Musée Magazine 2020

“DON’T BE 2021
AFRAID
OF YOUR TOP 10
DREAMs!”
PEOPLE OF
- JAEL KERaNDI THE YEAR
2020
9GREAT TIPS
FOR
INTERVIEW

HOW TO GET IN
TOP 10

UMN STUDENT
ORGANIZATION



Letter of the Editor-in-Chief

The birth of Musée Magazine

A year ago, in March of 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown came into place, I found
myself in my room writing blogs in Tumblr. Writing is magic. It helps me to explore
everywhere in the world, touch the deepest place in my heart and scream out loud in
silence. It then reminds me of a fire in my heart, a dream that had been sleeping my
soul. I decided to sit up, took out some scratch paper and wrote down a very original
and basic plan for my future magazine. In the corner of my dorm room, alone, with
some pencils and paper, Musée Magazine was born.

It is not easy to have a great team, but I am so lucky to have such wonderful mem-
bers. We started out with 4 students whose majors are not relevant to writing or
designing at all. At this moment, our team has doubled in number of members. Our
journey has been a bittersweet one. However, I believe that what we have gone
through up to this point has been amazing to me. We finally published our first
magazine ever. To my 6-year-old self, I have completed my childhood dream. To my
19-year-old self, I began my first steps in a life-long mission: serving the community.

The past year has not been good at all. There are so many things happening that we
hope we would never have to go through it the second time. However, forgetting or
ignoring them is never an option. Musée Magazine promises to continue to become a
student’s voice, a pioneer and a contributor to make this community a better place.
We are, and we will keep making sure we take necessary steps to make this campus
more thriving and empower our students to become more confident, successful and
hopeful.

On behalf of my whole team, I want to say that I am deeply grateful for our readers!
Thank you for your trust and support in our magazine!

Editor-In-Chief
Katherine Ngo

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

1 Editor’s Letter
2 Table of Content
A summary of the papers’ content.
4 Our Introduction

An overview of our Board, mission and value
proposition.

6 University of Minnesota
Photos of the University’s campus
10 People of The Year 2020
12 Kayla Fixel
14 Samiat Ajibola
16 Jael Kerandi
18 Amy Choi
20 Marisa Tillman
22 Amy Ma

24 Munira Ahmed

26 Nibir Sama

28 Chae Lee

30 Zaylie Ledermann

32 POTY Criteria - How to get in Top 10

33 POTY Statistics

34 Best Place to Study on Campus

36 POTY Fun Facts

40 Board Introduction

44 Interview Tips

45 BAM - Student Organization

46 Credits

47 Index
----
Cover Look In Their Elements:
For this issue, Musée Magazine chose an
excellent individual of Top 10 People
of The Year 2020: JAEL KERANDI.
Credits: Sarah Whiting

Musée Magazine

FROM 5 TO 8

(n): where works of art and brilliant humans of permanent value are kept and displayed

4 Musée Magazine

since 2020

Musée Magazine hosts an Musée Magazine is a business magazine
annual award ceremony and and non-profit organization founded
is followed by an annual publica- on June 10th, 2020 with 5 officers. Our mis-
tion. The annual publication will sion promotes students to thrive as a leader
feature “Musée Magazine’s Top 10 in an inclusive & constructive environment.
People of the Year.” Top 10 stu- Our magazine will not only be a voice of all
dents are chosen by nomination at students, but also will celebrate their efforts
the UMN and considered for the and achievements. Beside the annual maga-
awards based on their academic zine, our social media channels are responsible
and social achievements. for informing and connecting UMN students.

Musée Magazine is established with a pur-
pose to connect our students together,
and inspire each other to become more suc-
cessful. Our mission is to make our community
become more connected and thriving. We be-
lieve that the recognition of students’ efforts
inspires the UMN students to dream big, work
hard, and become a better part of the UMN .

MORE THAN A VOICE

About Musée 5

6 UMN Campus

UMN Campus 7

8 UMN Campus

UMN Campus 9

ZAYLIE LEDERMANN JAEL KERANDI
AMY CHOI
TOP
10

SAMIAT AJIBOLA AMY MA

10 People of the year

KAYLA FIXEL MUNIRA AHMED
NIBIR SARMA
People
of The
Year

CHAE LEE MARISA TILLMAN

People of the year 11

An emerging leading voice of a woman
in business and modern society

KAYLA FIXEL

Starting the interview with us, Kayla Fixel presents her pro-
fessionalism with a gentle smile and a confident attitude.
Maintaining the work and professionalism during the pan-

demic and lockdown is not easy, and Kayla is not an exception.

However, she has the ability to have everything structured. While

discussing the tips to manage life and pave the way to success,

Kayla Fixel tells us she has a routine to keep herself disciplined.
Kayla finds herself waking up early at the same time every day,
from 6:30 - 7 a.m, making her bed, and starting her day with a cup
of coffee. She has maintained this habit for a long time, especially

when the lockdown started and everything was transferred on-

line. In addition, when stress and pressure arise, Kayla eases her
mind by spending some time for self-reflection, checking on her
relationships, or going out for a walk with her friends to engage

herself in physical exercises. Being able to keep her mental health

balance is necessary for a leader and a college student like Kayla
to perform her work efficiently.

Talented, independent, and empathetic - the President of Kappa Kappa Pi
personalities that contribute to make Kayla Fixel
a confident woman and a potential leader. Being President of Event Planning of
a Woman in Business, Kayla has faced difficulties GLOBE
and prejudices; therefore she learns to let the
success and accomplishments speak for them- Vice President of Professional
selves. Kayla proves her ability and her passion Activities for Delta Sigma Pi
for business with impressive leadership roles in
organizations that she concerns. (DSP)

Vice President of Carlson
Business Board (CBB)

Kayla as a leader

As a leader, Kayla Fixel is excited to share her thoughts on the roles she has taken. To Kayla, leadership roles at dif-
ferent organizations function differently and being able to understand the characteristics of each position in each
environment is essential to effectively direct an organization.

12 Kayla Fixel

To be specific, her experience as a Vice President us about her own story. “I am usually in a room and
of Carlson Business Board provides her a chance to realizing I am the only woman, probably 65-80% of
explore a role that is totally new and different from the time. It is pretty daunting to me that I am the only
other roles. For other groups, if she completed a task female in the room.” she says. Kayla acknowledges that
or an event, the goal is accomplished. “I just need to women are still facing many barriers and challenges in
achieve a goal, more like an execution focus.” she dis- the field of business and industries in general, espe-
cusses. Being the Vice President of Carlson Business cially in some countries that undermine their chances
Board, however, requires Kayla to deal with more sets of education. For the women who face challenges on
of work, from determining and solving outside issues their journey to pursue education and independent ca-
coming from her own responsibilities and the mutual reers, Kayla says the key is to believe and persist. “Just
ones of the board to understanding and listening to be aware that you have the impact, you could make
the voices of her own members. The challenges also the difference. The way the world is moving, gender is
come from the introduction of working with faculty not as much of a problem as it once was. However, it is
and higher education, yet she considers the challeng- definitely still an issue. Just know that as a woman, you
es as unique and motivating. Kayla emphasizes the are capable of. Don’t listen to the discouragement.”
significance of being empathic and recognizing the
work that has the biggest impact on the students to Kayla on Hobbies and Personal Life
respond and relocate the resources justly. “It is more
like a problem-solving thing,” she remarks. I am work- Interestingly, Kayla reveals that she played alto saxo-
ing from a student perspective and tackling most of phone in her freshman and sophomore years for the
these things. It is also challenging but rewarding.” In university’s marching band. “It’s fun but I have not
comparison with her experience at GLOBE, she says it played for a long time since I left the band. It requires
is an example of execution-focused. Her responsibility a lot of practice and to get the song memorized.” At
is working with her experience at GLOBE, she says it the end of the conversation, Kayla Fixel shares that she
is an example of execution-focused. Her responsibility hopes to see more empathy in this world. Kayle thinks
is working with international students and exchange highly of empathy, especially in leadership roles. Being
students. “Being able to do both is enjoyable for me.” able to recognize other feelings and different experi-
she says excitedly. ences helps her to be effective in her work and em-
powers others. Finally, Kayla wants to thank her family,
Kayla on Women in Leadership especially her mother, and her brothers in Delta Sigma
Pi: “They have motivated me and supported me a lot in
As a lot of women personal and professional relationships.”
in the world lack
the opportunities More fun facts about Kayla Fixel on pages 36-39.
to go to school and
work every day, we
are curious about
Kayla Fixel's expe-
riences as a woman
in leadership and
business. Kayla
takes a little bit to
track her memo-
ries and then tells

Kayla Fixel 13

SAMIAT AJIBOLA

VP of the Black Student Union

President of the Black Student Union

Ambassador of the Undergraduate
Public Health Association

Liaison of African Student Association

Samiat Ajibola is currently a Junior major-
ing in Sociology, minoring in Public Health at
the University of Minnesota. During her years at
the university, she has made many impactful changes to our community. 2020 is not an easy year for anybody,
especially for those who struggled with COVID-19, racism, violence, and political division. However, there is more
hope when we hear the voices of the people. Samiat Ajibola is not only one of those voices, but also the start of
the powerful actions.

