The University recently honored CEHD student Jalisa Sang with the President’s Student Leadership and Service Award. The prestigious award recognizes the accomplishments and outstanding contributions of student leaders at the University. What makes the honor even more impressive is that Sang is still a freshman. 

A TRIO Student Support Services first-year student, Sang is majoring in family social science and youth studies, with a minor in public health. “I came to CEHD because I wanted to pursue a career in social work,” she says. “I’m leaning toward health care as well and I’m hoping to get a master’s degree in social work and public health or possibly go to medical school.”

She is a member of the President’s Emerging Scholars Program and was recently admitted to the University Honors Program. She also serves on the CEHD Student Board, and will be holding an officer position next year, and is active with the University YMCA and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Sang says she was surprised to win the award since she only had one semester of leadership activities to write about in her application. “Upperclassmen have more experiences. They’ve been here longer and have been able to invest into their interests. I’m still figuring it out,” she says. “So I kept thinking that I wasn’t going to get it.”

However, the award committee ultimately found that Sang’s work with SDS and the YMCA showcased the exceptional leadership and service that the award is meant to honor.

SDS is multi-issue grassroots organization, dedicated to taking on racial and social justice issues on campus, such as advocating for students who have had racial profiling incidents. Sang describes her SDS involvement as community organizing, connecting with other groups on and off campus, having press interviews, talking to media, and presenting speeches. “I bring light to a lot of the issues that are on and off campus,” she says.

Her service with the YMCA includes being a site leader at Maple Ponds Homes in Maplewood. “It’s a housing complex that supports low-income families,” she says. “There’s an after-school program that we serve by reading books and teaching the students lessons.” She also serves as a site leader at the St. Paul Midway YMCA location.

Sang has a full plate with balancing her service work, working in the medical school and schoolwork, but she says she definitely sees herself pursuing other leadership positions at the University. “I’m not sure where yet, but maybe become a member in MSA or the student senate,” she says. “Just continue to be an advocate for all people to make things more inclusive.”

She says the Black Lives Matter movement is where she’s really involved right now. “It’s a continuous fight and we will continue fighting for justice for other families as well,” she says.

Sang adds that she sees advocacy as a big part of her life even after she graduates college. “It’s become my passion and I see myself continuing that passion through my leadership,” she says.