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Turning to a random person at NYU and hearing what they’ve done always makes me marvel at how successful that student is: balancing a full credit load, maintaining a social life, leading extracurriculars and working one, two or even three jobs. If that’s not the epitome of doing well, I am not quite sure what is. However, few students in the following pages would label themselves as such. The modesty they exude cloaks their accomplishments as, after some prodding, they humbly discuss their outside roles and industry impacts. From penning New York Times best sellers to running international companies, these students could easily flaunt even one accomplishment. But most choose to instead keep digging and working harder with the passions they chose — or maybe the passions they found too compelling to resist — as they pursue their next steps. This issue was a truly a labor of love as my amazing managing team helped choose the final 10, because how could one person’s attainment within their industry rank higher than another’s? But Sierra Jackson, Kaitlyn Wang and Lexi Faunce — a trio of the most up and coming people I have ever met — ensured their keen discernment won over my desire to cram every nominee into the following pages. Had they not helped whittle down the submissions, our outstanding creative director duo of Rachel Buigas-Lopez and Laura Shkouratoff would surely have left us to fend for ourselves as we grappled with the limited InDesign knowledge we could scrap together off Google. They instead designed this gorgeous issue between tireless hours of class, sports and everything else they excel at doing. But they would have no visuals to work with, had it not been for the strong multimedia team that Polina Buchak and Veronica Liow fearlessly led for this issue. They coordinated and oversaw the video and photoshoot, which Viola Mai, Euan Prentis, Ryan Quan and Julia Saliba helped execute with the utmost professionalism and panache. They worked long hours to ensure the multimedia content online looked immaculate. Yet nobody on the team worked as rigorously or for as long as our two brilliant copy chiefs Emily Fagel and Katherine Platz did. Their sharp pens and even sharper eyes caught every Oxford Comma, missing dot and too -short em dash, for which I am eternally grateful. However, the largest thanks from this team effort goes to the 10 individuals who grace the following pages. Their trailblazing, innovative and can-do attitudes help shape the world we know today, and we could not be more awed by their accomplishments. The Washington Square News team hopes you find as much amazement in their work as we did.

DIAMOND NAGA SIU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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TRANSLATING HUMAN RIGHTS BY THOMAS PRICE, OPINION EDITOR

I cared so deeply about [human rights], more than most things I had ever done before in my life.

STAFF PHOTO BY VERONICA LIOW

Maybe it’s the yoga. Or maybe it’s her natural serenity. But more than likely, it’s Angie Liao’s knowledge that being frazzled does nothing to advance the human rights issues that fuel her near-unparalleled commitment to the lives of the people around her. Despite the constant bustle of the many passions and responsibilities that surround this senior Gallatina’s life, she does not project an aura of disarray. Her bushel of energy parallels her demanding life, and Liao commits her all to each and every task placed in front of her. As a child of immigrants, Liao had spent much of her life distanced from her roots. But in hopes of getting in touch with her Chinese heritage, Liao applied for the Gallatin Human Rights Fellowship to work in a large public interest law firm in Beijing during the summer of 2014. While there, she also worked on a research project focused on civil and political human rights in China. Although her desire to learn more about her Chinese background drove her to apply for the fellowship, her subsequent work then took her down a human rights rabbit hole few have followed. “It happened really out of nowhere,” she said. “I cared so deeply about it, more than most things I had ever done before in my life.” Now a Gallatin senior concentrating in Human Rights Law and Human Expression, paired with a minor in Social and Cultural Analysis, Liao is deeply invested in human rights work and focuses on immigration, especially within the Chinese community. Liao is currently the co-founder and director of the Cantos Translations Public Interest Fellowship; an intern with the Liberty and National Security program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law; and a supporter and fellow at the Humanity in Action Foundation. Her heritage continues to influence the work she does today. Her work with the Cantos Translations Public Interest Fellowship provides free translation and interpretation services to various community-based organizations in New York that directly benefit Chinese immigrants in the area. She believes the community is sometimes underserved because of its roots. “The Chinese immigrant community is not always as visible as other populations,” Liao said. “Because they are so historically rooted, people forget they are there, and they still face challenges.” Liao also continues her work at Humanity in Action, where she was named a fellow in 2016 and hopes to lead a fellowship there in the future. She currently does administrative work in the New York office, but her original fellowship took her to Warsaw, Poland. While working in Europe, she was a vital part of a campaign that helped bring native Poles and immigrants together to find common ground in what they both love about their country. Her group’s Facebook page, Inicjatywa Dom Pl, raked in over double the initial two-week goal for likes. Alex Granato, a friend who accompanied Liao to Warsaw, saw Liao’s extraordinary impact, especially in how she speaks with great thought and even greater empathy. Granato lauded Liao’s natural talent for considering the views of others, while still voicing her own thoughts. “It is truly rare to meet a person bettering the world who is also diligently working to better themselves,” Granato said. “But Angie is. She asks questions of herself, she asks more of herself, she considers and challenges and reflects. It is one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen, and it tells me that not only will she make a difference in this world, but that it will be the kind of difference that lasts. That matters.” Liao’s character and work ethic make her stand out among peers, and her former supervisor, Gallatin Director of Communications Aaron Cedolia, admires her drive. “Angie is so curious and driven, with a seemingly boundless energy that you cannot help but be drawn into her work and her passions,” Cedolia said. Her passion, genuine zeal for life and the work that she does stems from her humbleness. Liao, as an NYU student, said she recognizes the privilege of the resources this university provides, though she admitted that she does not believe the institution protects all of its students equally. “I’m cognizant of that,” Liao said. “I think that’s something that everyone who is doing work that gets really supported and well recognized should also think about. That’s something I think about too: that I could be doing more.” Email Thomas Price at tprice@nyunews.com.

