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2023-2024 DeBerry Civic Scholars Cohort Members

Annie Chiu

Annie Chiu

Annie is a third year student from the South Side of Chicago. She is studying Biology and Anthropology with a minor in Global Health Studies. She enjoys spending time scrapbooking, reading, taking walks in nature, and learning new things. Annie is passionate about poverty and both healthcare and education equity and accessibility.

Kalaiya Corbin

Kalaiya is a sophomore from North Carolina. She is currently studying Psychology and Sociology. In her free time, Kalaiya enjoys painting, crocheting, and spending time with friends. She is committed to advocating equity in education.

Kalaiya Corbin
Claire Kim

Claire Kim

Claire is a first-year student from Suwanee, Georgia. She is majoring in Cognitive Science and intends to complete the Human-Computer Interaction and/or Segal Design Certificates. In the future, Claire plans to pursue a career in UX/UI design, through which she hopes to improve accessibility in digital interfaces and to address discrimination in technology. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cafés, thrifting, and spending time with friends.

River Kim

River believes in the power of art, expression, and creativity to heal and imagine community beyond gender norms, capitalism, and other proponents of oppression. He loves poetry, conversation, and spending intentional time doing nothing. He is a first-year student interested in Gender & Sexuality Studies and Art Theory & Practice and is originally from unceded Lenape land.

River Kim
Aby James

Aby James

Aby was born in Sohar, Oman but moved to the greater Chicagoland area at the age of three. He is a Junior studying Economics and Political Science on a Pre-Law track hoping to make a difference through his work in public policy and government. He is passionate about issues like international law, immigration rights, and climate change. On campus you can find him running with the track club, being an RA at Plex, and working at the Religious and Spiritual Life Center.

Sophia Heath

Sophia grew up in San Mateo, California (south of San Francisco). She is a second-year majoring in History and Political Science, and Minoring in Psychology. After Northwestern, Sophia intends to become a lawyer and advocate for youth impacted by mass incarceration and the criminal legal system. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, Polaroid photography, reading fantasy novels, and listening to music (particularly, rock, classical, and Lana Del Rey).

Sophia Heath
Love-Kendy Jourdan

Love-Kendy Jourdan

Jourdan, hailing from the vibrant culture of Haiti, is a dedicated freshman at Northwestern University with a profound passion for Political Science and International Studies. From a young age, Love-Kendy has been driven by a strong commitment to community engagement, particularly in the realms of Human Rights advocacy and Peacebuilding in his homeland. Love-Kendy is committed to expanding his knowledge and expertise in global affairs. Beyond his academic pursuits, he exemplifies leadership by actively serving as a Coordinator for Youth Empowerment Organization, a NGO he co-founded to nurture a new generation of young changemakers by providing them with essential education in non-violent strategies, peacebuilding, and Human Rights advocacy. In his free time, Love-Kendy finds joy in traveling, singing, cooking, and reading.

Zeta Whitmer

Zeta is a freshman from Rochester, Indiana. She plans to major in political science and legal studies. In her free-time, she loves to be outside, listen to good country music, and be with her family, friends, and pets. She hopes to become a civil rights or immigration attorney.

Zeta Whitmer
Grace Yu

Grace Yu

Grace is a sophomore born and raised in New York City. She is studying English and Native American Studies on the pre-med track, with hopes of becoming a physician serving in low income and minority communities with limited access to healthcare. Grace is passionate about health and educational disparities as well as increasing representation of marginalized identities and voices. She is currently involved in volunteering as a tutor for low income, immigrant and incarcerated students, as well as doing a research project investigating interpersonal violence in underserved neighborhoods. In her free time, she loves to play piano and to write poetry exploring the beauty of the natural world, overlapping identities and cultural experiences. She is an avid reader and lover of apples, animals, and her mom’s Korean food.

Allen Park

Allen is a sophomore from Englewood, New Jersey currently studying Neuroscience. He enjoys cooking for his friends and trying new kinds of food. Allen spends most of his free time as a volunteer EMT, and intends to pursue a career in mental health care.

Allen Park