Current Scholars Stay Busy on Campus

By Khari Bolden

Since its inception, the Martin Luther King Scholar Program at Ithaca College has encouraged students to mesh their commitments to academic and social justice. For 20 years, the program has challenged its scholars to not only succeed in the classroom, but to become leaders beyond it. While every MLK Scholar is required to engage in at least 20 hours of community service annually, some have decided to go above and beyond, taking on paid roles across Ithaca College meant to serve the campus community further.

Christopher Morris ‘25, a Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, spends his class-free midday hours sitting behind the front desk of the BIPOC Unity Center. When he first started working there a few years ago, the center did not have it’s current title and his position was just was that of an assistant. As the space has grown and changed ove the past two years, so has the nature of Morris’ role here, now being that of a peer educator.

Morris has presented several SLIs over the years, and is currently working on one of his own based around athlete activism, which he hopes will be presented during the next academic year after he graduates this May.

“Sports and politics have always been connected from these deep roots: just look at the olympics,” Morris said. “The main reason why I'm so passionate about it is a lot of the time I see ‘politics doesn't belong in sport,’ when a lot of change within our world has come from political activism in sports.”

Business Administration major Anya Watkins ‘25 initially joined the Park School of Communications’ Center for Career Exploration and Development as a sophomore at the recommendation of one of her older teammates on the women’s basketball team. Now she works as a peer career advisor, a role which allows her to give advice to students who come to her with professional documents, as well as advice for students entering professional interviews and jobs.

Watkins holds a deep appreciation for her role in the office, as she said her high school did not have anything like it for the students there. She also put emphasis of the career center’simportance to Ithaca College’s BIPOC population.

“Having these resources available and so easily accessible, and people wanting to help you and further your professional development is such an asset,” Watkins said. “As an MLK scholar myself, knowing where some of these students came from and some of the things that they struggle with really helps me give personalized feedback that I hope helps make a difference in the way they view the professional world, professional development and this opportunity.”

After her graduation in May, Watkins has a job lined up as a financial analyst for a healthcare company in Pittsburgh, a role which she believes will allow her to serve the Pittsburgh community in a similar way to that of the career center. She said serving as a career advisor has helped her develop the skills necessary for the next chapter of her life, and further expressed her desire to help others with that skillset.

“One of the things I'm passionate about is financial education for communities that don't really have those opportunities and resources,” Watkins said. “I want to share the skills I've learned in this role that are now like second nature to me with people who might not even have a resume, especially high school students coming to college who might not have a career readiness class at their high school. I want to be a resource to help prepare them for that.”

Destiny Carrion ‘25, an Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications major, has taken her peer career advisor role a step further this year. In collaboration with the BIPOC Unity Center, Carrion launched Career Chats with Destiny, a way for students to receive career help in a setting that may be more flexible by offering evening times. She said that students of color, in particular, have been helped significantly by the service.

“I was a face people were familiar with,” Carrion said. “ I do a lot of work on campus in the POC community, so it's a little less intimidating when you've never gotten your resume checked or done anything like that. Instead of going into a career center with people that you don't know, [it helps] getting to work with one of your peers that relates to you and is coming from the same place as you.

By creating a space that centers trust, relatability, and shared experience, Carrion has not only made career resources more accessible but has also empowered students to take ownership of their professional journeys. Her work underscores the unique impact of peer-led initiatives, particularly in communities that have historically been underserved by larger systems. Carrion still works in the career center as well, but she credits the BIPOC Unity Office for giving her the confidence to make the jump to a solo effort.