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AN ADVOCATE FOR ALL BY GABRIELLA BOWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Political engagement is crucial for youth and the millennial generation to advance the causes we are dedicated to and care deeply about.

STAFF PHOTO BY EUAN PRENTIS

Daniel Brioso chose NYU for the micro communities it fosters, but he never could have imagined his beloved communities that would be so blatantly threatened by the current president. But giving up has never been in Brioso’s vocabulary. During Brioso’s early elementary school years, he was afflicted by selected mutism and put in special education classes. Since overcoming that challenge, he has tirelessly worked to reclaim his voice and make sure it’s heard. “That experience made me realize quite literally my voice is something that I reclaimed,” Brioso said. “I knew I needed to work in an industry or a field that gave a voice to others and raised their voice. If I went through mutism and I exited it, it was for a reason.” A Long Island native, Brioso grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood. During high school, he learned of the difficulties students of color and low-income students faced in his community’s education system. For example, tutoring services provided by his high school’s National Honor Society came at the cost of $20 per hour. Brioso knew these services should have been available to all students, regardless of their backgrounds. With the help of his guidance counselor, Brioso established the first free, district-wide tutoring service and has helped over 1,000 students of all ages. Although he thrived while working for accessible education, his predominantly white surroundings made it hard for Brioso to truly come into his own as a Latino until recently. Now, prouder than ever, Brioso tirelessly works to advocate for and give back to the Hispanic community. “It took me a while to realize that even if I lack the features that other people qualify as Latino only I can qualify myself and I am a Latino,” Brioso said. “We come in all shades and from all backgrounds. To be Latino is to harbor a multitude of identities.” Although only a sophomore, Brioso has already made strides in working for both the communities he is a part of and the communities he is an ally to. The summer after his freshman year, Brioso interned for Global Citizen, where his work focused on gathering research from the United Nations and the World Bank about discriminatory laws in foreign countries that disenfranchise women from owning property. Brioso and his colleagues used this research to encourage multinational corporations to fund women-owned business in these countries and in the United States. The research led the United Parcel Service, Walmart and Johnson and Johnson to commit $300 million at the fifth annual Global Citizen Festival in 2016. Brioso also worked with Hillary for America starting in August 2016. He helped translate materials including voter registration forms, social media captions and video subtitles from English to Spanish. In addition, Brioso phoned Latino constituencies around the country and facilitated voter outreach. He also managed the Hillary en Espanol Twitter account, answering questions from Latino voters who wanted to be informed about the election. Although the election results came as a shock to Brioso, they helped him realize that now more than ever his work is needed to support the communities he’s been fighting for since high school. “Political engagement is crucial for youth and the millennial generation to advance the causes we are dedicated to and care deeply about,” Brioso said. In January of 2017, Brioso began working with the American Civil Liberties Union as a community organizer to encourage college students in New York City to become more politically active. In addition to Brioso’s internships, he is a Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government Public Policy and Leadership Fellow, through which professors and master’s students from the Harvard Kennedy School introduce the fellows — who are primarily minority students — to what a career in public policy would look like. Brioso also serves as a People for the American Way Foundation Young People For Fellow. As a YP4 Fellow, Brioso channels his passion for educational accessibility into developing a year-long program to provide education to first generation students of color as well as undocumented students. As an aspiring writer and civil rights lawyer, Brioso is well on his way and has already begun forming a circle of advocates and allies, as well as supportive friends. CGPH and CAS senior Ashley Holyfield is one of those friends. “As a son of immigrants, as a first-generation college student, as someone who has openly discussed his struggle with his multi-faceted identity, Daniel’s life has certainly been far from smooth-sailing,” Holyfield said. “But he was somehow able to push through all of this while continually striving to be better and give back to his communities. And as Daniel is on this road to obvious achievement, he’s somehow still so oblivious to the immense impact he has on every person he meets.” Brioso said it is imperative to stand for intersectional activism and to combine issues you are passionate about with other movements, because no issue is singular. While the fight for equality across the board is a difficult job, Brioso keeps a firm hold on his convictions and remembers what matters most. “To be in a country that may not appreciate or love you, it is revolutionary to love yourself and love your community,” Brioso said. Email Gabriella Bower at gbower@nyunews.com.

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BRIDGING INEQUALITY WITH DRAMA BY KAITLYN WANG, MANAGING EDITOR

I honestly want my curriculum to be implemented in every school in Pune before I go national. We have 700 schools in my city alone.

