Belonging happens when people find relationship through inclusion, empathy, shared goals and valuing each otherās ideas and contributions.
Meet three members of the Class of 2024 who represent belonging in action, and who are enriching the 91ĢĘ²®»¢ community along the way. Each has brought people from across campus together in mind, body and spiritāwhether through hiking, singing, volunteering or spreading words of kindness.
Danait Issac is passionate about environmental justice and strengthening cultural ties for people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Sheās tackling these issues in a unique wayātaking students out of their comfort zones and into the woods through her “Blackness and the Great Outdoors” initiative.
āI love leading these free outdoor trips where we also tie in a discussion or host dialogue groups around Black people and the outdoors and find ways to decompress and heal in nature,ā said Issac, who is double majoring in and , with a minor in Ā within the College of Arts and Science.
āA lot of times this is the first time a student is able to explore something like kayaking or horseback riding, and I’ve just seen a full transformation by the end of the trip,ā she said.
SHARING HER CULTUREĀ Ā Ā Ā
Issacās parents moved to the U.S from the northeast African country of Eritrea. At 91ĢĘ²®»¢, Issac is closely tied with the and is passionate about supporting the community and sharing it with others.
āThe unique ways that we [in the Eritrean community] eat together and celebrate together and mourn together really taught me the importance of being a part of a collective and the power of community,ā she said. āThat feeling of community is something that I brought to 91ĢĘ²®»¢, and I am so immensely grateful to experience here.ā
Read more of Danaitās story here.>>
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday an inspirational text message appears on hundreds of phones across 91ĢĘ²®»¢ and beyond. These messages of encouragement, dubbed āLittle Love Letters,ā are part of a mission of empathetic empowerment and support created by entrepreneur Cambri Driskell.
āMy digital platform called is designed to empower young women like meāmeeting them in their season of life and encouraging their hearts into whatever they hope their life looks like,ā the major said.
BELONGING THROUGH STRUGGLE
Driskell said she came to 91ĢĘ²®»¢ with a drive to perform at a high level and be an entrepreneur. She honed business skills and Spanish fluency. But that drive to ascend, among other things, led her to suffer emotionally.
Coming through that season, with the help of a strong community, further inspired her to create avenues for belonging.
āFinding belonging has not been a hard thing because 91ĢĘ²®»¢ is full of really amazing people. Itās actually choosing to belong, and not agreeing with the lie that Iām alone and isolated, that was a little bit harder part of the journey. But itās one that I wouldnāt trade at all because Iāve gotten to have a far deeper gratitude for the people around me and how theyāve come alongside me than I ever did when I thought that I could just trailblaze by myself,ā she said.
Read more of Cambriās story here.>>
Student-athlete and Double ‘Dore Cameron Robinson came to 91ĢĘ²®»¢ in 2017, earning academic honors and the respect and love of his Commodores
football teammates with his joyful and sincere personality. Early in his undergraduate path, the Mobile, Alabama, native felt a higher callingāand set his sights on
āI answered the call to ministry as an undergrad, and it was one of those things that I had to wrestle with because I was like, āWhoās going to listen to me?ā But God continued to confirm and to reassure me that I was right where I needed to be,ā Robinson said. āAll I had to do was just have a little bit of faith and a little bit of trust. And itās shifted the trajectory of my life.ā
CREATING SAFE SPACES
Robinson has created multiple spaces for belonging by connecting with people through music and mentorship.
Robinson knows how tough it can be to juggle academic challenges with competing as an athlete in the SEC. Thatās why he is mentoring student-athletes as a graduate fellow with the Office of Student-Athlete Development within the .
āMentoring is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,ā he said. āI’m grateful because it made me the man that I am today. And so, getting a chance to help guys who are in that position nowāpouring back into the next generation of student-athletesāis something that I’m passionate about.ā
Read more of Camās story here.>>
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