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Student Leaders

Lives of Commitment 2024-25 Student Leaders

The student leaders were asked to answer the following questions:
1) What do you value about LOC?
2) What are you excited about, exploring, or going to be involved in this year?
3) What is your favorite place, and why?

Richard Rose, LOC Program Coordinator

  1. My involvement in Lives of Commitment has been incredibly valuable to my time at Macalester. From the hours I’ve spent volunteering at the Rondo Community Library to the countless meetings throughout the years, LoC has given me the space to grow as a person, student, and member of the Macalester and Twin Cities communities. It has allowed for a sense of community among my peers as we strengthen our commitments to the communities that have welcomed us in the Twin Cities and beyond. The creation of that community encourages us to reflect critically on our roles in the work we engage in, the organizations that facilitate it, and the histories that necessitate these commitments. Without LoC, I am not certain I would have been able to step outside of the Macalester “bubble” so early in my college career and develop more nuanced perspectives on much of the work many of us tend to take for granted.
  2. During my senior year, I am really excited to take on the role as the LoC senior and imagine new ways LoC can interact with its partners and the Macalester community as a whole. I will also be working as a Community Engagement Organizer to strengthen Macalester’s relationships with organizations advocating for housing, labor, and food justice in the Twin Cities. Finally, I will be doing some advocacy work with my student organization, the First-Generation Low-Income Student Union, to push Macalester to deepen its commitment to meeting the needs of all students (so stay tuned!).
  3. I love exploring the food scene and the parks in the Twin Cities. Pho Pasteur (Snelling Ave) and Hamdi (Lake St) are two of my favorite restaurants so far, but if you’re looking for more of a picnic vibe, definitely go to the park around Minnehaha Falls or the Chain of Lakes (Lake of the Isles is elite)!

Sara Bennett

  1. My favorite part of LoC is how it facilitates authentic and meaningful connections outside campus and in our surrounding communities. It’s such an awesome way to connect with, learn the history of, and contribute to parts of the cities that many other students don’t get to see. Especially as an international student, it has given me so much insight into Minnesota and more broadly the US. It has broadened my perspective so much and I’m so excited to see how many new things the program and the community will teach me this year. 
  2. I’m super excited to be involved in different things this year!  I will be an RA in Wallace 0 (Yay ResLife!), a Sports Medical Assistant in the Leonard Center, and of course LoC! In my spare time, I’m hoping to explore the cities, spend more time outdoors, and procrastinate less.
  3. In the warmer months I love being down at the Mississippi River or Lake Nokomis. Otherwise, I love to go to concerts—the Minnesota Orchestra is incredible.

Ornela Gigolaj

  1. The most valuable aspect of LoC for me is undeniably the community I’ve built through this program. I feel honored to be surrounded by passionate young people with diverse perspectives and ideas, from whom I’ve learned a great deal. Interacting with them every week has been instrumental in my personal growth.
  2. Looking ahead to the upcoming semester, I’m excited to take on the role of a research lab assistant. Additionally, I’m eager to explore more of the Twin Cities and meet new people.
  3. For those interested in theater, I highly recommend a visit to the Guthrie Theater. Their production of “A Christmas Carol” is truly mesmerizing.

Jane He

  1. LoC introduced me to a community of dedicated and passionate individuals, as well as a greater understanding of the community outside of Macalester. It has allowed me to give back to people through volunteering and gave me a strong foundation for my first year in college. I love how everyone is able to bring their personal experiences and skills into LoC and put them out into the world! The free food at meetings is a bonus… 
  2. I’m excited to continue working at the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice on campus and be a Sophomore leader! I’ve met so many incredible people in both spaces and I’m looking forward to creating more change and joy with them. I’m also hoping to get off campus more this year and hopefully attend more of the cool education studies centered events held in the Twin Cities! 
  3. I can’t say I’ve been off campus enough to say, but Simplicitea has pretty good bubble tea and a nice atmosphere for studying (but if you want the classic boba milk tea drink, go to Ding Tea!!). The MIA and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden are fun when it’s warm out!

