In a world of talkers and complainers Alejandra Kennedy is a doer. She volunteers while both working and attending college full-time, and even finds time to facilitate change. "You can't keep complaining— if you want change you have to do something."

At Lehman College where Alejandra attends classes, she, along with a group of friends, noticed there were no organizations that were inclusive of all students. "At my school they have these clubs, they have the Muslim club, the Dominican club; everyone was separate. We decided to start a club where everyone was included regardless of race, sex, or sexual orientation." As a result, Alejandra co-founded the Circle Club, an all-inclusive club that is dedicated to inclusion and diversity. The club participates in community service, including tutoring high school students, and participating in cancer walks, and the annual AIDS Walk.

Even though Alejandra is not a Business major, that didn't stop her from lending her organizational skills to the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance of Accounting (ALPFA). ALPFA's goal is to expand the number of minorities in the finance and accounting fields through building relationships with Fortune 500 companies. As the Director of Membership she recruits new members and helps to organize events such as the Business Boot Camp and Project Professional, both of which teach college students about professional skills, including how to interview, how to create a resume, and how to dress for office work. Not only did not being a Business major not deter her from joining, but the prospect of being  only one of two African-Americans in the organization didn't turn her away either. In fact, it was one of the reasons she joined: "I would see a lot of African-American students who were interested in the organization but wouldn't join, because its membership was predominately Latinos."

At her current place of employment, Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), Alejandra is a Training Specialist. BELL is a non-profit organization that provides free after-school tutoring and summer school for children in low-income urban communities. Alejandra oversees the training of the tutors for the children.

For the average twenty-one year old woman, school, work, starting an organization, and recruiting other students would be enough on their plate. But Alejandra is not an average young woman; she has just added volunteering for the Free Arts NYC program to her schedule. The Free Arts program uses art to help heal families and children who have suffered from substance abuse.

With her work and volunteer experience this young woman could choose any career path, however, she has chosen to be an elementary school teacher.  "Maybe I won't be able to change the world, but maybe I can spark an interest in the person who will."

By Chloe Mister