Senior Ammie Lin Looks Back

Just days before graduation and it still hasn’t hit me yet. These past four years at Adelphi have definitely flown by, even though I’ve experienced so much. My undergraduate career here has definitely been a time of stress and excitement, but most of all, growth. Through my extracurricular activities and internships, I’ve become so much more than whom I was on Matriculation Day.

Recruiting new members for Desi Club
during the 2011 Freshman Orientation 

Even before freshman year began, I participated in my first community service project: the Freshman Community Action Program (FCAP), where I met and worked with campus leaders who encouraged me to stay active and involved throughout my years at Adelphi.

Because of FCAP and the mentorship of close peers and professors, whom I looked up to, I joined a bunch of campus clubs. By the end of my first year, I had the courage to run for a secretary position of Desi Club, now known as South Asian Students Association.

Making cold calls for perspective
cancer wig donations at CancerCare!

My sophomore year was consumed of trials and errors, as it was my first time leading an organization and working with an executive board.

One of my mentors, Reaz Khan, also guided me to my first internship, which was paid, through the Community Fellows Program. I interned at CancerCare, as the Programs/Development Intern, where I researched funding sources. My biggest achievement there was coordinating a donation of cancer wigs worth over $100,000 in retail value.

At the 2013 Women’s Recognition Banquet

By junior year, I was serving on five executive boards simultaneously: Vice President of Class of 2014, Public Relations Officer of Amnesty International Club, Secretary for MOSAIC, Secretary for Levermore Global Scholars Student Leadership Council, and Liaison for Criminal Justice Club. Meanwhile, I was taking 18 credits worth of classes and working 18 hours per week at Coach. Time management was definitely the lesson of the year.

Of course, I reaped many benefits. I received Student Government Association’s 2013 Women’s Recognition Award. I was inducted into the Sigma Lambda Leadership Honor Society. I was also chosen to represent Adelphi at the 2013 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL), an all-expenses paid trip to a three day conference at the University of Maryland.

As part of my internship,
I managed the press at the 2013
Annual National Urban League Conference.

That summer also included the best internship experience I’ve had so far. I got paid to be a Marketing and Communications Intern at the National Urban League, where I wrote my first press releases and media advisories, conducted media calls and press conferences, and traveled to various states.

After listening to an old advice about networking, I finally experienced just how effective it is at the beginning of my senior year. I kept in touch with my NCCWSL sponsor, a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I told her that my dream is to work at the UN and she immediately connected me to AAUW’s UN representative.  Next thing I know, I’m serving as one of AAUW’s first UN youth delegates.

(from left to right) (1) Melissa Guardaro, Main AAUW Rep., (2) Me, AAUW Youth Rep., (3) Miki Noguchi, AAUW Rep., and (4) Donya Nasser, AAUW Youth Rep. 

Speaking on behalf of UN DPI/NGO Youth Reps.
Program at a UN briefing.

I held my third internship during my senior year, as the Marketing and Development Intern at Social Tap. Now, I continue to work towards a future career at the UN by serving as the Communications Chair of the UN Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization Youth Representatives (DPI/NGO Youth Reps.) Program.

I recently received notice about a possible internship with an NGO at the UN. Although graduation is coming up soon, Adelphi has definitely prepared me for this day. My dream of working at the UN was born at Adelphi and Adelphi has only helped me get closer to it.