STAFF PHOTO BY VIOLA MAI

For Arya Diwase, all the world’s a stage — and in her opinion, commanding the stage might be the best way to learn English. While a freshman, Diwase fused her eloquent verbal communication skills with her passion for social change by co-founding the non-profit Jazz Hands. The organization teaches English to children through drama and is based in Pune, India — where Diwase grew up. This idea first came to the CAS junior when she identified a major problem within the Indian education system. According to Diwase, many Indian public schools lack the funding to teach students properly — it is not uncommon for a teacher to lead classes of 70 students whose educational levels span multiple grades. Unless students come from wealthier families with the means to attend private schools, they have few public school opportunities after the eighth grade. This impedes paths to higher education, because the 10th grade college entrance exam positions students from underprivileged public schools at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to the test’s English portion. Jazz Hands aims to bridge that class gap by connecting volunteers attending private schools or college with young students who attend public schools. By matching them together, Diwase hopes to establish greater cross-class empathy. “There’s this huge socioeconomic divide in India,” Diwase said. “In my own private school, we never were in a situation where we had to interact with someone who didn’t have the same facilities or experiences we did.” Since recognizing this gap and starting Jazz Hands, Diwase has seen the organization grow exponentially. At its inception, the program operated out of a single public school in Pune with only a handful of volunteers in the summer. And the following year, the program expanded to two schools with 180 volunteers. Now in its third year, Jazz Hands is launching a year-round program and adding a third school. This rapid expansion has garnered the attention of people even outside Pune — Diwase said she has gotten calls about bringing the program to other Indian cities. She is optimistic about its future and hopes to expand into Mumbai and eventually to all of India. “I honestly want my curriculum to be implemented in every school in Pune before I go national,” Diwase said. “We have 700 schools in my city alone. There are 700 schools that are not functioning properly — these 700 schools have so many students who are not learning properly. After that I will definitely expand. We will go to Mumbai. We will go anywhere.” She said the beauty of Jazz Hands is that it can be implemented anywhere in the world with just the curriculum and people who care and are willing to put in the time. Jazz Hands was listed as one of World Corporate Social Responsibility Day’s 50 Most Impactful Social Innovators in 2017, making Diwase a leader in global social entrepreneurship. That means at only 20 years old, she is already one of the top people in the world using entrepreneurial techniques for social change. But despite her youth, Diwase carries herself with the maturity and ability of someone decades older. Anushka Desai, the head of Human Resources for Jazz Hands, appreciates Diwase’s capability and said she has a warm rapport with both the volunteers and children. She described Diwase as a quick-witted and reliable leader with a strong sense of social justice. “She is very straightforward and unbiased, and that makes her a great leader,” Desai said. “Having worked with her for two years, I’ve seen that she is capable of dealing with stressful situations with tact and quick thinking.” But Jazz Hands isn’t the only way Diwase demonstrates her ability. At NYU, she studies environmental sciences and broadcast journalism with hopes of attending law school. And all this leads to a singular goal: to change the world. “Even though I wanted to do environmental studies, I never wanted to get into the science of it, since I wanted to get into policy,” Diwase said. “What I wanted to do was something that would bring about change, and I think journalism is a powerful medium to do that and so is law.” As Diwase spends her undergraduate career exploring these passions, she is also honing her skills with NYU’s award-winning Mock Trial team. As the treasurer and captain of the B team, it isn’t hard to guess where Diwase hides her confidence and shrewd public speaking ability — she doesn’t. She is both a veteran and leader on the team, so Diwase doesn’t hesitate to help anyone who asks, especially her newer team members — she always offers assistance despite her busy schedule. But that’s just the kind of person Diwase is: motivated, dedicated and nonstop. She’s changing the world, one show at a time. Email Kaitlyn Wang at kwang@nyunews.com.

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HITTING STIGMAS OUT OF THE PARK BY JEMIMA MCEVOY, NEWS EDITOR

I would like to take on a leadership role and fill a staff of women to show that it is possible, because I don’t think people realize that women know what is going on [with] baseball.

STAFF PHOTO BY EUAN PRENTIS

René Rismondo wants to break into the boys’ club — a term used by women to reference the male domination of the baseball industry. The gender disparity in baseball is exemplified by the lack of female presence in Rismondo’s sports business classes. Although she is outnumbered by her male peers, Rismondo is already making strides to diversify the industry with her internships at the Major League Baseball Players Association and World Baseball Classic. “There are such gender issues in the game,” Rismondo said. “In the beginning it was ‘I want to do this but I don’t know if I’ll ever be successful.’ But then after [being in the industry] for a few years and still being subject to that sexism, it really motivates me. I want to make equal what wasn’t equal for women before me in baseball.” Rismondo has felt the gender inequality first-hand since starting her job at the MLBPA during her freshman year. She feels it in the dearth of women around her, but that imbalance has never affected her passion for the sport. Although they are from Pennsylvania, Rismondo’s family would buy season tickets to the Mets each year. She recalled making frequent three-hour drives to Shea Stadium — which later inspired the name for her golden retriever — and returning home early the following morning. After years of watching from the bleachers, Rismondo decided to transform her passion into a profession. Luckily, her first year at NYU coincided with the return of the university’s varsity baseball team. Although the team wasn’t looking for additional staff, Rismondo took initiative by asking for a position recording game statistics. She has since become the team’s manager. “NYU baseball has had my back, and they have been a family to me here,” Rismondo said. “The coach in particular has really helped me in sparking my career, and he hasn’t doubted me for a second. He lets me in the dugout with the guys and lets me stat [record statistics for] the game without questioning my decisions.” Schack Institute of Real Estate junior and NYU baseball player Cameron Serapilio Frank said the entire team has been impressed with Rismondo’s commitment to the game from the very beginning. According to Serapilio Frank, she has proved herself as irreplaceable in the smooth facilitation of practices and games. “We didn’t so much see her as one of the guys, and we also didn’t just see her as a manager,” Serapilio Frank said. “She became a part of the baseball family. She is really in love with the game as much as the guy next to her.” Serapilio Frank said that what makes Rismondo unique is her passion for the sport. While some people pursue a career in sports business because they want to make money, he believes that Rismondo does it simply because she loves the game. “Her work ethic and her dedication — her interning as well as being a full-time student while managing a young team, is something that I don’t think anyone else could do,” Serapilio Frank said. “Her ability to somehow be on top of everything is the most admirable thing. I have never seen anything like it.” In addition to her responsibilities with the NYU baseball team, Rismondo serves as the President of the 2017 Class Activities Board. A lot the work she does for CAB is behind-the-scenes, but Rismondo said that she doesn’t need recognition. For her, organizing a successful event people care about is what makes her feel accomplished. Both Serapilio Frank and Rismondo identified that her success stems from her ability to operate outside of traditional boundaries — whether that be challenging gender stereotypes or forging her own career path. “I feel like right now certain professions and certain majors and certain jobs are very black and white, or by the book,” Rismondo said. “You have to take X to get to Y, you have to learn how to do this before that, and a lot of that is taught by school before you can even get to the real world. Whereas I think I have taken a different path to get there, and my life has been very in between the lines.” She doesn’t know what’s next for her, but her focus will remain on influencing women in the baseball industry. Currently, equal opportunity under Title IX dictates that only men can play baseball, and women must play softball instead. Rismondo said that she wishes she could have had the opportunity to play baseball, but this deprivation has caused her to seek a more inclusive and modernized definition of equal opportunity. “I would like to inspire other women in baseball operations,” Rismondo said. “I would like to take on a leadership role and fill a staff of women to show that it is possible, because I don’t think people realize that women know what is going on [with] baseball.” Email Jemima McEvoy at jmcevoy@nyunews.com.

