ALYSSA BUMP
Editor in Chief
Many college students made the decision to pursue higher education to enhance their skills in a specific area and experience diversity on a larger scale. But when it comes to SUNY Fredonia, located in rural Chautauqua County, demographics show the university is a predominantly white institution.
According to fredonia.edu, only 9% of undergraduate students are Black. The majority of the student population, 74%, identifies as white.
It is important to note these statistics reflect fall 2018, as an update on student demographics is not readily available on SUNY Fredonia’s website. Outside sources such as datausa.io show even lower percentages of Black students on campus, with numbers as low as 3%.
These statistics can seem intimidating to many people of color that are considering SUNY Fredonia for higher education. However, there are several on-campus communities that work to support students and foster a sense of belonging.
Crowned Rubies is a program meant to bring together female students of color at Fredonia.
The program was established in January 2014 “when it came to the attention of the former assistant vice president of Enrollment & Student Services, Monica White, that retention rates for female students of color had decreased significantly,” according to Khristian King, the current program director of Crowned Rubies.
The program is meant to “improve the success of women of color at Fredonia” by creating an environment that “not only provides support for the women but educates them on how to support one another,” according to King.
King took over responsibility of the program in fall 2017. Since then, she has worked to get existing students involved in the program rather than only focusing on incoming students.
King explained, “The program was originally designed to focus on recruiting first-year students into the program and supporting them throughout the year. When I took over the program, I noticed that there was a good number of upperclass students, who could use the support of the program but weren’t involved because they didn’t start with us their first-year.” She continued, “I changed the recruitment process, so that now all students who identify as women of color in their application process are invited at the beginning of each academic year.”
Every year, King has worked closely with program interns to pick a yearly theme that relates to the needs of the women involved and plan events surrounding that theme. Some events are also centered around the specific interests of students within the program. “For example, last year, we had a few women interested in a book club, and we started that for them,” said King.
Each year, the program tends to hold certain events on a recurring basis, such as a Paint & Sip, Corn Maize and Galentine’s Day, in collaboration with Sister Circle, another female-focused group on campus. The program receives grant funds through FSA, which means that these programs are held with no cost to students.
King pointed out that the Crowned Rubies intern “is a critical part to our success. The intern works closely with me to plan events. They are responsible for implementation of events, data tracking and budget management.”
King has been able to witness several women flourish throughout the years by being a part of the program. “I remember one ‘Ruby’ from about two years ago, who started the year essentially without any friends… By the spring, [she] had a real network of women and developed a few friendships,” said King.
One of King’s proudest moments was when an alum ‘Ruby’ reached out to her during their second year at SUNY Fredonia. The student wanted to see some changes in the program, and King suggested she come on the board as an intern. “They agreed and they introduced wonderful programs, like the Corn Maize, that not only has become one our most popular events, but our participation in the program tripled that year. We went from approximately 30 active students to just shy of 100 students,” said King.
Markasia McCreary, a senior public accountancy and business management major, has been involved with Crowned Rubies since her sophomore year. “Crowned Rubies is one of the best safe spaces for women of color on campus,” said McCreary.
McCreary’s first trip with Crowned Rubies was the Corn Maize event. “Not only were many of the trips fun, but most of them were educational. We had talks about mental health, hair, book clubs, etcetera,” said McCreary.
The program, in McCreary’s words, “was definitely the highlight of my college experience.”
“I am an introvert and struggle with social anxiety, so being a part of this group pushed me out of my comfort zone. This program showed me how much I relate to many other women on campus as well as learning how to respect other points of views.”
Markasia McCreary
McCreary advises incoming students to get involved with the program, as she said “most of my confidence started with Crowned Rubies. I did attend other club meetings, but Crowned Rubies were more intimate and directed towards women like me, which made it easier for me to make friends.”
McCreary also praised King’s role in the program: “Khristian King is one the best people to have by your side at Fredonia.”
If you identify as a woman of color and are interested in joining Crowned Rubies, reach out to Khristian King via email at khristian.king@fredonia.edu.
The program is also looking for a new intern for the 2022–2023 academic year. “Students who identify as women of color are encouraged to apply. I am looking for an intern that is hardworking, creative and dedicated to helping us revive our community,” said King. The internship application can be found on the Intercultural Center website, and students can reach out to King via email with any additional questions.