2023 Student Leader Scholarship Recipients 

Lydia Hussein '24 

Major: History
Minor: Journalism and Museum Studies
Hometown: Miami, Florida

Favorite CC Memory: Having Twilight marathons with friends during Block 8 before we all leave for the summer.

Favorite Class Thus Far: Thesis sequence

After you graduate, how will you use the skills you’ve learned so far to be an advocate for CC among your classmates and other alumni?

CC has taught me just how important it is to stay connected with your community, be it CC students at large or within smaller groups of students with similar backgrounds. Here, I learned how to be a team player beyond spaces within my comfort level. I plan on continuing this skill after graduating by staying in touch with my peers through social media and online communication so that I may keep these valuable personal and professional relationships. I will then hopefully be able to use this space to advocate for future BIPOC and low-income students, as we will all still have our history at CC in common. I hope this will give us more power in the future to advocate for the issues on campus which we often feel are ignored today, such as housing inequity and increased financial aid support.

How do you plan to use your experiences at CC to give back to CC with your time, talent, and treasure?

I know firsthand how difficult it can be to exist in a place like CC as a financially independent student of color. You are surrounded by so much privilege, and no one seems to blink twice at the degree of need from within CC. At college, I have supported myself by working on campus, at times having as many as five jobs to pay for bills, food, and other necessities. It's especially isolating when so many of your friends and peers can't relate to such struggles. I hope to give back to these students by giving my resources to the students who are working daily just to keep up. I would devote my future donations and community-building skills to creating a grant for students with no support from their families. To me, equity starts when students can begin to focus on their future, instead of tomorrow.

Misbah Lakhani '24

Major: Feminist and Gender Studies
Hometown: Houston, Texas

Favorite CC Memory: Going to the hot springs with my fellow majors and building community through acts of self-care.

Favorite Class Thus Far: Gender, Body, and Sound. It was an amazing block that combines music and feminist theory. It was truly interdisciplinary and one of the most creative classes I have taken.

After you graduate, how will you use the skills you’ve learned so far to be an advocate for CC among your classmates and other alumni?

I know that this school, and especially the Feminist and Gender Studies Department, has been instrumental in helping me learn what is care, what is community, and how to build towards a better future. Learning to implement them in my life and those of my peers are priceless skills CC has provided me with.

How do you plan to use your experiences at CC to give back to CC with your time, talent, and treasure?

After graduation, I plan on helping the younger folx in my life to deeply and seriously consider a liberal arts education. I, personally, did not know what a liberal arts school was, much less know the value of its education. I hope to continue to be in touch with the CC community and be able to provide any support where I can as an alum!

 Tess Rittenberg '25

Major: Sociology
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Favorite CC Memory: Co-directing and acting in a show with Theatre Workshop!

Favorite Class Thus Far: Philosophies of the Body: Bodies and Power

After you graduate, how will you use the skills you’ve learned so far to be an advocate for CC among your classmates and other alumni?

Through being a voice for others via CCSGA and President’s Council, I know how to advocate for policy changes and have a strong rapport with the administration. I have provided the student perspective on mental health, anti-racism, college rankings, and more. After graduating, I will celebrate CC and alumni success but be unafraid to speak about what needs to be changed. I will maintain connections with alumni and staff and ensure that we keep supporting and creating policies that benefit students, not just alumni. I want to continue to make bold choices, adapt to the times as they change, and foster an inclusive space where students feel heard by the students that came before them.

How do you plan to use your experiences at CC to give back to CC with your time, talent, and treasure?

It is important to me to be a mentor for future students as an alumni. Throughout my career searches, alumni mentors have been invaluable. By supporting long-standing initiatives such as the PIFP program, I can help the next generation make a change in the world. As an Admissions Ambassador, I can help prospective students as well as future ones by giving them the “inside scoop” on CC. I also will be open to receiving news, feedback, and questions from the campus communities I've been a part of. CC has been a formative experience for me so far, and I don’t want those experiences to become just memories when I graduate. In the future, I will make sure to talk about CC with pride and always be a resource and mentor for staff and future students.



Victoria Rosa '25


Major: Neuroscience

Minor: Biochemistry
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois

Favorite CC Memory: Favorite CC Memory: Attending the ACS (American Chemical Society) Spring National Meeting in San Diego over my sophomore year spring break. I am very grateful to have been awarded a conference presentation grant which afforded me the opportunity to travel and present my research and engage with the global chemistry community. It was a very fun and empowering experience and I am grateful to have attended with a wonderful group from CC. 

Favorite Class Thus Far: General Chemistry II with Sally Meyer and Neuropharmacology with Lori Driscoll. Through General Chemistry II I fell in love with the beauty of chemistry and the potential to explore and make sense of the world through the lens of chemistry. Neuropharmacology is an incredibly engaging course: both because of the style of teaching and the course content we explore.

After you Graduate how will you use the skills you've learned so far to be an advocate for CC among your classmates and other alumni?

When I graduate, I hope to maintain the relationships I have with my peers, faculty, and staff of the college. I hope to also grow relationships with new students so that I am able to support the changing needs of the CC community. I do believe students often are better able to identify areas where change is needed, but pursing institutional change while also balancing coursework, extracurriculars, and employment is very difficult. Through CC I have experienced the power that lies in coming together, sharing experiences, and working to problem solve as a community. I hope to share in the responsibility of guiding the future of CC.

How do you plan to use your experiences at CC to give back to CC with your time, talent, and treasure?

Through CC I have had the pleasure to be mentored by many incredible individuals; this mentorship has allowed me to grow as both a scientist and an individual. After I graduate, I hope to continually serve as a mentor to future students that aspire to pursue careers as research scientists. I would not have been able to attend CC without the generous support of donors. As I progress in my career I hope to be able to financially support initiatives to alleviate food and housing insecurity on our campus.