Mackenzie Rutherford
Scripps College
Mackenzie is a dedicated and engaged student leader who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to activism through participation in the Claremont Colleges Prison Abolition Collective, Pomona Hope, Community Liaison of Pomona Employment Partners, and the Career Planning & Resources. Her dedication to fighting for a more just and equal world is grounded in her own personal story as an under-represented student learning to navigate academia while becoming a leader, mentor, and advocate for disadvantaged populations.
Mackenzie Rutherford has created spaces for meaningful dialogue and undertaken public service work within the Scripps community, the Inland Empire, and beyond. She is not simply participant: she is a leader. After just one year of membership in the CCPAC, she stepped up to become the president of the organization. Under her direction CCPAC has fundraised over $15,000, put on more than 30 political/education events, and participated in various outreach campaigns. Mackenzie has also recruited approximately 15 Scripps students to take on leadership roles in student/community organizations and has taught new leaders how to improve their leadership skills in writing agendas for meetings, how to communicate effectively and professionally, how to run a meeting, and how to handle the financial aspects of an organization.
Personal Statement
My engagement with the Scripps community and the communities I am a part of highlights my dedication to fighting for a more just/equal world. Throughout my time at Scripps, I have added meaningful dialogue and make life better for my campus, the Inland Empire, and beyond through my work at the Claremont Colleges Prison Abolition Collective, Pomona Hope, The Community Liaison of Pomona Employment Partners and the Scripps Career Planning & Resources. In my leadership role in these clubs/organizations, I encourage, empower, and support others by creating open and accessible spaces. I have learned the values of creativity and community focus as a way to keep students active, engaged, and passionate about social justice. I have been able to empower students from various backgrounds to take the initiative in their own education—and even to be able to enjoy it. My desire to give back to communities much like the one from which I came has been a constant source of inspiration in making resources accessible and interesting to underrepresented groups both on campus and within local communities. My past experience has motivated me to continue with this work in the world by engaging in political and the legal sphere.