We will include a shortened paragraph about why an anonymous read-
er decided to nominate Samiat to be on the Top 10 List.
“Samiat is truly one of a kind. She always puts others’ needs before
her own. She is Vice President of the Black Student Union and raised
over $20,000 for the Twin Cities after it was burned down due to the
murder of George Floyd. She didn’t stop there. She organized a clean-
up and has met with the University for change on campus. She volun-
teers with underprivileged youth teaching them about college [...]. She
is making survival kits for the Dinkytown homeless community. If that
isn’t enough to show her passion for helping others, she also works
for a company that provides services for people with developmental
disabilities. While she does all of this, she never complains. In fact, she
still has amazing grades and loves everyone who comes in her path. In
her free time, she volunteers to teach inner-city kids how to read so
they don’t fall behind in their classes. She is a light in this world, and
will one day change the entire world. She also is a guest activist speak-
er inspiring everyone to stand up for what they believe in. She always
talks about using your platform to inspire. She is giving, brilliant, and
the kindest person in the world.”
14 Samiat Ajibola

“We Have More Things in Common
Than Differences”

MM: How is the experience as the President of long battle against the pandemic?
Black Student Union (BSU) important or changing
you? SA: First of all, just understand this is a hard time.
That’s why it is okay to feel sad, alone or the world is
SA: First of all, I would say that it is definitely an honor, broken because it is. When you understand it is what
but it could be the hardest thing I have ever done in it is, you could start gathering your thoughts and do
my entire life. I don’t know if you have ever heard of something about it. I hope everybody can understand
the Imposter Syndrome but to be honest, most of the that they all have the power to make some changes in
time I feel like I don’t deserve this. Originally, I did not this world. It does not have to be big. As long as you
run for President. I ran to be the Marketing and Public are impacting one person’s life, you are making a huge
Relation Officer at the BS - something that I am passio- difference.
nate about. However, many things happened and I have There is a sociology study called “The Six Degree of
the opportunity to become the President. That’s why I Separation” that states: “Everybody in the world is
felt like I would not be doing a good job. From the be- connected by six people.” This study basically said that
ginning, I have already felt like there are so many odds if you know someone and someone knows someone
against me. Then, COVID-19 and a lot of things hap- and that goes on, you technically know the whole
pened at once. I was thrown into millions of meetings world. If you impact 6 people, you are impacting the
and discussions. Even though this has been one of the entire world hypothetically. With that being said, when
craziest and hardest experiences, I think I have learned you impact your family or friends, you change the
a lot about myself, especially that I could be able to whole world.
handle a position like this. I also have the opportunity You can start big, but you don’t have to. You could just
to be a part of making this community a better place, be kind to some strangers and friends, you are chan-
which I am really thankful for. ging this world.

MM: You are one of the only people receiving this MM: What do you hope to change in our society
award majoring in Public Health. Why did you de- next year?
cide to major in this? What motivates you?
SA: I really want to unify people. I am so sick of people
SA: Originally, I was actually Pre-med. I love medicine. using our differences as a means to not be productive
However, I then realized through my classes that how at this point of time. I feel like we could have done
messed up our healthcare system is. I don’t really want much more things together and we started focusing on
to be a part of that. I want to be a part of the people what we have in common instead of our differences.
who change the system. I want to make sure that eve- We have more things in common than we have in diffe-
ryone is well-taken care of. When reading about the rences.
flaws in our healthcare system, I was disgusted by it. Another study states that we are 99% biologically the
That’s why I changed my major to Sociology. I want to same. Every single person. Why do we have to keep
know more about how society works and why people focusing on the 1% different? That is so ridiculous!
do things that they do. I also minor in Public Health I just want to find a way to wake people up and become
because that is where my biggest passion is in. My plan more powerful together. If we could fight this together,
is to go to Public Health school and start my career in we will succeed. If we don’t take the time to unders-
that. tand each other and find a common ground, those
long-winded battles will become pointless.
MM: We are in the middle of the pandemic. What
will you continue to advise the student to do in our More fun fact about Samiat Ajibola on page 36-39

Samiat Ajibola 15

JAEL KERANDI “Don’t Be Afraid of

Your Dream!”

MM: What have you done at MSA that you are
most proud of overall?

JK: There are a lot of things I have been a part of that
I have also been proud of. I think renaming the Union
has been huge. Our work with the Student-Athletic
Code of Conduct in my first year is huge. Advocacy
on behalf of non-resident, non-proximity students in
tuition is huge. The tie that we cut with the Minneap-
olis Police Department is huge. I think the thing I am
most proud of as the President and Vice President is
being able to become people’s cheerleaders.
It’s just so cool to see people take what I knew and
said: “This is what I want to do. Now, what should I
do next?” I was like: “You know the answer. You don’t
need me for that. I am only here to cheer you on.” and
see the work go forward. It is inspiring to see what
people want to do on behalf of the students. Being a
part of an organization like that is super cool!

As one of the strongest pioneers and activists Chair of Student Representative to the Board of
at the UMN and in the United States, Jael Regents Leadership Student Associate
Kerandi deserves a part of the Top 10 Peo-
ple of The Year 2020. Her courage, wisdom, and Ranking Representative to the Board of Regents -
passion to change society over the difficult course MSA Director of Athletic Relations - MSA
of 2020 have been an inspiration to everybody.
Below is our interview with Jael Kerandi. Vice President of National Association of Black
Accountants
MM: How is the experience in Minnesota Stu-
dent Association (MSA) different from others? Secretary of Programming - National Associa-
tion of Black Accountants Harvard Public Policy
JK: MSA is the opportunity to advocate and stand
up for students. MSA is the opportunity to be in Leadership Scholar
the same room with people who’re like me. It Teaching Assistant - Finance Department
is the opportunity to speak on behalf of 36 000
undergraduate students and right now, with the School of Management Scholarship
Board of Regents, it is 66 000. That experience
challenges, frustrates, empowers, and motivates James A. Johnson Scholarship Award
you. However, it is different in the sense that you
are so responsible for your students. You have no Presidential Service & Leadership Award
other competing priorities but to the students in
that role. I think MSA is an opportunity for me to
really stand up for a big group with very different
and diverse experiences but amazing students.

