From the president
When Joe Sawma saw an opportunity to help fellow students in need, he didn’t just talk about it, he put a plan into action. His “A Meal for Me, A Meal for You” initiative encouraged classmates to put outstanding balances on their meal plans toward nonperishable goods for the campus food pantry. But leadership is more than just initiative, it’s also about keeping a good idea alive. Sawma ensured that his food drive would return the following semester, and his work has netted more than $4,000 in donations for students experiencing food insecurity in its first two years—a big plus on a fairly small campus. His effort has not gone unrewarded. He received the 2021–2022 Outstanding First-Year Student Award and the Sue Levering Social Justice Scholarship for his efforts, and he continues to give back to the Adelphi community. Sawma is currently the secretary of the Levermore Global Scholars Student Leadership Council, parliamentarian of the Student Government Association, director of programming for his residence hall council, and a member of the Equitable Adelphi Action Team. He is both learning and demonstrating strong leadership skills and insight while finding new ways to make his school a better place.
Personal Statement
In 2021, I stepped into the United States for the first time. I came from Lebanon, where an economic crisis, though not as severe as it is today, had impaired many families’ ability to put food on their tables. At the end of my first semester at Adelphi University, I noticed that our prepaid meal balance could not roll over for the next semester. Students bought unneeded plastic cups from the campus Starbucks to spend down their accounts. That’s when I came up with “A Meal for Me, A Meal for You,” an initiative allowing students to use their swipes to buy nonperishable items and donate them at collection boxes across campus. In 2021 and 2022, we collected more than $4,000 worth of goods for the on-campus pantry that helps students experiencing food insecurity. That effort led to my receiving the 2021–2022 Outstanding First-Year Student Award and the Sue Levering Social Justice Scholarship, showing me that campus organizing is important and achievable. I now serve in executive roles for the Levermore Global Scholars Student Leadership Council, the Student Government Association and the Equitable Adelphi Action Team. While my major is biology, I’m concurrently studying the power of civic engagement.