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THE MAN IN THE ‘MAGA’ HAT BY SIERRA JACKSON, MANAGING EDITOR

I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made. I sleep well every night. And if I’ve learned one thing from politics, you’re not going to make everybody happy — far from it.

STAFF PHOTO BY JULIA SALIBA

On the night of the most suspenseful event in U.S. politics, SPS senior Eli Nachmany — buried amongst a sea of red hats and matching ties — screamed in celebration at President Donald Trump’s victory party at the New York Hilton Midtown. But working for the winning candidate’s campaign isn’t a feat one accomplishes overnight — five years of hard work culminated in this glorious moment for Nachmany. Nachmany received the first of many peeks into the political world through an opportunity offered by his New Jersey high school after accepting an internship at his local state senator’s office. He was thrown into a back room to sortmail, arrange envelopes and stamp documents with the senator’s seal. Although this wasn’t the engaging political internship he yearned for, this first step afforded him new opportunities. Nachmany has since interned at the congressman’s, governor’s and U.S. District Court offices in New Jersey. He has also held positions at the U.S. House of Representatives and on Chris Christie’s presidential campaign. “It just kept being a series of opportunities that I really could not turn down,” Nachmany said. “At the time, whatever I was doing seemed like the coolest thing in the world.” Most recently, this attitude led Nachmany to work on Trump’s campaign and later for the team that organized the inauguration. He received a call from NYU alumna and former Trump campaign employee Megan Powers asking if he could be on a plane to Toledo, Ohio the next day. Without a second thought, he said yes. Nachmany initially worked as a site advance for the campaign, arriving at a location several days before the candidate’s scheduled visit to prepare for the event. He said his job encompassed everything from ensuring that event staff had outfitted the venue with sound and lighting to planning the aircraft arrival and motorcade route with Secret Service. During the last week of the election, Nachmany was promoted to assistant to the traveling press secretary for Trump’s presidential campaign, and he facilitated press coverage for the candidate’s events. “A good portion of my job was also listening, because I was the contact for the administration on the ground,” Nachmany explained. “People felt comfortable sharing their stories, thoughts, feelings and beliefs with us.” On one such occasion, Nachmany accompanied Trump’s tour of Staub Manufacturing Solutions in Dayton, Ohio. Nachmany said the employees had gifted the entourage with an Ohio-shaped piece of sheet metal with the Trump-Pence logo painted in red and thanked Trump for acknowledging their concerns and sacrifices. “Many of them — these are Ohioans, these are real salt-of-the-earth good people — play a pivotal part in making that chair, the chairs that we’re sitting on right now, or these cabinets in which we can put files, the columns that hold this building up that we tend to forget,” Nachmany said. “We take a lot of this for granted.” After Election Day, Nachmany received another opportunity to work with the administration as an event coordinator in charge of the inaugural swearing-in ceremony. His team worked with the local police, Secret Service and military figures to protect Trump. Now, two months after the inauguration, Nachmany feels that his campaign adrenaline rush has flatlined. He’s now patiently awaiting graduation and post-graduation opportunities. Nachmany’s SPS professor and faculty advisor David Hollander has witnessed his astounding dedication and ambition. “On paper, no student in the history of our program has done more in and outside the classroom,” Hollander said. “Plus, I do not believe I have ever met a student so sure of his goals from the outset of his college career and so willing to do the roadwork to realize those goals.” Nachmany said he is accustomed to people questioning his decision to work for Trump’s campaign and that he has lost a lot of friends for believing that Trump’s policies best reflect American interests. “But one of the leadership qualities on which I most pride myself is my fiercely independent streak, insofar as I am not afraid to stand alone for something that I believe to be right,” Nachmany said. Charles Grantham is the director at Seton Hall University’s Center for Sports Management and Nachmany’s former NYU faculty advisor. Grantham believes that this self-determination and independence make Nachmany a role model for other students. “He’s unusual in that he’s self-assured and confident — but not overly so — which [makes] him easy to work with, and I think that generates interest from other students to follow,” Grantham said. “And I think he’s sort of an inspiration for higher aspirations.” But Nachmany will soon be taking his political experience and leadership qualities elsewhere. He is set to graduate in May with a Harvard Law School acceptance and possible Trump administration employment under his belt. “I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made,” Nachmany said. “I sleep well every night. And if I’ve learned one thing from politics, you’re not going to make everybody happy — far from it.” Email Sierra Jackson at sjackson@nyunews.com