16 Jael Kerandi

The biggest thing I am proud of is when I was a Pres- portionately impacting different communities?
ident, I saw students coming to me with their issues. Coming from Kenya, sometimes in our community, I
That’s why we are there for them. We are their advocacy usually feel taboo to talk about mental health. Differ-
body. MSA can at times feel like there are barriers for ent communities have different ways to introduce this
students to access so the fact that students who have conversation. We usually think we should step in and
never interacted with MSA found my email or DM me on correct something. Indeed, we should stay back and
Instagram to tell me: “Hey, I have some issues. Can you understand what a community needs.
help me?” And I could. To me, that is why we existed. The other one is about the homeless population. We
The students feel comfortable enough to trust us. That could see its presence whenever we were walking
moves me to tears so many times because I have their around. The homeless population in Minneapolis is very
trust. prevalent. There are old people and children that are
not housed. It is very easy for us who have housing and
MM: You used to be the Director of Athletic Rela- shelters to believe that there has to be a certain story
tions. What motivated you to get this position? about why they are homeless. We really should destroy
that narrative and realize that people need shelter and
JK: I grew up watching sports but at some point, God food. They need their basic needs met. We need to do a
has decided that it is not my talent (smile) and that’s better job as a society.
ok! I absolutely enjoyed sports even when I was really
young. I love watching football, volleyball, and literally MM: What will you say to other younger generations
any sports. That is why when I first got to the student to encourage them to have the courage to pursue
government in my first year, I asked our President what their dreams?
we would do with Athletics and I wanted to do that. She
was like: “We don’t really do anything with athletics, we JK: “Don’t be afraid of your dreams!” Don’t take yourself
don’t really engage.” I was like, I want to do that. I literal- out of the running before you have the chance to win
ly created the role of myself. I’ve been taking on the role the race. Go for that dream. It is okay to get hurt and it is
for over 3 years. I want to advocate for the students and okay not to get it the first time, the second or third time.
for their needs at all levels. If you remain on that path, you get there eventually.
Run your own races, don’t compare yourself. It is okay
MM: Serving for the community is a big part of you. to have role models but your path is your path. It is so
I know you will be willing to be an activist for what- important as the community usually tells you what to
ever you believe in. But right now, which problem do or what to look like in order to win. That won’t really
or social issue do you think you will pay the most help you because you don’t get to be you. Don’t disquali-
attention to? fy yourself. No one likes failure, but it is okay to fail. It is
okay to be down but you are never down.
JK: That is a hard question because our system has a lot
of issues that are presenting to us in silos but I could MM: One last question, what characteristics do you
probably tell you how they tie back to everything and think that contributes to who you are today?
how our system works. Definitely, our issues with rac-
ism and education are big issues. I said education spe- JK: I remember when I was young, I always felt I was
cifically because of housing and security, so on and so “unique” as a kid and struggle to feel where I fit into or
forth. Racism is not new. I am a Black Woman and I will where I am most welcomed. But then, I think I figured
never step into a room without people knowing I am things out and became comfortable with who I was and
Black. It is so important to me, not even for my benefits happy that I was me. I also have a strong opinion of what
but for the young people. I hope younger generations I want or who I wanna become. I also don’t like being
could come to an institution that is different and could disrespected by people. That confidence comes from the
support them in different ways. experience that I have had. I understand that people are
The other thing is the public health crisis: our mental people and we are all people. A human being’s existence
health. It is so here. The presence of depression, anxiety should not be questioned by another human being.
and suicide are still prevalent. What do we do to address
that? What do we do to engage? And how is that dispro- More fun fact about Jael Kerandi on page 36-39

Jael Kerandi 17

AMY CHOI

A Rising
Talent
in
Science
with
Passion

Amy Choi is a great representative of a woman in science. She is a professional scientist, who
embraces diligence, passion, and creativity. In addition to being a successful scientist, Amy
contributes her knowledge and passion into a way to serve her community- being the Pre-
sident of the American Chemical Society. Despite facing difficulties as a woman in science,

Amy Choi lets her record of accomplishments speak for herself:

President of American Chemical Society
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
First-Year Initiative Committee Director of Science and Engineering Student Board (SESB)

Society of Women Engineer
Undergraduate Research Assistant at Wang Lab
Undergraduate Research Assistant at Nakato Lab

18 Amy Choi

Amy Choi appears with a gentle smile in a ings on Zoom and study groups for General Chemistry
bright corner of her house, greeting us with students. There are also intercollegiate events; one
her confident voice and professional presence. of them is during the National Chemistry Week with
We started with some questions about her routine, her Emory University.” Once a year, ACS has an ice-cream
childhood, and her role model. Like most of us, when social meet, in which the members gather to share
growing up, Amy looks up to her parents as her role their thoughts and reflections while enjoying their icy
models and is inspired by their hard work. Her father snack.
did not finish college and her mother initially quit
college, but she came back and got a master’s degree. “ACS is a place that students with mutual interest can
Despite these difficulties, they are finally at the point come to discuss and exchange information and their
that they are doing very well. “I have been inspired to concerns in science,” Amy says. The purpose of ACS
live a life of hard work like them,” Amy tells us. is to stimulate the passion for science and connect
scientific knowledge to life’s application. It also serves
Amy Choi on Science as a place to de-stress for the members and helps them
establish interaction during the special circumstances
As a future scientist, her most charismatic trait is her of the pandemic. Therefore, ACS covers topics from
enthusiasm for the topic of science. Amy’s passion for cooking to sustainability and green Chemistry. It holds
science originates from her curiosity about the un- relevant activities to the theme, such as making edible
known questions in our life, her love for discovery, and water bottle capsules, or, perfume on Valentine’s day.
how science proposes solutions to the world’s prob- One fun fact about perfume Amy told us is that per-
lems. She went on and gave examples for the accom- fume contains sperm whale vomit (ambergris).
plishments of science: “We could propose a solution
to a problem, such as a vaccine for the pandemic. This Closing words
vaccine has been invented very quickly and it intro-
duces a completely new way to deliver pathogens to At the end of the conversation, Amy Choi shared that
the body in a safe, effective way.” Another example that she hopes to see more women pursuing STEM careers
Amy mentioned is the CRISPR- Cas9 genetic scissor despite the prejudices. For people who are interested
which revolutionized how we studied human genetics. in a similar career, Amy advises: “Whatever choice
CRISPR is not used in humans because of ethics, but you made is the right choice. Be patient. Be persistent.
it illuminates a known gene and allows us to extract No regrets. Don’t doubt your work because you can’t
the gene by using technology. Inspired by the achieve- change your past.”
ments of science, Amy Choi is on her way to create new
innovations with her career in science.“It is so cool to Read more fun facts about Amy Choi on pages 36-39.
think you will be able to know about things you have
not found out about the world, why or how it works-
the big questions in life.”

Amy Choi on leadership

As a leader, the president of the American Chemical
Society (ACS), Amy Choi thinks the personality of
the leader places a big emphasis on the success of
the group. Amy got involved with the organization in
her freshman year and became the president in her
junior year. Indeed, when she joined in her first year,
the group was not as strong, and she tried her best
to make it more active. To Amy, a good leader needs
to be innovative, a good listener, understanding and
works well with other executives. Amy does not want
to dictate the strategy of the organization, instead, she
wants everyone on the board to contribute their voices
to the mutual growth of ACS. “We host monthly meet-

Amy Choi 19

A Strong Emerging Voice for Justice

MARISA money while only a few doing the immigration work, so
TILLMAN I want to take up those boxes, finding a spot that suits
the goal of my life.”
In the fight for justice, Marisa has been in differ-
ent positions; one of them is being an intern for Ilhan

Omar- the congresswoman of the 5th district in

Marisa Tillman started the interview with a
gentle smile and a confident voice in a warm
corner in her house. After the general informa-
tion questions, Marisa told us about her story of grow-
ing up in the Philippines. She was born and raised in the
Philippines until she was 18, thus she is fluent in Taga-
log. Philipino culture has a huge influence on Marisa of
today; her thoughts and passion carry the traits of the
culture in her birth country from Asia. One of her nostal-

gic memories from her childhood was the sound of the

rain dancing on the metal roof, which she could not hear

in the United States. Marisa, however, appreciates and
enjoys her experience in America: “I am pretty much
into the culture here, however, I am still an outsider. And

I know for many immigrants who were born and raised

in this country, they still feel the same way - feeling like

an outsider.”

