Winner of the 2019 Graduate Student Service Award, Gina Ludlow is committed to serving the ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp community and beyond.
What I’ve found at ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp is that if you are a student who wants to do more, there is a lot of space to grow.
— GIna Ludlow
Gina Ludlow is the winner of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP) Graduate Student Service Award, in recognition of her contributions to ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp. Pursuing her master’s degree in school psychology, Ludlow is a Graduate Student Senator and a graduate assistant to the Black Studies Program, the Peace and Justice Studies Program, and the Women and Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. She also served on this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, and she was a panel speaker at the annual Diversity Lecture with keynote speaker Antonia Darder, PhD.
“What I’ve found at ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp is that if you are a student who wants to do more, there is a lot of space to grow,” said Ludlow.
Last month, Ludlow collaborated with a committee from one of the two public high schools in the town of Fairfield, Fairfield Warde Voices for Equity (FWVE), and the Connecticut Writing Project Fairfield, to host more than 200 middle and high school students at ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp. Part of the third annual Identity and Education Conference, the topic of the conference was “Empowering Our Communities and Beyond – a Writing Our Lives Event.”
The Writing Our Lives event was a chance for young people to inspire their peers on issues that matter most to them. Stephanie Burrell Storms, EdD, associate dean and associate professor, offered guidance and support to Ludlow, who was eager to bring the Warde Voices for Equity conference to campus.
The goal of the annual conference is to reduce data-based gaps in opportunity and achievement of marginalized groups in local schools through student empowerment, professional development, and advocacy. During the conference, students from several school districts shared equity work from their own schools, including a group of students in Stamford who staged a walkout, and a team from Staples and Harding High Schools who collaborated on yearlong literacy projects with social justice themes.
On reflecting about her decision to join the Fairfield community to pursue her graduate studies, Ludlow shared that it was Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, chair of psychological and educational consultation and associate professor of psychology and special education, who won her over.
“I love Dr. Gill Lopez’s approach to being a scientist practitioner, analyzing data, and looking at the whole person while also being self-reflective. It’s amazing to have found people at Fairfield who are really passionate about the same things I am passionate about. I feel honored to work alongside them.”
