International Studies Alumni: Where are They Now?

Janae Cummings (‘13)  is currently working as the Early College Advisor and Student Opportunities Coordinator at Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. She will be leaving for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) this August to teach at the International School of Choueifat for a year. During her teaching assignment abroad, she plans on attaining her TESOL certification and travelling to as many countries as possible. When she returns from her assignment in Dubai, she plans to attend law school to study international law and education.

Sharla-Renee Hart (’09) graduated in spring 2014 from Adelphi with her MA in Community Health Promotion. The program was instrumental in providing her with the framework for the development of the Food and Fitness program she oversees at Hempstead Rebirth – a faith-based not-for-profit organization in the Village of Hempstead, whose mission entails building sustainable communities. The mission of the Food and Fitness program is to achieve the social, environmental and economic goals of sustainable development by promoting health and wellness as it specifically relates to the dynamics of food as well as its relationship to physical activity. In fall 2013, the Food and Fitness program served as a learning experience site for a class of Adelphi undergraduate students in a Health Education class. These students were able to assist with the series of workshops offered to community members. This year, community outreach strategies involved teaching nutrition-related lessons to 6th graders at the Hempstead Boys and Girls club, conducting a fitness-related presentation to members of a Parent Teacher Organization at a charter school in Brooklyn, participating in Adelphi’s Health and Wellness fair and developing a stronger social media component. Sharla-Renee looks forward to further building the program with hopes of establishing a Food and Fitness Center.

Yana Kusayeva (’08) completed her MPA in public and nonprofit policy and management at NYU Wagner in May 2013 and has since been working as a research and management analyst at MDRC, a social policy research organization. In addition, she continues to serve as the founding president of Dialogue Beyond Borders (DBB), a 501c(3) nonprofit organization specializing in human rights education.

Alysha Rashid (’10) currently works as a College Match Advisor for MDRC’s College Match Program. MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational and social policy research organization whose mission is to find what works to improve the well-being of low-income people to enhance the effectiveness of social policies and programs. The College Match Program is within the K-12 education policy areas, and it builds on previous research to combat the issue of “undermatching.” Studies show that many students tend to undermatch, especially within the low-income population. College Match provides individualized advising; college, scholarship, and financial aid application support.  Through College Match, Alysha helps students apply to colleges that are a better match and fit, as well as support them in making a college decision, and throughout the summer before college.