Marisa on the Pursuit of Law

The experience as a foreign student in the United States
has inspired Marisa to pursue her career in Law. “Grow-
ing up in the Philippines makes me really connected
with people who also immigrate or move to a country
that is different from their birth country. I want to be a
part of the solution to help people who are built outside
of their cultural context to work through the United
States’s complicated legal process,” Marisa told us. An-
other factor that influences her pursuit of the Law’s de-
gree is her role model and his book- Bryan Stevenson’s
Just Mercy. Just Mercy gives Marisa a tangible image of
the work an attorney accomplishes and how that role
can be a big help for the individual, especially the mar-
ginalized. “I am pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy so
that I can graduate in conjunction with my JD. Before, I
wanted to focus on academics and the policy field. Now,
I want to help turn my knowledge in the policy field to
help the individual. Many people go to law school for

20 Marisa Tillman

Intern at Office of Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar

Treasurer of Theatre of the
Relatively Talentless

President of Theatre of the
Relatively Talentless

Co-President of Minnesota Justice
Foundation

Human Rights Center Fellow Award

Minnesota. Marisa is in charge of helping Omar’s immi- an artist. Marisa is the President of Theatre of Rela-
gration-related work such as cases and events for con- tively Talentless (TORT), a Law School theatre troupe.
stituents in MN, drafting Omar’s speeches on immigra- Life as a Law Student could be stressful and tough, thus
tion matters and policy, as well as researching potential she really cherishes the rewarding time doing creative
policy to propose in Congress. The work at Omar’s office works with her peers. Marisa also told us her remark-
gives Marisa a unique experience in serving the com- able memory in the troupe: One time she took part and
munity. Besides the paperwork, Marisa also addresses directed the law school musical called “Tale as Old as
the emails from Omar’s district members’ problems Time: Law school is a Beast”. This is a parody version of
concerning immigration, and she was required to go Beauty and the Beast. Talking about TORT, Marisa re-
through them carefully. “Ilhan is really responsive to her marked excitedly and gratefully: “Sometimes you don’t
district members’ problems. I think this is really great get to interact with other students outside of class. With
because although I am not their representative or their TORT, we can socialize with other people within the law
lawyer, I still spend time listening to their problems and school community. That is a very valuable part!”
do as much as she can. Most importantly, I learn what it
means to be a civil servant.” More fun fact about Marisa Tillman on page 36-39.

Marisa as an Artist

As we fully engaged in the conversation, time flew really
fast. At the end of the conversation, we learned that
Marisa Tillman is not only a fighter, a civil servant; she’s

Marisa Tillman- this name describes a strong civil servant and honest fighter
for justice. Caring about the rights of the marginalized, especially immigrants,
Marisa has taken various positions to serve the community. Marisa proves her
capability and her concern for justice in the journey of advocating for civil rights

by her record of accomplishments.

Marisa Tillman 21

NEVER GIVE UP AMY MA

Student Body President - Minnesota Student
Association

Student Senate Chair

Honors Research Assistant

Vice President of CoMIS Case Competition

International MIS Case Team

Ambassador of Multicultural Center for
Academic Excellence

Vice President of Membership - Net impact

Amy Ma is currently a senior at Carlson School of Management, University of
Minnesota. Besides the President of Minnesota Student Association, she is also
one of the people awarded “Top 10 People of The Year 2020 Award”. Her efforts
to advocate for students and excellent participation in academic competitions

at Carlson have been an inspiration to other fellow students.

This year has been a weird year for
every student: virtual classrooms,
virtual graduation ceremonies, and
cancelled social gatherings... The chal-
lenges are real. Mental health crises are
real. However, we are glad to be support-
ed by the Minnesota Student Association
(MSA). MSA has been advocating for the
grade change basis to enable students to
change their grade from A-F to S-N basis
for the whole school year of 2020-2021.
There are many voices contributing to this change, and we all appreciate the efforts. For
all the changes happening in this year, we are glad to have an interview with Amy Ma -
the President of Minnesota Student Association.

22 Amy Ma

MM: First of all, con- nity. I was a CA last year, so I got to see what it felt like
gratulations and thank to be a CA during a pandemic, which was very difficult.
you for your efforts to During this year, I think it is even worse. There are so
allow more flexibility many instances in the Superblock. Inherently, just living
on the grade basis this in the residential halls, you share a bathroom, which
year. All over social poses a lot of health concerns. One thing we helped to
media students are do is to work with a CA to have better safety measure-
thrilled because of this ment as well as some hazard pay, which to me is very
change? What are the important to me as a former CA.
motivations for you
and MSA to advocate MM: What other things you and MSA will be doing in
for this change? What this upcoming semester?
are the challenges?
AM: It will be an interesting year. I think this year,
AM: I am just a part of it. However, I think this year has because of COVID-19 and so much happening, over
been hard on so many people in terms of mental health, the summer, with George Floyd and social justice, Title
socialization. There are a lot of things that are difficult IX and other federal law as well as reopening. A lot of
to me as a person or a student. I feel privileged I won’t folks have to start their jobs pretty early and really just
have to worry about my classes. However, some people jumped into it. This semester, folks really know what to
have to wake up in the middle of the night to take class- expect, what they can do, what they could really im-
es, worrying about wifi problems, taking care of other prove or focus on such as campus safety. Even though
folks or even grieving people that passed away due to there are less people on campus, there are more crimes.
COVID-19’s complications. I honestly don’t understand This makes students on-campus feel even less safe. That
why everybody is still expected to do what they usually is something we have been looking into. There are also
do in the middle of the pandemic. conversations about social justices that will be continu-
At the end of the last spring semester, they were like ing. There are also new things in the State & Federal
“okay, let’s just make it through”. In the summer, lots of Government. We have a new Presidential and Congres-
folks have thought it would end soon by the end of the sional Transition. We also have a new legislative section
summer. However, it was not over after the summer. in the Minnesota legislature. We also have a few bills
It got worse. I think that level of systemic flexibility is that we have been trying to push through on to make
just not there. A lot of faculty were more flexible and students’ lives easier. We also look forward to the con-
accommodating to what was going on in student’s lives. versation on tuition for next year. We really hope that it
However, it is important for the university to acknowl- will be frozen.
edge and claim that this year is not the same and your
grades won’t fully reflect your efforts. There are so many MM: What characteris-
factors. tics contribute to who
Regarding the challenges, we did ask the Provost, the you are today?
Chief Academic Officer about this for the first time last
summer. There are a lot of complications and difficulties AM: I think I always
for the University to do it through the system such as desire to change things.
some technical aspects. There are a lot of concerns that A lot of things I am in-
this will affect students in the long-run, especially who volved in right now, I did
want to go to graduate school or medical school. We not dream of a few years
definitely got a lot of feedback on this. We are so thank- ago. This is funny but
ful that it got to this point. the first year, I applied
to Student Government and got rejected. You know,
MM: What accomplishments have you done this year and here I am now. You just need to understand that at
that you are the most proud of? any point, you can always try again and it will become
better.
AM: One thing I feel pretty proud of is being a Commu-
nity Advisor (CA) that helps out people in my commu- More fun facts about Amy Ma on page 36-39

Amy Ma 23

A Leader of Business and

Confident, diligent, and genuine- those are the words MUNIRA
that represent Munira Ahmed. Munira is a leader, a AHMED
problem-solver, a change-maker, and an advocate.
She does not only show passion for business but also
expresses her concern about the community of the
marginalized, the healthcare system, and works to
improve them. Her record of achievements is strong
evidence showing her talent and her capability in

the journey career that she is pursuing

Vice President of Outreach at Business
Association of Multicultural Students

Co-Vice President and Treasurer of
African Student Association

Incoming Summer Analyst
at Accenture

Student Consultant at Bridging the Gap
Consulting

At-Large representative for the Student
Health Advisory Committee

Munira herself

Munira Ahmed describes her characteristics
as a leader: being driven, hardworking, and
most importantly, authentic. Staying true to
her confident and kind personality, Munira
started the interview with us with a gentle
smile and a warm greeting. “I think I’m a
driven person,” Munira remarked, “One of
the reasons why I am hardworking because I
always expect to see more from myself.” She
went on and told us about her emphasis on
authenticity. “Authenticity is also important as
well.

