Iaya Mohamed
SUNY Buffalo State College
Iaya Mohamed, a junior at SUNY Buffalo State College, has proven her commitment to social justice issues and service to others. As a student leader, Iaya is an active member of the Student Civic Leadership Board (SCLB) and the Buffalo State College Rotaract Club, which received the Outstanding Community Service by a Student Organization Award at the 2021 Celebration of Community Engagement. Iaya has participated in nearly every community event that the SCLB and Rotaract Club has planned. She has worked with FeedMore WNY, the Arboretum Big Dig, Buffalo City Mission Shelter, Buffalo City Thrift Store, Provisions 139, and the Afghan Evacuee Collection Drive, and several fundraisers. As a student leader, Iaya also served as a site coordinator for Bengals Dare to Care, a campus-wide community service day. Iaya was also a student guest on the Bow Tie Chronicles, a special podcast coordinated and hosted by the Vice President of Student Affairs at Buffalo State College. During her podcast interview, Iaya shared helpful academic success strategies, her extensive involvement on campus, and advice for other students to get involved. Her professional goal is to pursue careers in global health, especially as it relates to health equality.
Personal Statement
Buffalo State provided great opportunities for me to give back to the community. Getting involved allowed me to provide for the community by volunteering at local food banks and pantries. I learned a lot about food insecurity and understand what it is like to not have access to healthy food. I served as a Site Coordinator during Bengals Dare to Care, which is the college’s day of community service. It was an amazing experience where I got to teach students in Global Youth Leaders, a civic leadership program through the Community Academic Center, about food insecurity. This opportunity enhanced my leadership skills and allowed me to realize how much I love to educate people. I also participated in a community tree planting project which was a great way to learn leadership and teambuilding skills. As a Health and Wellness major and Gerontology minor helping people is something I have always wanted to do. Looking after your health and understanding how to implement health promotion and education in the community can be the first step in creating change. In the future, I plan to focus on research from a global standpoint to improve health and create equality for all people.
