Meet Jocelyn Kreiser, this week’s Campus Celeb! Not only does this lady have it going on (but really), she really does Keep It Real. Jocelyn is a senior here at Pitt, and she’s completing a major in Communication Science & Disorders with a minor in Social Work, a certificate in American Sign Language, and a certificate in Africana Studies. With all of these accomplishments under her belt, she aspires to be a Speech Pathologist and work with children. Jocelyn also studied abroad this summer in Tanzania!
HC: So tell me more about Keep It Real. How did you get involved with the organization?
Keep It Real is a non-profit, student-run organization serving the Pittsburgh area. We tutor and mentor Somali-Bantu refugee children in their homes. We help them with their homework, read with them, play with them, take them to the park, etc. We also help the parents and other adult members of the family with ESL (English as a Second Language), citizenship, and things such as filling out paperwork for school, and bills. We support the families as they acclimate to living here in the U.S. culturally and socially.
I got involved with the organization at the beginning of my junior year after hearing about it from my friends Adela and Matt Rozycki (former Her Campus celeb!) at the end of my sophomore year. Now this year, I am on Keep It Real’s board as the Recruitment/Social Media chair.
HC: What do you like most about working with Keep It Real?
Two things: I think the best thing is that I am not only a mentor, but also a mentee. They teach and give to me just as much, if not more, as I teach and give to them. That mutually beneficial relationship is something I really value, because we learn and grow together. Second is that our time together is spent in their home, which is a unique feature of our program. My family has ten children, and I get to form a relationship with each and every one of them, from a two year old to a college student. You really become part of the family, and I love them as if they’re my brothers and sisters. It’s such a meaningful and fulfilling experience and I really look forward to the days I get to spend with them. It’s a good way to escape from the daily stress of college life−to laugh and play with them and hear about their days.
HC: Aside from Keep It Real, what other activities are you involved in?
I just joined Strong Women Strong Girls this semester, so I am really looking forward to that. I just got a job at the Children’s Hospital so I’ll be (hopefully) working on saving up for my next study abroad adventure!
HC: Tell me about your study abroad experience.
I went on the program Pitt in Tanzania: health, culture, and Swahili language. I’ve always loved language and traveling, and I’d never been to Africa. I wanted to see a part of the world that was different from anywhere I’d been before; I wanted to be out of my comfort zone.
What I took from it? Malaria! …and the desire to go back. I know I’ll be back; I love it there and I want to see so much more of Africa. I have a deep appreciation for the people, culture, music, food, and the language of Tanzania. And I can’t forget about all of the friends I made there!
Photo taken from the Campus Celeb’s own collection.