24 Munira Ahmed

Advocate for Social Changes

The more authentic you are, the more people can per- Munira: hope for changes and improvement
ceive you truly and work well with you. I don’t live to
please others. I don’t care about others’ opinions. I don’t 2020 is a tough year with much chaos, some of it per-
follow the crowd. That isn’t helpful for me.” sists to 2021. Munira, therefore, is really looking for-
ward to 2021. “I am really looking forward to this year.
Munira as a leader 2020 is really hard for me although I accomplished all
of my goals, except for one. Hopefully, I can accomplish
Munira is a leader, and her experiences in different it this year.” 2021 is about changes for Munira’s energy
roles and different organizations have strongly influ- and relationships. “I have been more self-aware, creat-
enced the way she examines life. Regarding the position ing boundaries and taking more time for myself. I am
at the Business Association of Multicultural Business just ready to accomplish more and learn new things!”
(BAM), Munira said: “It changed me a lot since I joined For her career and her future, Munira hopes for a
the sophomore year and became the Director of Ad- chance to study abroad and travel to learn about the
vertising.” BAM has taught her many skills, from fixing world.
her resumes, her Linkedin, to being more responsible
and professional. Munira is thankful for BAM, not only Not only for herself, but Munira also hopes to see some
for the experience that she had but also for the chance societal positive changes. “I just want to see people
to get the current internship and to be a leader. “In the challenge themselves more whenever I think back about
2021 school year, I am going to be the Vice President of what happened in the summer. I hope to see people
Outreach,” Munira told us excitedly. challenge the ideas that they already have, challenge
Besides BAM, Munira Ahmed is also the Vice President what they already know, and figure out more ways to
of the African Student Association. Munira engaged in learn more about different individuals in society.” Muni-
the organization’s activities as a volunteer in the 2019- ra concluded the interview with a wish, strongly indi-
2020 school year and she’s taking the Vice President cating her concern for social problems: “ I hope to see
role this year. Reflecting on her time at the African people more actively engage about social problems and
Student Association, Munira told us: “It shapes me a lot work to see from others’ sides. We don't live in a black
such as what’s it like to work with others and planning and white world; you have to be active about those so-
events.” The role also trains her to approach the issue in cial issues, teaching yourself to know more about things
a new way like how to organize events in a new setting that you think you already know.”
like the COVID-19 challenge instead of solving things
alone. “It teaches me a lot in adaptation,” she concluded. More fun
fact about
Munira
Ahmed
on page
36-39

Munira Ahmed 25

N I B I R THE WINNER OF 2020
JEOPARDY! COLLEGE

SA R M A CHAMPIONSHIP!

When mentioning Nibir Sarma, most people will immediately think of Jeopardy. Last
year, Nibir became the winner of the 2020 College Championship! Jeopardy! after de-
feating participants currently studying in USC, Yale, or Indiana… However, Nibir Sarma
has a more interesting background than that. Besides being a student who performs
exceptionally well in academics, Nibir also holds many leadership positions in student

organizations on campus.

26 Nibir Sarma

We are glad to have a virtual conversation with Nibir
about his journey and experience in 2020.

MM: First of all, congratulations on your winning
Jeopardy! College Championship! How has your life
changed since then?

NS: My everyday life is pretty the same, especially
when I live around the people who know me for a long
time, like my roommate, so nothing has changed there.
On social media however, now that a lot of people are
recognizing me and are looking at my posts, I have to
be a little more careful with what I post

MM: Which characteristics do you think have con-
tributed to who you are today?

NS: I would say I know what I am passionate about For me, that is really rewarding to pass on that knowl-
and I know what I enjoy. If I enjoy doing something, I edge and inspire young kids, young girls to pursue
would try to set my goal there. That helps me to keep STEM education.
on progressing in my career, academics, and hobbies.

MM: Which community service is your favorite so MM: How hopeful are you about 2021?
far? And why?
NS: I am pretty hopeful. I am one year closer to grad-
NS: There are some volunteers with the Science Engi- uating. I am getting older. I am going to learn a lot this
neering Student Board with the non-profit group called year about the world, my career, and myself. I create
Girl. Inc that specifically helps girls in STEM. We will more memories, whether it is virtual or in-person.
do scientific demonstrations for young girls, probably Hopefully, there will be a lot of memories.
around elementary school age.
MM: What is something in life that you have done
that you are happy about it?

Jeopardy! College Champion 2020 NS: The first thing I can think of is going on Jeopardy!,
on a TV show. I am really glad that I did it. I am also
President of AIChE, UMN Student Chapter happy that I went to the University of Minnesota. It is
a great school. I have been enjoying it here. I love the
Outreach Committee at Science and whole environment, classes, and students. Even though
Engineering Student Board (SESB) I prefer in-person classes, I am glad I am able to still
access and talk to my friends. It has been challenging,
Manufacturing Engineering Intern at but it is alright.
General Mills
MM: What would you say to people with the same
Engineering Co-op, Membrane Intern at major as you or with the same path as you?
SUEZ - Water Technologies & Solutions
NS: Make sure you love what you are doing. Don’t
Undergraduate Research Assistant at spend your whole life doing something you are not
University of Minnesota interested in.

More fun facts about Nibir Samar on page 36-39
Nibir Sarma 27

Chae on Science President of Society of Asian
Scientists and Engineers
Chae Lee greeted us with confidence and humor. Even though
it was the first time we met, we felt a connection instantly.” Undergraduate Student
Since Chae Lee is majoring in Chemical Engineering, we were Researcher at UMN-TC Walcheck

curious about how she has a passion for it. “I’ve always wanted Lab

to do Chemistry Engineering for the pharmaceutical industry Student Development
Representative at University of
since 10th grade,” Chae shared. There was a little switch, how-
Minnesota Foundation
ever, in her approach towards how she wanted to pursue her
career: “At first I wanted to be a researcher, but I chose a differ- AEOP Apprentice at Rutgers
ent approach now, which is more of an operation. The beauty of University

research is patience and precision, requiring you to do things Secretary at Korean Student
over and over again. I find research too slow-paced for me now Association
as I am more of a hustler.” Chae Lee is considering being either

an industrial engineer, process engineer, or chemical operation

engineer as she wants to challenge herself with something new

and fast-paced. This does not mean that Chae disregards the

importance of research. “I will recommend people to do it. It

just doesn’t suit me very well.” Chae went on and shared more

thoughts about research. “I love the innovative part of it. It is

a really important part of science and engineering. The idea of
figuring new things out is really exciting to me.” Having been
a researcher, Chae can relate to the joyful experiences while
doing it: “That euphoria, of one success in a million times of
failure, gives us a sense of rewarding for our patience.”

CHAE
LEE

28 Chae Lee

Passion, enthusiasm, positivity, and vision are what represent Chae Lee- a scientist and
a leader. While pursuing her own passion for science, Chae also cares about motivating
and growing that passion within others in the community. Thus, we have Chae Lee- the
President of SASE (Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers). Dedication in science and

goal-orientation in leadership, as her records have demonstrated her ability.

Chae on Leadership Chae’s Hope for 2021

Chae Lee does not stop at pursuing her passion for science When asked about her energy for 2021, Chae Lee
said she is hopeful. “I am always hopeful. I think it’s
alone; she wants to do it as a community and she wants always best to be hopeful and positive. You don’t want
to surround negative energy. When it piles up inside
to motivate others with a similar enthusiasm like her. The you or around you, it brings everything down, first
will be your mental health.” Chae said she believes
role of a president at SASE has taught her about profes- in science and she thinks we will get over this, “just
not in the timeframe that many expected.” Chae Lee
sionalism, communication skills, dealing with disagree- concluded the interview with a reminder to us: “ I
hope that people know that what matters during the
ments, and decision-making. To Chae, decision-making is tough time is that they stayed strong and how they
got through it. We want to move forward and to be
very tough as she realizes she cannot please everyone. It caught up in the past is not very conducive.”
requires adaptation and flexibility to confront unexpected
changes. Chae Lee defines an efficient decision-maker as More fun fact about Chae Lee on page 36-39
a person who can give the most reasonable and the most

righteous decision.

Also, being in charge of making decisions means she has

to face disagreements. Chae Lee chooses to meet with the

members to understand their logic then she proceeds to

make a list of pros and cons to see visually. “The list helps

me to see if my decisions can further my organization’s

goal or if it dramatically hurt a person and my team. If

their concerns are not addressed properly with my deci-
sions, I will definitely rethink my issue. On the other hand,
If their concerns do not weigh as much as what we can
achieve with my decisions, I would address them confi-
dently, then I’d go for it.”

