UK Graduate Student Congress Volunteers Come Together to Support Community

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 28, 2020) — Like so many others across the globe, the spring semester for graduate students, professional students and postdocs at the University of Kentucky has not gone exactly to plan. But members of the UK Graduate Student Congress (GSC), composed of graduate students, professional students and postdocs, have taken the initiative to be there for one another — from a safe social distance.

A total of 14 members of the GSC are volunteering hundreds of hours during this crisis to ensure there is a member of their leadership team available all day, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, via Zoom for drop-in hours to talk and provide access to resources.

“Not only are these Graduate Student Congress volunteers taking time to make themselves available on Zoom, but they are all also actively working to respond personally to everyone who filled out a short survey that was sent out to all graduate students, professional students and postdocs to try and gain a better sense of the current COVID-19 related needs,” said Joel Klipfel, outgoing president and volunteer with the UK GSC.

In addition to this virtual drop-in space, which is helping to create an online community of care, they have worked with The Graduate School to direct graduate and professional students to resources across campus, including: who to contact regarding basic needs, academic support resources for graduate education, policy and funding questions, etc.

“Our work is needed at this time because during the COVID-19 pandemic we are ensuring that our students can have adequate access to resources and information that they need,” shared volunteer and Graduate Student Congress president-elect Katherine Counts.

The GSC team also gained peer-consulting training from The Graduate School's coordinator of Graduate Student Community Enhancement, James Lincoln.

"The training focuses on the philosophical and practical foundations for neighborhood expressions of care through relational meetings and relationship building during times of personal and communal upheaval,” Lincoln said. 

The Graduate Student Professional Enhancement Office provided the team with para-professional peer-support training in relationship building during a crisis situation. The group is also meeting weekly with interim Dean Brian Jackson of The Graduate School to discuss student needs. 

Current vice president and volunteer Ren Guerriero helps to explain how vital these Graduate Student Congress members are to the campus community.

“We are the teaching assistants, instructors, and research force of UK, and we need support because our degrees, work and lives are also delayed due to COVID-19,” Guerriero said. “The Graduate Student Congress is rising to help our population because according to our survey, we need help.”

Aviv Brokman, volunteer and GSC director of membership, recognizes the strength that comes from a community banding together in a time of need. 

"COVID-19 is a public health crisis, and it's disrupting every facet of our lives — family, financial and mental wellness, work and research,” Brokman shared. “Graduate and professional students and postdocs might need a helping hand, and the GSC is a big organization with a lot of helping hands to give."

Other GSC members who have volunteered countless hours include Paulina Alatriste, Lauren Fann, Erica Fealko, Ellie Johnson, Glenna Joyce, Edward Lo, Melissa Molho, Katie Sharp, Amanda Slone and Shaila Zaman.

Graduate Student Congress members are encouraged to reach out to graduatestudentcongress@gmail.com for information and assistance.