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May 21, 2007 The Cornell Leadership Initiative Program has led Sckolnick to work for children's rights and pursue a career in education law.
Student profile: Dana Sckolnick
Major: Human development Main Cornell extracurricular activity -- why is this important to you?
My project in the Human Ecology Leadership Initiative Program. I co-founded Fostering Leadership in Youth (FLY), an after-school program for middle-school children who are behind in school due to uncontrollable life circumstances. It seeks to build their self-confidence and enrich their education by teaching them leadership skills ranging from the art of listening and giving feedback to approaching the topic of diversity. While at Cornell, what other accomplishments/activities are you most proud of?
As part of my leadership project, I volunteer and am an executive board member at Family and Children's Services Center of Ithaca, where I've discovered that people often are unaware of available educational resources in the community. One way to narrow the gap in school achievement, I believe, is to simply increase awareness of educational rights and resources. Thus, I recently created a pamphlet for families on how to identify learning disabilities and get more information. As a member of many education-based service organizations at Cornell (such as Advocates for Public Education, Mortar Board and FLY), I also have collaborated with other students to put together events over the past year, ranging from reading to and tutoring students after school to volunteering at community affairs to raising money for diverse youth services programs. I am also proud of being president of the Human Ecology Honor Society; treasurer of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society; class correspondent for the Class of 2007 Alumni Council; senior commissioner for the Student Assembly Finance Commission and being part of the Golden Key International Honor Society, making Dean's List every semester and graduating with a 4.0 GPA or higher. Your most profound turning point while at Cornell?
Taking HE 301: Introduction to Collaborative Leadership my sophomore year. Not only did this class open my eyes to the leadership program, but it was the first experience I had as a Cornell student that sparked my interest in educational policy. And then taking EDUC 240: The Art of Teaching allowed me to work at a local elementary school, helping children who were facing difficulties. HE 301 led me to later pursue law, specifically education law. What are your plans for next year and beyond?
Law school in the fall, where I plan to concentrate in public interest law, educational policy and human rights. |