Other than handling professional tasks, Chae Lee thinks

good leadership also requires personality. Chae is a
goal-oriented leader who is specific in her steps. “When I
am successful at a step, I will become more driven to come

to the end.” Chae also emphasized being visionary. “My

friends also say that I am a person who can grab on the

ideas that were thrown away and turn them into some-

thing valuable,” she remarked.

A new modern icon of
science and leadership

Chae Lee 29

ZAYLIE LEDERMANN

MORE THAN A BUSINESS TALENT:
A LEADER, AN ARTIST, AN ADVOCATE

Vice President of Vocal A Cappella -
University of Minnesota

Vice President of Net Impact -
University of Minnesota

Teaching Assistant at
University of Minnesota

Student Sustainability Assistant at
University of Minnesota

MM: What characteristics do you think contribute to who
you are as a person today?

ZL: Being empathetic is really important. Trying to understand
all perspectives and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes be-
fore judging them. My mom always told us to think about other
people. That is a quality that has shaped me.
Humor is big. Sometimes I do things that make myself laugh.
I came up with this a while ago, that you have to be your own
best friend as you are always here for yourself. You can’t rely on
other people being here with you all the time. It is important that
you make yourself laugh as much.
Being genuine is a good quality to have. You can tell sometimes
that people aren’t genuine. In the past, there were times that I
was not genuine. There were times I pretended someone I want-
ed to be instead of who I actually was. As I grow older, I don’t
always care as much about what people think of me. That helps a
lot to just do your own thing.

30 Zaylie Ledermann

MM: How has the I’ve also been a soloist for 2 songs and a vocalist. Once
experience of Net I performed “Tell me you love me” by Demi Lovato as
Impact as the VP a soloist in Pitch Perfect and I think that’s one of the
shaped you? biggest things I’ve done. My goal at the end of the year
is to be able to arrange a song for my group.
ZL: It has done so
much for me. I did MM: What is the change you hope to see in this
not know anyone society in the coming year?
when I first attend-
ed the meeting. ZL: I would say sustainability goals such as using less
Within Carlson, carbon and plastic. I also hope that everybody will lis-
every student is ten to each other more and try to see others’ perspec-
driven and focused tives. A lot of the divisions are because people don’t
on their goal. A lot want to hear the other sides of the stories. If you really
of time I feel like take a step back and look at the root of these things,
those goals are related to money, not for everybody. we are not that different. I once talked to my cousin
Many students disregard the environmental and social who has a very different political perspective than
aspects of business and how much you can do with me. Before I came into the conversation, I was pretty
Business. Discovering Net Impact has been really help- close-minded about everything. Talking about it makes
ful as they have lots of similar ideas as me. The guest me realize we are not that different. Even though there
speaker and workshops have been helpful too. are things that sometimes could be really polarizing, at
Currently, I am the Vice President of Operations. We the end of the day, we are still a person. It is important
also have a Social Justice and Environmental Justice to listen to other
Committee. We work with Carlson student groups to sides even when
make changes within Carlson. We are trying to im- you don’t agree
prove the Carlson curriculum to teach more DEI (Di- with them. I think
versity, Equity, and Inclusion) subjects and have more people should
environmental components in it. stop talking so
much and start
MM: What is the favorite thing about the position listening.
in Vocal U A Cappella? Sometimes, in a
conversation, I al-
ZL: There are lots of positions in Vocal U A Cappella. ways think of what
The Vice President position is usually about making to say next but not
management decisions within the group. It is fun to to listen. Listening
have a leadership position in a group that I care so is a skill. Hopeful-
much about. I don’t know too much about music or ly, we could stop
music composition so I am not a music director by the division and
any means. I just organize the group and make sure start hearing each
that we could reach our member’s full potential in other out.
performances, getting our name out there, keeping
a supportive community. Right now, I am working to More fun fact about Zaylie Ledermann on page
organize our concerts for the end of the semester. It is 36-39
a great group and community.

With a bright smile, Zaylie Ledermann began her conversation with us through a virtual setting. Zaylie
Ledermann is currently a junior at the Curtis L. Carlson School of Management at the University of Minne-
sota. She is majoring in Supply Chain and Operations Management and minoring in Environmental Science,

Policy, and Management as well as Corporate Environmental Management.

Besides being a business student, Zaylie has a passion for singing and music. She performs, sings, and even
composes songs. As a person who has many contributions to Vocal U A Cappella and plays an important role
in creating more music involvement on campus, she was nominated and is awarded for the Top 10 People

of The Year 2020.

Zaylie Ledermann 31

REQUIREMENTS:
- Precondition: You have to be in the nominating list. You

could either NOMINATE yourself or get nominated.

OUR PROCESS:
These are some criteria we consider in our selection process:
⦿ Academic Excellence: we want to see if you are doing

well in school. Every student is different in many ways, your

academic performance will be evaluated differently. Students’
academic excellence could be indicated through:

- GPA

- Research Experience

- Internship/Work experience

- Awards

- Scholarships

⦿ Outstanding extracurricular activities: A wide variety of

extracurricular activities joined or one expertise in a partic
ular field. Students’ outstanding extracurricular activities
could be indicated through:

- Excellent sports’ performance such as being involved

in a sports team, playing and getting awarded for cer-

tain competitions…

How to - Excellent performance or participation in any kind of
get into musical field such as well-performing an instrument,
the Top playing for the school, participating in a band, getting

10 involved in a play, or composing songs…

32 How to get in Top 10 - Excellent performance in visual arts such as painting,
drawing, graphic design or making the community
look better with your art talent.

Those are just examples of outstanding extracurricular activ

ities. We understand that art has various ways to be shown so

don’t limit yourself to anything in the list.

⦿ Community Service: this is an important factor. We value
leadership and support in the community. We believe that

every student should strive to contribute to the overall

improvement of our campus. People in the Top 10 People of
The Year 2020 have at least 3 activities that could be listed as
community services. Community service could be indicated
through:

-Volunteer experience

-Participate in a student club

-Be an activist! Fight against social injustice or proble-

ms.

-Support your peers in class and outside of classes.

-Inspire or spread awareness about a particular issue.

And more…

10% 5% 50%
5%
90%
10%
Gender
30%
Female: 90%
Male: 10% Majors

Business: 50%
Engineering: 30%
Social Studies: 10%

Law: 5%
Public Health: 5%

30% Other Statistics

40% • 90% are pursuing undergraduate degrees.
• 90% of the Top 10 has the President of the student
30%
club.
Race • 100% of the Top 10 used to hold important executive

Asian: 40% positions in student organizations.
White: 30% • 80% of the Top 10 used to be awarded regionally to
Black: 30%
nationally.
• Average GPA (Based on some data collected, does not

represent everybody in the Top 10): 3.78
• Average year in college: 3.70
• 50% are activists or serving the community on social

issues.

Statistics 33

W This library is a wonderful place to
A study if you love its cozy atmosphere,
L spacious landscape and artistic archi-
TL tecture. The library has a coffee shop
EI and a vending machine downstairs for
RB people who would love some snack

R breaks. During exam seasons, the
A library offers free coffee and
R chocolate bars.
Y
117 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis,
34 Study on UMN Campus MN 55455

Located in the heart of Stadium Village on G
the U of M campus R
A
D H
U O
A T
E

TL
E

615 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Graduate Hotel is a four-star hotel
MN 55414 in the East Bank of our campus.
With the location next to Starbucks,
Graduate is a great place for students
to come and get some some coffee
before spending hours studying for
the upcoming exams. With good wifi
and cozy atmosphere, many students
find it easier to focus on their work.
One thing you should notice is that
you can only study at the lobby and
comply with the hotel policy.

