Office of Development
National Scholarship Allows Jordan Jessamy Time to Impact Community
"I never would've been able to have been as involved as I was on campus were it not for the National Scholarship," said Jordan Jessamy '20. "It helped me have that extra time to be involved on campus and help the campus community."
As an undergraduate, Jessamy majored in environmental science with a concentration in wetlands and watershed resources and minored in applied statistics. Among his many activities, he was co-founder of ESF's Taking Root Student Peer Mentorship Program, president of the Roots and Pursuits Club; social media chair, digital content editor and lead photographer for The Knothole, the campus literary magazine; and past president of King's Court Diversity Group. He was also a 2020 recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.
Jessamy is now enrolled in ESF's graduate program in environmental science. He was recruited during his senior year to be a research assistant under John Stella and John Drake. Jessamy worked with them on the early stages of his thesis, which will work to determine how socioeconomic factors and land cover influence urban green space structure and function in urban environments.
He is also be a Diversity Fellow with the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (OIDE). "I'll be developing initiatives to support my fellow men of color, collaborate with graduate students to ensure they are involved in the OIDE's plans, and continue supporting the Taking Root Peer Mentorship Program I founded during 2019," he said.
Jessamy said his work in the OIDE plays a key part in students' success at ESF. "It's important to make sure all students, regardless of their background, feel included and welcome on this campus so they're able to focus on what's important without having to worry about feeling othered or like they don't belong here. Then academics can be at the forefront and there are no other distractions for them."
Jessamy puts the National Scholarship in the same category: it eliminated much of the distraction of having to finance his education.
"Not having to be as concerned about being able to afford college helps relieve stress," he said. "It can remove the need for a second job or extra loans, and for me, it was a source of comfort."
Jessamy notes the support from donors also allows students the opportunity to effectively utilize the time that they have in school to not just discover their academic and professional interests, but also to better discover other interests.
"Before coming to ESF I was never involved with diversity issues and that might not have happened here if I hadn't been able to focus on school and extracurriculars. It did happen, because I was fortunate enough to receive support through donors' contributions."