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THE TOOTHBRUSH FAIRY BY NATASHA ROY, NEWS EDITOR

It’s really hard when you’re young – even though people think that it’s really cute that you’re trying to change the world, that can get annoying when you’re really serious about it.

STAFF PHOTO BY VERONICA LIOW

Swish, rinse, repeat. It all started while 15-year-old Paige Alenick was brushing her teeth. A thought suddenly popped into her mind — not everyone in the world owns a toothbrush. She realized that oral hygiene was an overlooked daily necessity. This simple idea inspired the Steinhardt senior to found her charity, Donate A Toothbrush. Alenick began researching the need for oral hygiene products in impoverished areas and found that simply owning a toothbrush not only aids people’s oral health but also boosts their self-esteem. Alenick contacted dentist Ron Lamb, who gave up his practice to provide dental care for people in over 60 countries through his organization World Dental Relief. With Lamb’s help, the New Jersey native sent her first shipment of toothbrushes to Costa Rica when she was 15. Since then, she has sent hundreds of thousands of toothbrushes to wherever they are requested. Her toothbrushes have gone to victims of Hurricane Sandy and even to a nursery school in Kenya. “The toothbrushes that I’m giving them are maybe the only toothbrush they’ll get in their life,” Alenick said. “It really does help to keep their mouths clean, and this way they don’t have to share with their families, and they don’t have to use a stick or piece of cloth to clean their mouths.” Alenick’s passion for service began when she was just seven years old. She volunteered for 11 years with an organization called Joining Old and Young, where she visited retirement homes to sing songs from the 1940s and ‘50s, and eventually became the co-president of the organization. “We would have World War II veterans and [we would sing] God Bless America, and it would take them the whole song, but they would stand up,” Alenick said. “And it was just really amazing to see through doing J.O.Y. the smallest acts of kindness make the biggest difference.” Alenick’s family was instrumental in helping her organize Donate A Toothbrush. Her father helped create a website and her mother, a lawyer, helped register the charity as a non-profit. Her sister Ashley works alongside her in these toothbrush endeavors. Even with support from her family, Alenick was self-directed in getting Donate A Toothbrush up and running. She was the one responsible for organizing donations and requests for toothbrushes. “It was primarily just me, and it was tough at times because it’s really hard when you’re young — even though people think that it’s really cute that you’re trying to change the world, that can get annoying when you’re really serious about it,” Alenick said. “But at the same time, the people who did take me seriously were instrumental in making Donate a Toothbrush what it was, so I owe a lot of that to them.” Alenick was given the opportunity to share her passion with others when she addressed the United Nations Youth Assembly in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Alenick said that the people she met at the United Nations Youth Assemblies truly humbled her. “That’s just a surreal experience, to have people who are my age and have them come up to you,” Alenick said. “It was really amazing to get to speak to people [and] to teach them how to get people to take you seriously when you’re young and you really want to make a difference.” Alenick’s work with Donate A Toothbrush ultimately led her to study Applied Psychology at NYU. She specifically pursued industrial organizational psychology, because she realized that people would rally behind meaningful leaders and organizations. “Donate A Toothbrush is kind of how I came to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and with my psychology degree,” Alenick said. “I definitely plan on continuing Donate A Toothbrush through grad school and for as long as I can, because to me, there’s no point in stopping.” As packed as Alenick’s schedule is, she still has time to be a loyal friend. Her freshman year roommate and good friend, CAS senior Ashley Ellis — who is from Hawaii — said that Alenick took her under her wing and showed her what the East Coast was like. While the two are close, Ellis said she does not know many details about Donate A Toothbrush because of how humble Alenick is. “It’s just kind of one of those things about her — she does these incredible things for people, and then kind of never really talks about it,” Ellis said. “She’s so down to earth. It’s so natural for her — I don’t think she knows how cool it is.” While Alenick’s work seems nearly effortless to those who meet her, she said balancing her schedule is difficult and is something she is still learning to do every day. However, meeting people who are just as activist-minded as she is and who appreciate her efforts keeps her going. But Alenick doesn’t feel like her plans have always been set in stone. “I kind of have a Rachel Green complex — from Friends — where I kind of moved to the city scared and uncertain of what I wanted,” Alenick said. “I feel like [in] my time that I’ve been at NYU, I’ve grown a lot, changed a lot, become more well-rounded and have more of a different outlook on life now.” Email Natasha Roy at nroy@nyunews.com.

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FROM CLUBS TO COMMUNITIES BY GRACE HALIO, EDITOR-AT-LARGE

I believe in the truth that this is as young as we will ever be. It’s the best time to make mistakes.

