Madeleine Bamford is a first-year student at Fordham University who intends to major in International Studies with a minor in Journalism. Originally from Chicago, she loves all things urban, including exploring NYC’s numerous parks. Her passions for justice, cultural awareness, and journalism run deep, inspiring her to write on LGTBQ+ adoption legislation. She hopes her drive for equality will propel her to a career in international journalism.

Lily Baughman is a first-year student at Fordham University. She intends on majoring in English or International Studies and hopes to study abroad. Lily is from Liberty, Missouri, where she grew up with a twin sister and two cats. She loves to read, design clothing, and write stories.

Marielle Bianchi is a first-year student at Fordham College at Rose Hill majoring in Psychology. She is originally from New Milford, Connecticut, and her hobbies include watching movies, reading books, and discovering new restaurants in the city. Her love of movies and food inspired this essay, which explores the role food plays in The Hunger Games.

Shea Campion is a rising sophomore at Fordham College, Lincoln Center. She is majoring in Communication and Culture with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Shea is passionate about social justice and intends to one day work for an LGBTQ+ non-profit. She hopes this essay inspires readers to reflect on the importance of representation in media.

Emma Ehl is a first-year student at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. She plans on majoring in English and minoring in Anthropology. Her passion for both environmental and social justice, coupled with her love for fashion, inspired her to write on this topic. Along with writing, Emma also enjoys playing the guitar, walking in Central Park, and creating playlists.

Heba Elsetouhi is a freshman at Fordham College at Rose Hill. She is majoring in Economics with a minor in Arabic and plans to go to law school. Heba hopes to one day combine her passion for social justice and advocacy that inspired her essay with her career.

Sharon Fitzpatrick is a rising sophomore at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. She is majoring in Communication and Culture with hopes of a possible minor in Arabic. She loves life in the city and enjoys spending time at Central Park.

Jacob Gouveia is a first-year student at Fordham University who is majoring in Philosophy. Originally from a small town in Rhode Island, Jacob loves New York City for its diversity of ideas. He  enjoys storytelling through both written and visual mediums and hopes to one day write and direct his own films. Other hobbies of his include surfing, hiking, and anything outdoors.

Marie Gregory is a rising sophomore at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Campus. Despite majoring in Chemistry, Marie’s favorite subjects are her liberal arts courses. Politics, especially those relating to her Taiwanese side, have always been discussed around the family dinner table, so when it came time to choose a topic for her research paper, the Taiwan-China dispute was the obvious choice.

Madison Hales is a first-year student at Fordham University Lincoln Center pursuing a major in Digital Technology and Emerging Media. Originally from New Orleans, LA, she enjoys sharing the culture of her city through her writing, as seen in her submitted work “Significant Insignificance.” She spends her free time exploring New York with her friends by visiting local restaurants and museums.

Christiana Hubbard is a first-year undergraduate student at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus. As a dual-heritage person raised in a mixed household, she is particularly attentive to cultural differences as well as how those differences translate into the ways people relate to each other. While she’s still investigating her career options, what commands her interest these days are things related to interpersonal connection and human behavior

Isabella Katis is a rising sophomore at Fordham University at Lincoln Center majoring in both political science and psychology on a pre-law track. Although poetry has seemingly no relation to her career path, women’s empowerment and fair treatment is one of her most prominent stances that she will carry with her into future political platforms. Some of her other interests include 3-D arts, music theory, voice training, and special effects makeup.

Penny Joseph is an Undeclared first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. They are originally from East Aurora, New York. In their free time, they enjoy playing saxophone, singing, going to the theater, writing, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and, of course, watching Star Trek. Live long and prosper.

Leah Mallory is a freshman at Fordham University Lincoln Center interested in Journalism. She is from a quiet suburb in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and enjoys the rush and liveliness of New York City. The inspiration for Leah’s piece comes from her identity as a Black woman and her support of other Black women.

Lillian Paturzo is a first-year student  at Fordham College at Rose Hill pursuing a major in English and Theatre. In her free time, she loves to dance, sing, read, and go on hikes with her dog. She thoroughly enjoyed writing this essay as she was inspired by her passion for reading and education!

Lauren So is a sophomore at Fordham University. She is majoring in Biological Sciences and is currently on the pre-health track. Lauren believes that children’s literature plays a crucial role in the intellectual development of students and, therefore, should reflect deep-rooted issues that continue to persist in society. 

Sara Steber is a first year student from Berks County, Pennsylvania. At Fordham, she plays viola in the Rose Hill Orchestra and has written for The Paper. Though her major is currently undecided, Sara plans to pursue English and continue to write in her free time. This paper, the final project for a nature writing course, reflects her interest in environmental activism and the impact of media on consumers.

Lauryn Sweeney is a freshman at the Gabelli School of Business majoring in Business Administration and concentrating in Social Innovation. At Fordham, Lauryn is also a student athlete on the women’s Division 1 volleyball team and is involved in the Pedro Arrupe Volunteer Corps and Global Outreach program. She hopes to apply her passions for social justice and action to a business administration career at a social service organization in the future. She comes from a food-loving family in Southern California, largely inspiring her interest in the hot topics of food and mistreated food workers at Fordham.

Minh Vu is a first-year student in Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, majoring in finance who loves exploring and learning about new technology, economics, and science. Minh’s goal for this essay is to make complex scientific topics like nuclear power accessible for readers.r and hopefully inspire people to look forward to an exciting future for humanity.

Jaclyn Wickersham is a first-year student at Fordham University from Andover, Massachusetts. She’s currently studying Political Science at Fordham College at Rose Hill. Her interest in economic injustices and their intersection with race and gender inspired her to write this essay. Outside of  academics, Jaclyn enjoys collecting records and spending time with family, friends, and her dog, Sunny.