Puksta Project
During my undergraduate career at DU, I was a part of the Puksta Scholars Program. We were a small community of students who are passionate about social justice, and we met throughout the terms to update each other on our projects and lives.
First Year
Exploring Social Justice
In my first year as a Puksta Scholar, I focused on learning as much as I could about community organizing and social justice. I explored areas that I hadn't understood before, including reading through "Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice," where different disabled perspectives were represented as a form of intersectionality.
Second Year
Researching Social Justice Issue Area
My second year in the Program was dedicated to researching the gap I had identified in representation for people with disabilities. This year's reading focused on the term nurturance culture and how to combat dominant and oppressive culture.
Third Year
Disability Representation in Higher Ed & My Time as a Community Engaged Fellow
My third year as a Puksta scholar is when my project really came to life, as I discovered a way to help physically disabled students by working on a guide to entering college and gaining independence. I also worked as a Community Engaged Fellow where I assisted the younger scholars navigate the program and the University. The reading for this year was dedicated towards understanding mutual aid in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fourth Year
Partnership with Denver Public Schools and Ending the Program
In my last year as a Puksta, I partnered with DPS to create a connection between their students and my resources. I also plan to work with them in their next school year, to facilitate conversations with their teachers and staff to use inclusive language around their students with disabilities. My final reading was dedicated towards independent liberation and abolition.
