Full Circle with SAB: Rachel Burns' ‘24 Athena Journey
Athena is here for all students at any point in their Barnard experience—whether they want to go all-in on a community of practice or just swing by for a chat. But Athena can also become a space students want to return to time and time again.
That’s the story for Rachel Burns ‘24, the 2023-2024 Senior Co-Chair of Athena’s Student Advisory Board (SAB). Read below to hear Rachel’s reflections about the ways in which SAB has shaped her thinking about leadership — and how she practices it – from joining it as a first-year to leading it as a senior.
Most Barnard students meet Athena through NSOP programming, or by way of comfy couches, puzzles, and the center’s “good vibes.” But those weren’t options available to Rachel when she matriculated into Barnard during the Fall 2020 remote semester. Instead, she took a more straightforward approach: emailing Center Director Umbreen Bhatti ‘00, asking how to get involved.
“That was my first action item from Umbreen – to join SAB,” Rachel laughs.
The Student Advisory Board (SAB) plays an essential role at Athena: members advise the center on its programming for students, work to create a sense of community for all Athena students, and learn how to leverage board positions to create change. Athena’s SAB packs big punches; last year, it grew to 18 active members (the largest it’s ever been!) and threw a Halloween Bash which included temporary tattoos, cookie decorating, and a Polaroid photo booth.
For Rachel, SAB served as a perfect entryway into the Athena ecosystem. It provided her with a strong community and a sense of how she could develop as a changemaker in the coming years.
“While serving on SAB, I joined BUILD, a community of practice through ThirdSpace@, a virtual co-curricular program during the pandemic where students connected what they learned in the classroom to the challenges that existed outside of it. I was in Virginia at the time, so I created an art-based after-school program because the pandemic was very hard on children.”
BUILD inspired Rachel to seek out social impact communities once she returned to Barnard’s in-person campus for her sophomore year. She joined the Athena Policy and Changemaking Community of Practice, which helped her network with experienced policymakers and gave her the confidence to apply to internships. As a member of the Athena Advocacy Institute, she worked for The Resolution Project the following summer, a company in New York City that supports social change through entrepreneurship — the same organization where Athena’s own Chief of Staff, Victoria Lesourd worked before Athena. Rachel came to Athena in search of community, and now, her community at Athena helped her reach beyond Barnard.
Upon the start of her junior year, Rachel wanted to learn more about how to create a large-scale impact starting with her own skills, abilities, and community. She joined Protest as a Tool For Change, a community of practice that invites student organizers to explore how to use protest in effective ways — and helps them build community with one another.
What’s up next for her senior year? Developing her sustainable clothing business, Handmade 4 Hotties, in the Athena Incubator. She handcrafts garments as part of her inclusive brand made to combat fast fashion and promote self-love — all part of her goal to make the world more sustainable.
“How has Athena changed me?” Rachel asks. “I am confident that changemaking is something that I am already very capable of. Sometimes people don't fully trust themselves—I think leadership is about regifting your power to yourself.”
“I came into Athena thinking leadership was individualistic—that you had to be the loudest voice with the biggest role. Now, I think it's being mindful of everyone else that's working with you as well, and figuring out what other people need and how to best support them and support yourself.”
Now Senior Co-Chair, Rachel’s SAB story comes full circle: she hopes to create a community for the underclassmen, just like how others did for her.
Thank you, Rachel!
Meet the rest of the 2023-24 Student Advisory Board and learn what they’re up to this academic year.