Dejah Powell ’18

About Dejah

Why did you choose Cornell?

I was set on studying Marine Biology in college and saw that Cornell had a marine lab up in Maine (I never ended up going)! I also wanted to do research, and got a Hunter R. Rawlings Presidential Research Scholarship. Finally, I visited Cornell in the spring before accepting and just fell in love with the place: the people that I met on campus plus the beauty and nature on campus.

What was your favorite class and why?

I took a seven-week shark biology seminar, where for seven weeks we dissected sharks, skates, and rays. I love sharks. Amazing experience!

What are the most valuable skills you gained from your Cornell education?

A curiosity and open-mindedness to interdisciplinary learning. Cornell’s motto is any person, any study, and I definitely took full advantage of that, taking courses in everything from math, economics, creative writing, Spanish, and photography. All on top of my environmental classes!

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?

I treasure so many memories from Cornell, but right now I recall a time during my freshman year in the E&S major intro class. We were walking through the woods, talking about ecosystems and diversity. I remember standing amongst the group of other freshmen thinking, “This is what I get to do for class?! This is going to be amazing.”

What did you accomplish as a Cornell student that you are most proud of, either inside the classroom or otherwise?

I’ve loved the environment for much of my life; I can recall memories of going fishing with my dad and sitting entranced at the waves, curious of what rests below the surface of these ponds and lakes. When I got to Cornell, my environmental science classes were exciting, but also lacked diversity. There were not very many black women, or black people for the matter, in a lot of these courses. So I wanted to do something about that and started “Get Them to the Green”, with a mission to foster a love for the environment amongst youth in my hometown, Chicago.

What was your main extracurricular activity while you were at Cornell and why was it important to you?

I was a Rawlings Scholar, which as a freshman immediately provided support to take up research. As a very curious and inquisitive kid, who loved science, research always struck me as exciting. From my own educational experience, I often felt I got a lot of breadth into a subject instead of depth; research allowed me to go deeper into a topic or question I cared about. I explored a few labs, including a plant nematology and environmental microbiology lab, then landed on working on a senior thesis looking at food apartheid Chicago.

How did your perspective change while you were at Cornell? How have these changes influenced your pursuits since graduating?

As a black woman, in a country where, historically through violence and oppression, black peoples’ possibility has been diminished, it can at times feel hard to imagine the expansiveness of possibility. (And of freedom as a human being in this country.) My experience at Cornell expanded the concept of possibility that I had for myself, and for the world. Cornell offered so much, through grants, through courses, through professors, through friendships across race and class, etc. Though hard at times, it was also incredibly beautiful!

Now after graduating, grounded firmly in the history of my ancestors, I’ve felt very eager to take on all that feels impossible. And redefine and reimagine what feels possible.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

I’m currently a Regional Organizer with Sunrise Movement, a youth-led movement to stop the climate crisis and create millions of good jobs in the process. We’re fighting for a Green New Deal. Organizing in a community with other young people has been one of the most joyous and fulfilling experiences of my life. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to wake up every day and fight and organize people to help stop the climate crisis.