Originally published in Columbia News: https://news.columbia.edu/news/system-impacted-scholars-helps-students-navigate-columbia
System Impacted Scholars (SIS) was founded in fall 2024 by School of General Studies (GS) alum Ava Kamdem, in collaboration with several students connected to the Center for Justice.
“SIS was created because many students at Columbia who have been impacted by systems such as the criminal legal system, foster care, immigration detention, or other surveillance structures often struggle to find community and resources on campus. Ava recognized that some of these students felt they had to hide parts of their identity to fully integrate into campus life, so SIS was formed to build a supportive network for those students,” said Jason Bostic, SIS president and GS student. SIS is currently working through the recognition process with Columbia to become an official University student group.
The Club’s Mission
System Impacted Scholars aims to gather students from across the University who have been affected by the carceral system, immigration enforcement, foster care, and so on. The organization provides support, community, and advocacy, while also elevating the voices of scholars.
Club Meetings
The 42 members of SIS meet biweekly at the Center for Justice Lab. A typical meeting includes community check-ins and peer support, discussion of advocacy initiatives and how to navigate Columbia as system-impacted students, and planning events or partnerships with other student groups. Meetings usually last about two hours.
Recent SIS Activities
- Hosted an advocacy panel, Ban the Box, with GS Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch (GS‘90); Geraldine Downey, Robert Johnson Niven Professor of Humane Letters in Psychology; and Ronald Day, chief operating officer of the Fortune Society. The panel focused on banning the box about carceral history on college and job applications, which can prevent applicants from progressing through the acceptance process.
- Collaborated with another Columbia student group, the Criminal Justice Coalition, on a program about nontraditional journeys to Columbia.
- Worked with GS and outside partners, including the Fortune Society and Yale Law School, on hosting a screening of The Pact, a documentary about three men who supported one another, and overcame poverty, criminal records, and crack-addicted parents to become medical doctors.
Why You Should Join
Students who are interested in finding a community to help them—or learn how to help others—navigate campus would benefit from joining SIS. “Many times, as students, we hide certain aspects of our stories and our identities to better assimilate into Columbia,” said Bostic. “SIS shows us how to be authentic by focusing not only on theoretical, but also practical ways to implement change on the ground.”
To learn more about System Impacted Scholars, check out its Instagram account: columbia_sisg.
