Class of 2026

As they engage in their third year as an MLK scholar, Nik Weinberger has found purpose in
their campus involvement and their service projects. In the past, they have participated in
IC EcoReps weekly food donation prep, which focuses on limiting food waste from the
Campus Center dining hall, and packing it into balanced meals to donate to the food
pantry on campus as well as to people in the community. They have also spent time at the
Planned Parenthood clinic in Ithaca working with one of their community organizers to
create a gender affirming closet. Nik occasionally participates in the Unity Center’s voter
registration tabling to encourage the Ithaca College community to check their voter
registration status and register to vote.
This semester, Nik has been working with the Ithaca Youth Bureau supporting their weekly
gym group for teens with disabilities, which provides a supportive environment for youth to
feel empowered to move their bodies. Supporting folks with disabilities has long been a
passion of theirs and has led them to pursue a major in physical therapy to support their
goals. Being a person of color, Nik understands the disparities that are present in health
care systems and feels a calling to serve their community by being a heath care provider
that is committed to providing proper care to marginalized communities.
Being an MLK scholar means being able to support the Ithaca community both on and off
campus. I get to see the real-time impact of the work that we do in our service projects and
how we can help marginalized students and community members feel seen, heard, and
understood.