STAFF PHOTO BY RYAN QUAN

On a busy day, you should consider yourself lucky if you can catch Aneesh Ashutosh, a CAS sophomore, on a midday coffee break — you’re more likely to find him in the Leslie eLab working on a project for one of the six clubs he is a part of. “I’d say that a big part of what motivated [my] work ethic is that I went to a pretty competitive boarding school before I came to NYU,” Ashutosh said. “Being involved is a way to increase my workload. I’m bad at keeping myself on track — but knowing I have something to do, I’ll be there.” Ashutosh had an interest in computer science, coding and web development from a young age, but in college he fell in love with marketing and the communities it could build. In the second semester of his freshman year, Ashutosh became the Director of Marketing for TEDxNYU. “A lot of my job is repetitive — emailing students, professors, posting in Facebook groups — and I automate a lot of that,” Ashutosh said. Ashutosh used a Python script to build an email service that sheared hours off the time it takes to send out “personalized” mass emails, and created a Facebook bot that simplified posting event information to groups. Ashutosh also works on fundraising for Tech@NYU, where he realized the utility of his scripts to various organizations. As a member of Tech@NYU, Cole Smith saw the effects of Ashutosh’s work firsthand. “I admire his work ethic, as he not only puts his very best into Tech@NYU, but into many other clubs as well,” Smith said. “He created a remarkable turnout for the Future Of AI event, and his genuine care for his clubs is rare to see these days.” Ashutosh and his friends cross-promote different club events to reach a range of NYU communities and bring together dissimilar students. This community building stems from the challenges Ashutosh faced while trying to find a close-knit environment, especially after leaving his closed-campus boarding school for NYU’s sprawling Washington Square Park. “I got here, and I would be in the park and ask [a stranger] ‘Hey do you know where the Waverly Building is?’ and the person was like ‘Sorry, I’m 27,’” Ashutosh said. “So it was hard to find community.” Ashutosh fixed this by finding and joining various NYU communities. In addition to his involvement in TEDx and Tech@NYU, he’s a member of the NYU Entrepreneurs Festival and an organizing member of InnoVention, NYU’s student-run prototyping competition. He also works on marketing for Ascend, an all-university business development club whose membership has more than doubled in the past year thanks to both his technology and compassion. Ascend has freshman and sophomore representatives who talk with members after the meetings to help build that important sense of community. Jacky Wong, president of the club, is thankful for Ashutosh’s help in its growth. “As a leader, you often have to push members, but when you see one e-board member who is really willing to take the initiative, it means a lot,” Wong said. “I really appreciate how he goes above and beyond and how proactive he is in growing the club.” And outside Ashutosh’s heaps of on-campus involvement, he has interned for Vine and Twitter — yes, he witnessed the demise of the much-loved video platform, but being the tech aficionado he is, Ashutosh saw it coming. More importantly, however, the internship opened doors for him in the tech world and connected him with many people in the industry who he fondly recalls. “I just reached out to people I used to work with, and they’re willing to speak at events,” he said. “Tech feels like a really small world, so Twitter definitely gave me that connectivity.” As his on-campus and off-campus extracurricular activities meshed, Ashutosh recognized the importance of learning by doing. When it comes to problem-solving and efficiency, his solution is to create. “I believe in the truth that this is as young as we will ever be,” Ashutosh said. “It’s the best time to make mistakes.” So he takes risks. Ashutosh worked on a startup project with friends at Columbia University. Laminar Dynamics wanted to bring medicine-carrying drones to sub-Saharan Africa, and the team’s solution would cost eight cents less per vaccine than if they were delivered traditionally, which would ultimately save thousands of dollars. Last year, the project won the Columbia Venture Contest, which is akin to NYU’s 300K Entrepreneurs Challenge. Laminar Dynamics was Ashutosh’s first time starting a business of any kind, and it inspired him to join yet another club. This time around, it was one focused on startups: the NYU Entrepreneurship & Innovation Association. “EIA was in the same situation as Ascend, where the power players graduate without passing on their job skills, so the club withers a bit,” he explained. “Now, Innovation Socials are our biggest events — our last one had about 250 people.” Ashutosh recognized that the concept of community building would come easily with a little bit of commitment and code writing. “What’s more effective than pushing ‘You care about this club’ is taking [members] out on a Friday, having a good time, making sure that they’re friends,” Ashutosh said. “Then they’re not doing it for the club, they’re doing it for each other. Which is a lot more of a motivator.” Email Grace Halio at ghalio@nyunews.com.

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LOVE THY BULLIES

I try to just realize that everyone has their own struggles. Everyone has bad days, and everyone says things without thinking about how it could actually hurt another person.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

