“I think it’s important to have students of color in leadership positions because it then creates a voice for others that might not have it,” said Jamelia DeSouza, senior community health major and psychology minor. DeSouza holds various student leadership positions on Hofstra University’s campus. One of these positions includes her role as president of Hofstra’s Caribbean Student Association (CSA).
“In my role as president of CSA, I host a lot of fun, but also educational events to bring a home to people on this campus that are of Caribbean descent or [to express] our culture to others,” DeSouza said. “I help coordinate a lot of events and let it be a safe community.”
Hofstra’s CSA hosts workshops, presentations, performances and various collaborative events for students, highlighting and celebrating the many aspects of Caribbean culture.
In addition to her role in CSA, DeSouza is the event coordinator of Hofstra’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
“Because Hofstra is a [predominantly white institution], I know that coming on this campus and seeing people like me, and experiencing other cultures, has helped me find my space on this campus and helped me help others find their space on this campus,” DeSouza said. “It’s important to improve diversity and awareness for everybody.”
DeSouza tries to plan collaborative events between CSA and NAACP, so that the organizations are aware that they work together and do not oppose each other.
“[Identity-based organizations] are the minority, so it’s important to have us collaborate because it further builds community and allows us to understand each other better,” DeSouza said.
In addition to her executive board positions with Hofstra’s CSA and NAACP, DeSouza is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (AKA). AKA is the first Black Greek-letter sorority and was founded in 1908 at Howard University.
“My sorority stands for service to all mankind,” DeSouza said. “We strive for community service and sisterhood. We support each other.”
DeSouza is the sisterly relations chair for Hofstra’s AKA Kappa Phi chapter.
“I help coordinate events where we may go out and make sure we’re building each other up and helping the community,” DeSouza said.
Along with her extracurricular involvement, DeSouza is a resident assistant (RA) at Hofstra. She strives to create a safe environment for her residents.
“As an RA, I host programs for people that live on campus. I make sure that they feel comfortable and they always have somebody to reach out to,” DeSouza said. “I tend to create programs that are de-stressing because people have a lot going on academically and with extracurriculars. Having a space within your dorm is beneficial because then you know you always have somebody to turn to and have a nice mental break.”
DeSouza uses her various student leadership roles to be a voice for other students who may have concerns or ideas they want to be shared.
“If I have my RA hat on and people want to reach out to me about something going on, I know that I can then be a voice for them and speak to them,” DeSouza said. “In CSA, if somebody has something going on in their country that they want to highlight, I can do that through my position in CSA.”
While maintaining multiple leadership positions on Hofstra’s campus can be overwhelming, for DeSouza, it’s all worth it when she sees other students happily participating in events.
“Having all these different roles on campus is difficult, but seeing other people happy like when CSA had our paint and powder event and when NAACP had our cookout, a lot of people came out and were excited to have a community,” DeSouza said. “Seeing people happy about that is why I continue to be a leader in this community.”