“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” -Brené Brown, Daring Greatly
Below you will find the stories of three female student leaders who are showing up for vulnerable communities, sharing their passions, empowering others to be seen, and advocating for positive change among the University community.
Kennesha Busby: Penn State Brandywine Multicultural Club, President
Nyla Holland: Penn State Black Caucus, President
Samantha Koon: Penn State THON, Public Relations Director
Kennesha Busby
Class of 2021, Major: Biology with Vertebrate Physiology Concentration, Minor: English
Coming from a small Caribbean island called Anguilla, Kennesha Busby traveled a long way from her family and friends to attend Penn State.
“I wanted to find ways to be able to share my culture with others, as well as learn and experience unfamiliar cultures,” Kennesha said. “I also wanted to be able to exit my comfort zone and become less of an introvert.”
Over the past four years, Kennesha has made her new home at Penn State Brandywine. She currently serves as the President of the Multicultural Club, Treasurer of the Connected Community Club, Secretary of the Brandywine Acapella Club, and Diversity Chair of the Student Government Association.
The mission of the Multicultural Club is to promote cultural diversity and awareness. Kennesha is a strong believer in accepting everyone regardless of any differences.
“We should be able to listen to someone’s cultural story without judgment just as we would want them to if we were to share ours,” she said.
One of Kennesha’s favorite aspects of her involvement in the Multicultural Club is being encouraged to listen to music from different cultures and diversify her palate with different cultural foods. Also, the club encourages students to plan more trips to new countries and experience other cultures.
“The world does not revolve around one place or culture,” she said. “It is a melting pot of cultures and experiencing as much of them as possible can make life much more valuable.”
Kennesha describes herself as a person who enjoys investing time in her work and is proud when the outcome is what she wanted or exceeds her expectations.
“My goal is to encourage other students to become more engaged and involved in campus clubs and activities,” Kennesha said. “I believe that my involvement makes my university experience more valuable and fun.”
Nyla Holland
Class of 2021, Majors: Political Science and African American Studies, First Year Graduate Student in Master of Public Policy
Nyla Holland first joined Penn State Black Caucus as a freshman looking to make friends and get involved socially. After attending the first general body meeting, Nyla felt a connection to the organization’s members and mission and knew she wanted to stay involved.
Currently, she serves as the President of Penn State Black Caucus, the Public Relations Director of Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Student Committee, and a Peer Mentor in BLUEprint.
According to its mission, Penn State Black Caucus has a strong history of bringing together a scattered community, advocating for those who seem voiceless, and continuously pushing to make Penn State a better place for black students. Over the years, the initiatives have evolved, but the mission has stayed the same.
“At a predominantly white institution, the Black community can be socially and institutionally fragmented. Black Caucus works to bring those students together with a common purpose, while promoting experiencing love and joy at Penn State,” Nyla said. “Having just one Black student feel at home, feel seen, feel like they belong, means the world.”
Nyla is inspired knowing that students before her worked to enhance her Penn State experience, and now she wants to give back in the same way to future freshmen.
“Even though progress at a University can seem minimal and slow, every little bit matters,” she said.
Recently, the Black Caucus received a seat in University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) Student Government, which the organization has been pushing for decades.
“Having that consistent representation has made myself and peers feel more seen at the University, and our ideas are being reflected in the policies passed,” Nyla said. “Indeed, our national and local community have faced tragedies due to white supremacy and police brutality. Black Caucus helped bring the community together to mourn these losses and work to get justice for Black lives killed by police.”
Engaging in these actions has not only has helped reorient Nyla towards social justice and recognize the privilege she can leverage as a college student, but has also brought together the community in a way that is stronger, more connected, and empowered to do more, she described.
Nyla encourages people to join Black Caucus if they want to get more involved, be a part of a close-knit family, and “make Penn State a better place for students,” she said.
“Put more pressure on the University than your peers to change Penn State,” Nyla added. “Ask how others are doing before putting something else on their plate. See if you can take something off their plate. Avoid tokenizing the same student for every initiative.”
Whether it be behind the scenes, with the megaphone, on social media, compiling resources, Nyla believes that there is a space for everyone in this work.
She concluded, “Find where you fit in and get to work.”
Samantha Koon
Class of 2021, Master’s in Education, Education Theory and Policy
After declaring her major in education at Penn State, Samantha (Sam) Koon felt she needed to get more involved in philanthropy and leave her footprint in volunteerism while in college.
“I have always felt fortunate growing up, so I wanted to enter a helping profession to endure that others can also lead successful lives,” Sam said.
Being an out-of-state student and coming to college without any friends, Sam was concerned that she would not fit into the massive school that is Penn State.
However, when she decided to join THON, her perspective changed. The organization gave her not only some of her best friends, but also a place to work towards a common goal beyond her academics.
Sam currently serves as the Public Relations Director for THON 2021.
“THON has provided me a space to give back and directly impact families through emotional and financial support while also spreading awareness of childhood cancer,” she said. “I have primarily been inspired to become a leader because of my predecessors and role models who have empowered me to have confidence and do whatever I can to make the largest impact possible.”
As the Public Relations Director, Sam and her committee are responsible for spreading THON’s mission around the world to make others aware of the various stories of families and volunteers fighting childhood cancer.
“THON has taught me that there are no limits for what people will do for others,” Sam said. “Even during a pandemic and a world of ever-increasing, there are 16,500 students at Penn State who are dedicating countless hours to making the lives of others just a little better.”
Sam noted that nothing would be possible without the support of the THON community and the current volunteers who reinvigorate her passion each day.
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These are just three of many female leaders raising their voices for positive change at Penn State. If you know of other exemplary leaders to be included in future posts, please share them via email: wpab@psu.edu
All photos submitted.