Coming Together

By Jenny Barnett, February 3, 2023

Students of Color Retreat allows for connection and reflection.

Students and alumni gathered at the K House in Ithaca for the retreat

(Photo courtesy of Angélica Carrington)

On January 28, more than two dozen Ithaca College students joined a handful of alumni at the K House in Ithaca for a day of workshops and panels at the Students of Color Retreat, hosted by the college’s Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Social Change (IDEAS).

Led by IDEAS student workers Ashanti Ford ’24 and Leticia Rebelo de Oliveira ’26, the retreat served as an opportunity for members of IC’s BIPOC community to meet, build connections, foster a sense of belonging—and engage with alumni.

When Ford and de Oliveira approached IDEAS director Angélica Carrington in November 2022 with the concept for the event, they had multiple goals in mind.

“We want to make sure that people of color at IC will be able to bond and know each other, and know they have a safe space if they need anywhere to go to ask for help,” said de Oliveira, an exercise science and athletic training major from Brazil.

The event was open to all Ithaca College students, providing an opportunity for students who don’t identify as persons of color to be advocates or allies for their peers. Ford wanted to create a space where students could be with others who understand what they are going through. Like many attendees, she often finds herself the only student of color in her classes.

“IC is a predominantly white institution,” she said. “Everyone else does not look like me; they don’t have the same struggles as me; they don’t understand where I’m coming from. I’m so grateful and happy that we had this opportunity.”

“If I can get closer to students who have gone through the same struggle as me—or students who are just existing in a world where they’re going to face scrutiny because of the color of their skin, or because of the way they identify—I want to.”

Olivia “Via” Carpenter ’22

Another goal of the event was to foster connections between current students and alumni. After lunch, a panel of recent alumni of color spoke to attendees, sharing their experiences at IC and offering advice to students.

One success story was Olivia “Via” Carpenter ’22, School of Business graduate and founder of Via’s Cookies, an Ithaca-based business selling handcrafted regular, gluten-free, and vegan cookies. Carpenter donates a percentage of profits to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and LGBTQ+ students.

Carpenter is a former MLK scholar who returns to campus regularly for events, mentors local youth, and has an IC intern. She welcomed the opportunity to participate in the retreat.

The event gave students a chance to connect with alumni, as well as each other.

(Photo courtesy of Angélica Carrington)

“If I can get closer to students who have gone through the same struggle as me—or students who are just existing in a world where they’re going to face scrutiny because of the color of their skin, or because of the way they identify—I want to,” she said.

Strategic marketing professional Alaina Caraballo ’18 was eager to use her experiences as a student to impress on others the importance of making the most of campus support services. As a first-generation student, Caraballo said she “came in not really knowing anything.” It wasn’t until she was a junior that she understood what was available to her. “I started realizing, ‘Okay, I have all these resources. I can go here. I can do this,’” she said. “I wish I would have known earlier.”

Stephen “Steph” Douglas-Allen ’18, a first-generation Jamaican American and an admissions officer for the SC Johnson School of Management at Cornell University who is also completing his master of public administration at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, participated because he believes it is important for students to see representation—“someone that looks like them, trying to do what they want to do,” he said.

“Show them that you can look like or come from the communities that we come from and still be excellent.”

Stephen “Steph” Douglas-Allen ’18

His advice?

“Show them that you can look like or come from the communities that we come from and still be excellent,” he said.

Stella Win ’26 was motivated hearing from the alumni. “They’ve all come from different backgrounds. They’ve had their own barriers before coming to IC,” said Win, who lives in London but is originally from Myanmar.

Ty Anderson ’27, an international student who only recently arrived on campus, found the panelists’ advice on navigating campus helpful. He was also inspired by hearing the story of Carpenter’s business and mission, and meeting others at the event. “There’s a lot going on here for me to get involved in,” Anderson said.

In addition to the panel, Ford and de Oliveira put together ice-breaking and team-building exercises. Diversity Bingo was an opportunity to meet new people and explore experiences and ethnicities. Students were then tasked with finding someone from their country of origin and sharing something they loved about that country.

Yacine Mbengue ’24, who has an American mother and a Senegalese father, signed up for the event to have further conversations with other BIPOC students and explore common interests and backgrounds. She connected with a student with a similar heritage during the introductory sessions.

“I’ve always wanted friends who could share that culture,” she said.