BY HAILEY NUTHALS, ARTS EDITOR

Imagine recounting the worst experiences of your life in front of huge crowds on a near-daily basis. Imagine having to answer questions about that trauma in endless interviews — both live and recorded — and having the details of your pain published in 14 different countries and read by millions of people. Imagine having the world know how you felt. For Gallatin junior Aija Mayrock, that openness is her daily reality. She wrote the number-one bestselling book titled “The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written By a Teen,” after she was bullied for nearly seven years. The bullying started at the age of eight in the same way all bullying does — with a shallow reason. When the targeting started, she had a lisp, and anything that makes people different also makes them an easy target. “I think the hardest part about asking for help is that we have this universal fear that no one will truly understand us,” Mayrock said. “And even if I can’t understand my friends’ full extent of their pain or of their journey, I can still understand what it feels like to go through something difficult and dark.” But instead of succumbing to her pain, Mayrock found her turning point at age 16. After reading the story of a boy her own age who had taken his life after years of being bullied, she decided that she had to make herself into the hero other kids needed. That night, she began what would become “The Survival Guide.” Mayrock started with what she calls “roems” — rap poems — that echoed the cadence and powerful ability to communicate in the same way her rap idols did. The roems grew to chapters and chapters to a book. Now, “The Survival Guide” has been published around the world. Mayrock, in between classes and assignments, travels to hundreds of different schools, juvenile detention centers, television shows and even the United Nations General Assembly. As of today, she has spoken to over three million people. Although some people find it difficult to discuss trauma even once, she enjoys the opportunity to speak about the pain of her past on such a frequent basis. “I appreciate those moments, because I don’t ever want to feel like what I went through was so long ago,” Mayrock said. “I never want to feel like I don’t know their pain right now. I’m blessed that I’m not going through it anymore, but those millions of kids around the world, that’s their reality every single day.” Despite her demanding schedule, Mayrock’s commitment to helping bullied children never wavers. She thrives off the busy routine of performing her roems at Madison Square Garden and speaking at junior high schools — and even dreads the quieter moments when her schedule isn’t filled with events. “I have so much love for the moments where I get to meet these kids or parents or educators or whatever and [speak about] my book,” Mayrock said. “I never want to not be able to meet them and hear their stories and connect with them.” And connect with them she does. Just as most people check their emails, she dedicates a chunk of time each day to check hers. But rather than 15 or 20 minutes every day, Mayrock scrolls through her email, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for hours — they’re always full to the brim with thousands of messages from fans reaching out to thank her for her book or to commend her hard work. She responds to each one. Whether it be a teacher in Brazil who is teaching her article published in Seventeen Magazine about the time her bully dressed up as her for Halloween, or a fan being bullied in their own home who found strength in Mayrock’s roems. She even provides selfies and photos of herself to readers who run fan accounts on Instagram, giving them exclusive unpublished photos to post and providing endless support during both their best and worst days. What’s most tremendous about Mayrock is not her unending enthusiasm or her worldwide success as an author and speaker. Rather, what makes her incredible is her boundless capacity for empathy with readers and fans — and for their bullies, too. It’s taken her a lot of practice over the years, but she truly believes that everyone deserves respect, even if what they say is hurtful. When people lashed out at her on social media — which had been one of the most horrific ways she was originally bullied — she extended empathy instead of hate. “I try to just realize that everyone has their own struggles,” Mayrock said. “Everyone has bad days, and everyone says things without thinking about how it could actually hurt another person.” Mayrock’s sincerity and strength epitomize who she is, even as she sits in a cheery cafe, coordinating countless speaking events and national tours, her “to-do” list includes notes to catch up with good friends right below reminders to email her agent. Heart emojis punctuate her messages to fans. On her finger, a thin gold ring reads “love” in jeweled script– exactly her belief. Email Hailey Nuthals at arts@nyunews.com.

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THE DIPLOMATIC EDUCATOR BY TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS, FEATURES EDITOR

No matter where I am, as long as I’m doing something that helps organize progressives, I’m going to be really happy with that work.

STAFF PHOTO BY POLINA BUCHAK

A student who has now interned at the White House and with Hillary for America once struggled to get through a book. But Ryan Thomas now excels in the classroom and serves as the Student Senators Council chair. He credits a supportive elementary school education from third grade on as a crucial factor in his prospering career. “In [early] elementary school, I underperformed in my literacy and reading comprehension, which greatly impacted my education in the most formative years,” Thomas said. “I had some teachers that really did not provide me the individualized attention that I and a lot of students in my class needed, so I fell further and further behind.” This, combined with his struggle to navigate the college application process while being from a low-income family, inspired Thomas to co-found a non-profit called Project College through the Reynolds Changemaker Challenge, which mentored 700 students on applying for financial aid in its first year. Former Clinton staffer Miryam Lipper supervised Thomas at Hillary for America, and she admires his commitment, highlighting that he manages to balance it all as he gives 100 percent to many different things. “Something folks told me when I was in school was that you should be willing to go anywhere and do anything while you’re young and Ryan definitely embodies that,” Lipper said. “He was willing to do anything necessary — not to network for networking’s sake — but to build relationships and get to know people on the campaign.” CAS senior Gillian Barna, one of Thomas’ best friends, said his secret to managing classes, leading student government and interning at the New York Times, where he works on Diversity and Inclusion, is G Calendar. “He even schedules our social activities in his G calendar,” Barna said. “It’s horrifying. I genuinely have no idea how he does it. He only sleeps four hours a night, or so he tells me.” She noted that despite his lack of sleep, his ambition remains unfazed and perhaps even fuels his college experience — he enjoys playing pranks on his friends and discussing witchcraft and natural disasters. This type of professional and personal commitment is a hallmark of Thomas’ character. However, his work ethic during the campaign even surprised Barna. “He was crazy driven,” Barna said. “I remember he would put in like 60 hours at work while doing a full time schedule of classes. We had a three-hour seminar together, and he would leave class to take phone calls, because he was in charge of setting up radio interviews for Hillary surrogates.” After almost four years of this NYU-work balance, Thomas will graduate in two months with a degree in Politics and triple minor in American Sign Language; Media, Culture and Communication; and Social and Public Policy. He has only recently chosen a career path in political communications. But for now, Thomas will take advantage of what time he has left by making an impact at NYU by organizing the progressive leaders of the university’s student government. “[Student government is] how I found my community here at NYU right off the bat,” Thomas said. “It provides an opportunity to advocate for your interests and the interests of your peers and so I will go to bat for anyone who wants to be involved with student government.” He leads with a level-headed voice and pauses discussions to remind other senators to speak in “I statements,” or express how they feel instead of accusing others. When a discussion on the over-representation of CAS and Stern students on the SSC got heated on March 9, he spoke diplomatically into his microphone, making sure people did not unfairly criticize certain schools. Although moderating discussions is one of his duties as chair, Thomas uses his position for a lot more than that. He influences educational policy at the university he loves, especially since education has played such a pivotal role in shaping not only his career but also his life. “For the first time in a while I know that I am looking to do something in communications that would help amplify the work and the messages of candidates and organizations,” Thomas said. “No matter where I am, as long as I’m doing something that helps organize progressives, I’m going to be really happy with that work.” Email Taylor Nicole Rogers at trogers@nyunews.com.

