This Black History Month we hear from Esther Lendore, president of Rowan NAACP, on her journey as a Rowan student and her passion for creating a sense of community for students of color.
A double major in political science and law & justice studies, senior Esther Lendore, from Far Rockaway, NY, holds a variety of different roles and wears plenty of hats around campus.
“I work and do a little bit of everything. I worked at the RowanCard office for my first two years, am the front desk assistant for Social Justice, Inclusion & Conflict Resolution (SJICR), clerical assistant for the Student Government Association (SGA), and president of NAACP. I am also part of the Student Organization for Carribean Awareness (SOCA).
“I’m also a part of the Black Culture League, New Life Ministry, and the public relations officer for the Black Student Union. And just to make sure that I’m staying on the pulse of what’s going on in my community academically, I am a part of the Political Science Club and the Law and Justice Honor Society. It’s super busy, but I absolutely love it. I feel like that’s the whole point of this time in our lives at college is to not only hang out with our friends, but to network with people who are in different communities. Especially coming out of COVID, there was a rift of connectivity, so I kind of made it my mission to be in as many places as I could.”
Esther highlights her upbringing and heritage as a big motivator for her getting so involved in campus activities and taking advantage of opportunities presented to her: “I’m a first-generation student. My parents are from the islands and there are not as many opportunities there as there are here. They came here and made the most of what they had. It would be like a disservice to my heritage if I didn’t challenge myself and be as active as I could be. Maximize all my resources and do as much as I can do for every community that I am a part of. I identify so many different ways and I wanted to give back in all of those areas because all of those areas encompassed me. So I really wanted to make sure that I’m helping students in the different areas that I’m a part of because I remember being that freshman who was not connected in my dorm room, wanted to make friends, but we had to do it with a mask. So now that we don’t, I really want to make sure that every student that comes here that at least interacts with me has an amazing experience because I represent Rowan University.”
How do we show students to be excellent when everyone does not look like them, right? How can you still stand out as a student, be effective in all areas, get the resources that you need to do so, but also have fun at the same time? So in the NAACP, I know I do a lot for them, but they do a lot for me. It’s so fulfilling.
She also is extremely thankful for the connections she has made with fellow students of color and being able to help them get acclimated in their time at Rowan: “The diversity is what makes Rowan what it is and really understanding that you have a club that’s cultivating a community that looks like you. NAACP is all about that, and I wanted to really have that as one of the main focuses: how do we show students to be excellent when everyone does not look like them, right? How can you still stand out as a student, be effective in all areas, get the resources that you need to do so, but also have fun at the same time? So in the NAACP, I know I do a lot for them, but they do a lot for me. It’s so fulfilling. Being able to see the students create new friendships in real time and network, they’re hungry to learn stuff. And I remember that was exactly how I was when I first came here, but I didn’t necessarily have those opportunities. So the fact that I can cultivate that is like the highlight of everything here at Rowan.”
Finally, she touches on a truly heartwarming moment that she was able to experience and a connection she was able to make because of her dedication and involvement with students of color on campus: “At the MLK Breakfast, I was asked to interview Mae Jemison. She was the first female African American astronaut to go into space, and she spoke at the MLK Breakfast here at Rowan, not this year, but last. I was literally so excited. Like, I think we called every family member we know between me and my mom. I’m like ‘Wow, I’m about to talk to this lady. She was in space.’ My mom’s an educator in New York, so she teaches elementary school students. She has shelves full of books about influential Black people who’ve done things in history. And the fact that she could take that book off her shelves on that first female Black astronaut to go into space. And for her to see, like this is my daughter about to talk to her. It was not just a momentous moment for me, but for my family, like it secured me in knowing that Rowan was more than just happenstance, it was more than just a coincidence for me to be here. If no one ever knows that I spoke to her, me knowing that is enough. Rowan gave me that opportunity, and that’s something that I will never forget.”
Esther names famed poet Maya Angelou as a big inspiration for her in Black history, and says that she hopes to cause the same feelings of togetherness and inspiration with her actions that Angelou did with her words. She encourages all students to take advantage of the resources available at Rowan and to make the absolute best of their college career.
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Story and interview by Connor Bicknell, senior communication studies major