As the daughter of a Douglass alumna, Emily Borowski DRC’21 has always known the value of a Douglass education. For Borowski, a student who gives so much of her time to Douglass, staying involved in the community is a way to pay the Douglass mission forward.
“I love Douglass for everything it’s done,” Borowski said, “I want to make sure other Douglass women always have these same opportunities in the future.”
To ensure that generations of women to come have the same access to quality women’s education as she and her mom, Borowski gives of her time and energy to the programs she holds close to her heart.
Through her work with the Global Village Creativity House, Borowski participated in a variety of service-oriented projects. Thinking about the country’s growing homeless population, the group organized a drive in which they collected gently used clothes, hygiene products, and other essential items to assemble into kits. The kits were then distributed to homeless individuals. Additionally, they traveled to Philadelphia to contribute their time and talents to the restoration of one of the city’s murals. For Borowski and other Douglass women, the Global Village program is a strong motivator for community outreach.
“Global Village really strives to encourage students to give back,” Borowski noted.
Borowski also volunteers regularly at Rutgers University’s Women’s Center Coalition. This student-run advocacy organization makes its primary goal to provide valuable resources and spread critical knowledge about social justice issues to the campus community. For Borowski, it’s the small, community-building moments that stay with her.
“I just like getting to know people at The Women’s Center Coalition,” she said, “A lot of people come in, and you get to know people and make new friends.”
In addition to her work with Global Village and her volunteerism at the Women’s Center Coalition, Borowski is involved in a multitude of Douglass activities such as the Traditional Events Committee, Douglass Governing Council, The Arts Advisory Board, and Red Pine Ambassadors. Each minute she spends with these organizations contributes to a stronger Douglass community.
To other students looking for ways to get involved at Douglass, Borowski leaves some words of advice:
“Apply to things, even if you think that they’re scary,” she said. “I always think of a Carrie Fisher quote, ‘Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.’”