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ENERGIZING WITH FITNESS BY JESSICA MARTINEZ, EDITOR-AT-LARGE

We would dance barefoot in the middle of the street using a small speaker [loaned] to us by a man who owned a nearby bodega. Seeing how happy the simple Zumba classes made these girls was incredible.

STAFF PHOTO BY VIOLA MAI

In a Williamsburg fitness studio with “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul blaring overhead, Caitlyn Corradino encourages her students. “Keep that energy up,” Corradino shouts over the music. Corradino has more energy than most people — one day last month, she interviewed a potential new member for her non-profit team, met with someone to discuss business models, managed a handful of donations, attended class, studied and then taught two fitness classes in Brooklyn. “Being a grad student, a non-profit director, a fitness instructor, a personal trainer, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a girlfriend is hard,” Corradino said. “In a typical day, I play all of those roles.” Corradino, founder of Fuel, Inspire, Thrive 4 All, a non-profit with the goal of making fitness more affordable and accessible, graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology from NYU in 2016 and is now a master’s student studying Clinical Nutrition. With her two degrees, the 22-year-old hopes to make FIT 4 All a holistic organization that helps low-income individuals foster their well-being through fitness and nutrition. After spending her undergrad career working at fitness facilities such as Equinox and LA Fitness, Corradino soon realized low-income areas lacked these resources. This led her to begin working with The Coalition for the Homeless and the University Settlement House. She described her fitness classes as an easy and stress-relieving way to help people thrive. “At night, I would go to my paying jobs, and I would be serving these super wealthy clients who had access to all of these stress-relieving opportunities,” Corradino said. “I made it a point to get the services I was doing for them to low-income communities.” The New Jersey native became interested in working with underserved communities in high school, when she began teaching low-income individuals at fitness studios in her area. On her 18th birthday, she received her teaching certification. From there, her passion and commitment to fitness and health grew. “I always knew from my experiences in high school that I would eventually use my skills and experience as a fitness instructor to bring fitness, dance and yoga programs to those who could not afford to use health clubs the way that more privileged individuals could,” Corradino said. She has even been able to share her passion outside of the United States. After studying abroad in Shanghai, Sydney and Florence, Corradino spent part of her senior year serving as a site leader for one of NYU’s Alternative Breaks groups. Corradino and a friend led a group to Nicaragua, where she introduced new fitness strategies to at-risk youth groups. In addition, she spent her sophomore spring break serving in the Dominican Republic, spending two weeks working on community development projects in a small village. In the evenings, she taught Zumba to the young girls in the village. “We would dance barefoot in the middle of the street using a small speaker [loaned] to us by a man who owned a nearby bodega,” Corradino said. “Seeing how happy the simple Zumba classes made these girls was incredible.” CAS senior Hannah Lochner works with Corradino at FIT 4 All. Lochner referred to Corradino as a dreamer, but one who is able to put forth the work to reach her goals. “[Corradino] is one of those people who gets an idea or has a dream and actually is able to create it,” Lochner said. “FIT 4 All is an example of that — she went from teaching classes to different communities and realizing there was a need for more affordable fitness classes.” Now, Corradino is working on expanding her non-profit beyond her background in nutrition studies. Since August 2016, she’s collected more than 800 pieces of activewear to donate to those who cannot afford it. And recently, FIT 4 All launched its Affordable Fuel series, which features healthy recipes from other fitness instructors and community members. “There are low-income individuals who come to my fitness classes regularly, but they do not understand how to eat in a way that is healthy and affordable for them,” Corradino said. “I want to acknowledge that when improving one’s health, exercise is only a piece of the puzzle.” Steinhardt sophomore Rayna Epstein met Corradino last year in a Women and Mental Health class. Since then, Epstein has seen Corradino grow in both her work and her personal life, calling her an inspiration and a joy to watch. “She brings her full passion and attention to every zone she enters into, and her enthusiasm is contagious,” Epstein said. “Her energy and zest come from her determination to fuel her mind and body, thrive in her own domains of life and then inspire others to do the same.” Email Jessica Martinez at jmartinez@nyunews.com

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