Study on Campus 35

People of the Year

2020 FUN FACTS

> ROLE MODEL

Kayla Fixel: In her life, Kayla Fixel has Munira Ahmed: “I don't aspire to be like
always looked up to her mother- a role model that anyone but the person I look up to right now the
she exactly wants to be in life: kind, thoughtful, and most is my mother. She overcomes so much in her
a balance between logical and emotional aspects. life; she experienced a lot of hardships but she
never complains. She’s been through a lot and I
Samiat Ajibola: “My entire generation - for have seen it. She is so grateful and keen on express-
having done so many things, even more than people ing her gratitude. She inspires me to be strong and
in power.” thankful for what I have because others may not
have what I do.”
Jael Kerandi: “My mom - for being the no-
blest, hard-working, and strongest woman I know. Nibir Sarma: “Peers I have in high school
She never stops giving to other people and always and college. They are very active in the community.
puts others before her.” They mentor me and help me to see how my career
path looks like.”
Amy Choi: Her parents influence her be-
cause of their hard work. Her dad did not finish Chae Lee: “My grandmother. Not a great
college; her mom did not initially finish college but relationship with her when I was young because
then she came back and got a Master’s degree. They I was immature. I grew up and realized how cool
now finally are at the point in life where they are she is. She came to America and didn’t know the
doing really well. language at all but she raised 5 children, my father,
and my uncles. She deserves praise for that.”
Marisa Tillman: “I have a lot of role models.
One of my biggest role models is Bryan Stevenson. Zaylie Ledermann: “My parents. They are
He's the author of the book Just Mercy. Just Mercy really inspiring. I am a first-generation college stu-
has inspired me to pursue laws as a way to stand dent so they have been working really hard to get
for justice.” me to this point. My mom is a house cleaner, a bar-
tender, and everybody could turn to her for help.
Amy Ma: “I actually don’t know. I feel like if My dad is also really supportive. Another person
you meet 3 people, you need 3 teachers. It is inspir- would be my friend Emma. I always turn to her for
ing to me to see how other folks are doing on their help & she is someone who I admire a lot.”
daily basis.”

36 POTY Fun Facts

> ONE THING TO DO FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Kayla Fixel: Spending some time on self-re- has enough sleep or movement, try to relax instead
of sabotaging herself for not doing enough.
flection, checking on her relationships, or going
out for a walk with her friends to engage herself in Munira Ahmed: “Journaling. I am someone
physical exercises. that thinks a lot and sometimes my thoughts are
just overwhelming and I need to write them down.
Samiat Ajibola: Journaling about her feel- Self-reflection helps me grow and realize what I can
ings. The next day, she reads them and reflects. do and what I should improve. It makes me more
sympathetic and less judgemental about others’
Jael Kerandi: Spending time with people flaws.”
she loves and laughing.

Amy Choi: Going on a walk and exercise. Nibir Sarma: “The number one thing I
Taking time to remind herself that at least she tries do is to learn how to cook food. I also try to stay
hard. Allowing herself to take a break and forgive physically active.”
herself. “Sometimes you may feel bad as you have
been procrastinated or have a bad result. Instead of Chae Lee: Take care of herself. Remember
regret, think about what you have done productive- to take smaller breaks when doing assignments.
ly.” Talking with her friends and sorting out relation-
ships. Knowing who is important and supportive
Marisa Tillman: In order to maintain good and building up relationships with them. Not being
mental health, Marisa chose to process her feel- around negative people and energy. Make sure to
ings externally. “I usually share with my partner at take care of the people important to her and that
the end of the day about what has happened. I am they would do the same to her.
an external thinker. Sharing helps me have a good
mindset and be able to start the next day!” More- Zaylie Ledermann: “I really like singing. I
over, Marisa also plans to exercise more and hopes have been a part of singing clubs on campus. It is
to keep up with it. She likes taking a break to play hard to not have Vocal U (a music club on campus)
with her cat. Most importantly, she thinks praying right now due to the pandemic because we usu-
and meditating are also a useful way to self-care. aljust go together to a place, sing and not worry
about anything. During quarantine, I try to sing and
Amy Ma: Prioritize self-care. Make sure she play ukulele in my room.”

ANTHEM SONG

Kayla Fixel: Standing in the light - Jordan Smith
Samiat Ajibola: Little Me - Little Mix
Jael Kerandi: Stand up - Cynthia Erivo

Marisa Tillman: Girl on fire - Alicia Keys.
Amy Ma: Float on - Modest Mouse.

Munira Ahmed: I’m coming out - Diana Ross
Nibir Sarma: This is me - Keala Settle
Chae Lee: Pretty Savage - Blackpink

Zaylie Ledermann: Doesn’t have a song that she particularly likes

POTY Fun Facts 37

> DESCRIBE YOUR EVERYDAY ROUTINE

Kayla Fixel: Wake up early at the same time every day, from 6:30 - 7 a.m, making her bed and
starting her day with a cup of coffee.

Samiat Ajibola: “Wake up in the morning, pray, reflect, go to work, class or school. I do meetings
in the afternoon. I am the President of The Black Student Union so I have 2-3 meetings a day. In these
meetings, I talk to administration members. I reply to emails in the evening and do personal projects.
Lastly, I relax by watching Netflix. Before I go to bed, I could read some books or do research about areas
of interest.”

Jael Kerandi: “Wake up between 5:30 and 6 a.m, work out, do my devotion, start working on
meetings or homeworks, go to class, have lunch, do homework until 8pm-9pm. Set an hour for email, have
dinner and then another hour to watch Netflix or hang out with my roommate.”

Marisa Tillman: “During the pandemic, typically my everyday life is about staying inside. I have
all classes virtually as I want to reduce the risk of exposure. I like cooking so I cook dinner for myself and
my partner most nights. I have a cat so I spend some time every day taking care and playing with it. Also, I
spend some time at work to help ground myself, reminding of my goal besides classes.”

Amy Ma: “For the pandemic, I will try to go to as many virtual student club events as I could. I was
a morning person before the pandemic but I am not so much of a morning personright now. There was one
time I remembered I woke up very earlyand had some time for myself but right now I barely could wake up for my
8:00 am (chuckles).”

Munira Ahmed: “Everyday I get up early as I am an early bird around 8:00 am.” Mediate, listen
to the Quran, and do some yoga and stretching. Prepare breakfast everyday. Respond to email after that.
Group messages to connect and plan meetings for the upcoming semester. Meeting with her professors as
she applies for the scholarship program for students to do research over the summer. They recommend
and guide through her research process. Write the essays for the program. Hang out with her family.

Nibir Sarma: I wake up pretty early, usually around 7am-8am. I then do my classes, cook for lunch,
do exercise at home, go for a walk. Sometimes I facetime with my friends to stay social.

Chae Lee: “Wake up then go to my classes and labs and do research. And come home to eat. Do
homework with my friends on Discord. Get enough sleep. I do not have a lot of hobbies but I wish I could
know more. I wish I could play my ukulele more.”

Zaylie Ledermann: “Wake up, do my schoolwork, if I am lucky I will have time to relax. I have a lot
of meetings with student groups & with my classmates to work on projects. I try to find time for myself to
relax and try to stay socially distanced as much as possible.

38 POTY Fun Facts

> GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR

Samiat Ajibola: “Do more research academically and systematically just to understand the issues
of the Black Community. I want to have the chance to serve the public with my hard-core understanding,
not just the surface level. I also hope to build bridges and connect different groups.”

Marisa Tillman: “I want to finish law school and get a job. This is a pretty big step for my career so
I really wanna focus on this. I want to be more fit. Pay more attention to my diet and my exercise routine.”

Amy Ma: “I am planning on going into consulting in Minneapolis. I am seeing if I could go and
teach abroad for a year before that. I don’t want to end this year thinking I wish I had done more.”

Munira Ahmed: Academically, she wants to get in the research program at the University. At least
get a 3.8 GPA for this semester. A full-time offer from either, her internship as she is now an intern at a
consulting firm, or another full-time offer from another consulting firm. “Personally, I want to learn to
invest money into Bitcoin and something like that. Be more financially responsible. Be more active and go
to the gym. Be more healthy and cook more instead of eating out.” Choose herself first. Form more good
habits, like instead of scrolling through her phone first thing in the morning, she would like to do yoga
and meditate first.

Nibir Sarma: “Probably pass all my classes (laugh), and have an internship to prepare for my fu-
ture career.”

