has had a rewarding career helping students fulfill their educational goals from primary to secondary education through successful college matriculation.

LaCoya Katoe Gessesse (she/her/hers) is a faculty member in the Antioch University Los Angeles Undergraduate Studies Program. A graduate of Antioch's MFA program, she is also a writing tutor in the Teaching and Learning Center, a freelance writer, and a teaching artist who has facilitated literature, poetry, and writing workshops for underserved teens in Chicago and Los Angeles. LaCoya is currently the AULA BSU faculty co-sponsor.