Lesly Hernandez

  1. What I value about LoC is being able to have a community that I trust. Attending college can be very overwhelming, which is why I found it so amazing to have a community with me since the beginning. It has been so great to meet so many new people and become close friends with them. The relationships that I have made within LoC are some that I truly cherish. The sophomore leaders were some of the best people that I met, and they are going to be missed. At the same time, having the ability to meet new people again is another great aspect of LoC.
  2. I am really excited to meet new people through LoC and exploring my majors more. I have officially declared political science and sociology as my two majors, and it is exciting to know that I will be able to explore doing research within my majors sophomore year.
  3. I love spending time everywhere in the Twin Cities, mostly coffee shops around the cities. My favorite thing to do is go to coffee shops and spend my time there doing work or talking to friends. There are so many, and I am making it a goal of mine to go to all of them. 

Zayna Hopkins

  1. LoC is awesome! It is so incredible to have a consistent community outside of a private college setting. I value the intergenerationality that comes with any volunteer site. At Macalester, I am around 18-22 year olds all day. Getting off campus every week to learn about Roblox from nine year olds or the best hikes near St. Paul from librarians is a form of wisdom that LoC provides. The consistency of getting off campus with the same group of people helped me continually reflect on my growth both as a volunteer and as a person. LoC has given me a greater appreciation and understanding of the Twin Cities, and has solidified the importance of deep interpersonal relationships in building a sustainable and joyful community.
  2. So so much! I’m living at the Spanish House so I’m looking forward to cooking a lot, maybe playing some spike ball in the yard, and drinking some tea on the porch in the morning! I’ll be playing ultimate frisbee (such a FUN sport!) and I’m hoping to rock climb a bit more this year. I’m on the outing club leadership so I’m excited to explore new spots and activities to take Mac to. I’m especially looking forward to working at the LSC (Macalester’s social justice center) to organize some amazing events with some of the best people at Mac. My goal is to jump into more lakes this year! And of course I’m excited to be a sophomore leader for LoC!  
  3. Near/in water! Lake Nakomis, Lake Como, Minnehaha Falls, the Mississippi River… in the rain! There is so much water here and I absolutely love it! Sports are also a great way to get to know the culture of a city. College students get $5-10 tickets to a bunch of Timberwolves games which is awesome. Twins games are fun. Minnesota United games are a blast. I went to a Minnesota Strike (Minnesota women’s professional ultimate game) which was super incredible. I sometimes go on a little 10 (or less!) minute bike ride to the river in the morning before class. I’m hoping to explore more of the Cities by bike this year!

Anke Kozeliski

  1. LoC has not only allowed me to engage with my peers and the community surrounding Macalester. It has been a space where I can deeply reflect on different issues and topics that are related to the Twin Cities. Beyond anything, LoC is a great place to create friendships and meaningful bonds.
  2. Beyond being a sophomore leader for LoC,  I am a student worker at the Career Exploration Center and will be taking many psych classes this fall. Besides that, I hope to go to sports games with my friends and enjoy the warm weather before winter.
  3. I love exploring new places to eat in the twin cities. There are so many good places to eat and I want to try them all.

Delaney Kreider

  1. I, like so many other first-year students, was nervous about the transition into college life, especially being in an area new to me with no familiar faces. Lives of Commitment helped me find my place at Macalester, and I got to know so many people, both on and off campus, that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet. It was amazing to see how the community within LoC grew over the year, especially looking back to the retreat before orientation. Lives of Commitment is an amazing opportunity for students to engage with the community beyond campus and connect with others through volunteer service, as well as to reflect on the world around us and our roles within our communities.
  2. I am thrilled to continue with Lives of Commitment, this time as a Sophomore Leader! I will also start my on-campus positions, working as a chemistry and writing tutor, and am looking forward to taking more classes towards my anticipated neuroscience major! I am also planning to participate in the women’s and gender-inclusive club soccer team this year, which I enjoyed for the last few weeks of this past Spring. Beyond Macalester, I hope to explore more of the Twin Cities this coming year!
  3. I’ve loved exploring local restaurants around the Twin Cities throughout my first year at Macalester. It’s a great way to get off campus and there are so many amazing places I can’t wait to try!

Eli Suppelsa

  1. I value the connections to local communities, the exposure to activism and community organizing, and the LoC community itself. LoC is a very personal cohort of individuals and it had a profound impact on the start of my first year at Macalester. It allowed me to get away from Macalester for a bit each week and to meet people from outside our campus bubble. 
  2. I am excited to be taking new classes, meeting different people, and exploring more of the Twin Cities!
  3. I’m a big fan of walking down to the river on Summit Ave. The median widens at some point and becomes basically a big park. We are super lucky to have it so close to campus!!