Chae Lee: Getting internships and getting good grades. Make SASE end strong. “My board mem-
bers should feel connected and help our community as much as possible.”

Zaylie Ledermann: Personal goals are to do more crafting, painting or creativity activities. Career
goals: “I got an internship with Land O’Lakes and I am so excited about that. I hope I grow more in Sus-
tainability in Business and the technical side of Business. I also want to figure out what I want to do in my
life and determine a career path that fits me the best.”


WHO ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR

Kayla Fixel: “My mom & my brothers at Delta Sigma Pi for
motivating me and supporting me.”

Samiat Ajibola: “For my family for being so supportive, my
friends for always being there and listening to all my vents and
understanding my thoughts, BSU Board Members for always
challenging me to become better.”

POTY Fun Facts 39

MEET THE TEAM

President:

Katherine Ngo

Sophomore: Management Information System
Launching this magazine has always been my biggest dream since I was young. Founding
this magazine is a way for me to find myself, listen to my inner child and fulfil my passion.
Being born in the middle of the pandemic, there have been countless challenges and con-
straints to us. However, I am really grateful to my team for bringing their heart, soul and
creativity to create this magazine. Musée Magazine will always be a valuable piece of my
heart.

40 Board Members

Vice President of HR:

Anh Vo

Sophomore: Biology

Musée Magazine is the first student organiza-
tion that I actively participate in at the U. Being
one of the co-founders motivates me to help
Musée Magazine become a reliable and encour-
aging resource for students and the University
of Minnesota community. Launching this mag-
azine is a reward for our team’s hard work and
a way to spread positivity and inspiration to
other students. I am thankful for every amazing
individual on the team that enlightened me and
turned our first magazine into a reality. I hope
Musée Magazine continues to grow and spark
the passion for making changes in the world.

Vice President of Finance:

Nam Anh Nguyen

Sophomore: Chemistry

I couldn’t believe that the magazine had pub-
lished the first one ever! Our president was
the one who pushed everyone to overcome the
obstacles, especially me with procrastination.
I’m grateful for being a part of this amazing
journey with other members. Finance was not
my strength at all, yet I have improved and
been able to do the job of the Finance depart-
ment. I owe a huge thank you to everyone in
the team, especially the President and the
Human Resources for helping me out. I believe
that this is just the beginning of the success of
Musée Magazine.

Board Members 41

Vice President of Design:

Diem Tran

Sophomore: Computer Science

Launching this magazine provides me a
sense of accomplishment together with my
team. Not only does it feel amazing to have
assisted in the process of creating this beau-
tiful and well-written magazine, with a bonus
in being able to develop and improve my cre-
ativity, it also brought me a sense of proud-
ness as we all were able to get this far after
everything that we’ve been through together.
To me, the end is where most would want to
get to, but the process (or some, maybe just
me, would say the in between) is what stays
with us forever.

Chief Designer Officer:

Nha Mai

Senior of FBS High School

Although it has just been a few months
since I joined Musée Magazine, words
cannot describe how grateful I am for
each individual of this little family. I never
thought of being a designer of a magazine
until I met Musée. I believe launching the
Musée Magazine is like turning an impos-
sible dream into possible for each and
every member of Musée. Indeed, every
page of the Magazine is our hearts. Musee
helps us believe in ourselves as well as
lights up our passion for making positive
impacts to the world. So let’s shine bright
@MuséeMagazine!

42 Board Members

Content Supervisor: Director of Marketing:

Quynh Le Nhu Le

Senior at AHA High School Junior: Marketing,
International Business
Love the team! I love the spirit and the
mission of Musée, which is spreading This magazine gives a platform to the
positivity in the community at the U of leaders in our community to share their
M. I strongly believe in the success of experiences. I am excited for our readers
Musée in promoting a healthy and inspi- to learn about their peers and gain knowl-
rational environment for the students edge from them. While reading their
to thrive and to share. I am proud of my interviews, I was very proud of Musée
team and I am grateful that I can be a Magazine and how they presented our
part of it. <3 candidates. I hope other students who
have a chance to read our magazine are
inspired by our candidates and our team.
We had a lot of fun making it for you!

Board Members 43

Interview

Do: Send a thank you 101 Do: Dresscode: business
note after the interview casual, professional.

Don’t: Send a hire-me- Do: Prepare for common Don’t: Wear pajamas,
please-UwU note. sleepwear, or a
interview questions such swimsuit.
Do: Research the as: “Tell me about yourself” or
industry & the job. Re-
member to touch base with “Why do you think you are a
all of these points when you good fit for this position?”
are answering the interviewer’s
Don’t: Ask them if they have Do: it is recommended
questions. read your resume. that you are in on time or
at least 10 minutes early if it
Don’t: Make up “facts” about is an in-person interview.
the company when you don’t
Do: Understand that even Don’t: Being late, not show-
know the answer. if you don’t get that job, you ing up without letting the

are still fine and move on recruiter know.
with other opportunities.

Do: Come to the Don’t: Give them 1 star on Do: Sit up firmly and
interview professionally Yelp as they reject you. nicely on your chair

& respectfully.

Don’t: Come to the Do: Setting up an infor- Don’t: Laying on the
interview drunk mational interview through floor or putting both
email after applying for the job
shows that you are interested in the

position.

Don’t: Add the recruiter on
Facebook and slide in their

DM’s for interview tips.

44 UInMteNrvCiaemwptuisps

• Providing professional development in
all disciplines of business.

• Perfecting the relationship between
students and the business industry.

• Promoting multiculturalism, leadership,
and community service.

We provide professional guidance
for students to gain career

opportunities, create leadership
through involvement, and cultivate

multiculturalism within our
community.

BAM is a multicultural student group

dedicated to providing students with a
diverse perspective of today’s global

corporate environment and assisting them
in their pursuit of professional excellence

through business and community
leadership.

Student Organization - BAM 45

CREDITS

Graphic Designers

Diem Tran
Nha Mai

Content Writers

Katherine Ngo
Quynh Le

Editors

Anh Vo
Jun Lin
Nam Anh Nguyen
Nhu Le

Photo Credits

Amy Ma -
Lili Williams & Maeve Gimpl

p. 23 (top) & p. 22 (top)

Jael Kerandi -
Jerusa Nyakundi (p.10),
Foluso Famuyide (p. 16), & Sarah Whiting (Cover)

Marisa Tillman -
Brooks Goodweaver

(p. 20)

Samiat Ajibola -
Gloria Lee (Insta: glor.lee) & Awa Mally (Insta: awamally)

p. 14 (bottom) & p.14 (top)

Unsplash’s photos -
Davie Lezcano, Christopher Burns, Snapbythree, Jean Philippe,

Chris Charles, Sincerely Media, Still, Bino Le
page 2-3

46 Credits

INDEX

A M

Ahmed, Munira, 10,11, 24, 25, 36-39 Ma, Amy, 10, 11, 22, 23, 36-39, 46
Ajibola, Samiat, 10, 11, 14, 15, 36-39, 46 Mai, Nha, 4, 42, 46
Mally, Awa, 46
C
N
Choi, Amy, 10, 11, 18, 19, 36-39
Ngo, Katherine, 1, 4, 40, 46
F Nguyen, Nam Anh, 4, 41, 46
Nyakundi, Jerusa, 46
Famuyide, Foluso, 46
Fixel, Kayla, 10, 11, 12, 13, 36-39 S

G Sarma, Nibir, 10, 11, 26, 27, 36-39

Gimpl, Maeve, 46 T
Goodweaver, Brooks, 46
Tillman, Marisa, 10, 11, 20, 21, 36-39, 46
K Tran, Diem, 4, 42, 46

Kerandi, Jael, 10, 11, 16, 17, 36-39, 46 V

L Vo, Anh, 4, 41, 46

Ledermann, Zaylie, 10, 11, 30, 31, 36-39 W
Le, Nhu, 4, 43, 46
Le, Quynh, 4, 43, 46 Whiting, Sarah, 46
Lee, Chae, 10, 11, 28, 29, 36-39 Williams, Lili, 46
Lee, Gloria, 46
Lin, Jun, 4, 46

Index 47

I’mpossible