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https://ow.ly/4Prw50Rr727! (Repost: Humans of Macaulay)
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🌟 Our second scholar of our Kenan Scholar series is Raitah! 🌟
The Kenan Scholars group is meant to address and advocate for the issue of houselessness. The first semester is spent volunteering with Xavier Mission to assist folks who are in need of meals and food. So the first semester of the program is essentially meant for us to dive in directly into the issue, which helps to contextualize what we will be doing for the second semester, where we'll be going more into policy and advocacy. My experience overall has been fruitful.
In this issue, I think intersectionality is especially crucial. Xavier Mission doesn't cater to a particular demographic. As a Muslim and a Bengali woman, and because my gender, my race, and my religion all impact the way I go about and perceive the world. So interpolating that into the housing issue, women and children are going to be more vulnerable. At Kenan, we see this particular population as people instead of stigmatizing them.
My ultimate goal is to become a physician and I'm particularly passionate about primary care. I believe Kenan helps to facilitate my goals by enabling me to work and volunteer and advocate for diverse populations and diverse demographics. Through the Kenan program, I am being taught to use advocacy and to apply my academic rights as a student.
Raitah Jinnat, Hunter College '25
Interviewer: Avi Mikhaylov, Hunter College '24
