Empowerment from Within: Nicole Quijada to start Vanguard Impacts

Have you ever noticed how ideas with great causes go unnoticed until they become well-known due to the media? A cause that has gone unnoticed on Vanguard’s campus is that of sophomore Nicole Quijada’s, on the development of Vanguard Impacts, a vision of hers which she hopes becomes a program someday.

Vanguard Impacts paves the way for students to thank the professors who have made an impact in their lives. The program started back in the Fall 2011 when Quijada was a part of Peer Mentoring Practicum class, which is an extension of Frontline.

“All of the people in Peer Mentoring Practicum class would vote for either a faculty member or professor whom they thought should be impacted.They then would tally up the votes to see who they would impact that week, and would go and ambush them with a sign, candy, and balloons,” Quijada said.

Several faculty members who have been selected by Vanguard Impacts include: Director of Career Development Hassan Archer, former Vice President for Student Affairs Ann Hamilton, and Professor of Anthropology Jamie Huff.

“The main person at Vanguard who inspired me to start Vanguard Impacts, would have to be Shelley Youd from my Peer Mentoring Practicum class last semester. However, my inspiration for this came from high school, specifically from my involvement with ‘Student Achievement,’ a program that aimed to pump up the students to do well,” Quijada continued.

Quijada has a vision in mind for Vanguard Impacts. “[I want] to take the experience from ‘Student Achievement’ and implement it on Vanguard’s campus,” she said. The first reason is that Vanguard is smaller than her high school, and Quijada also believes there is “such an amazing community and so many wonderful teachers here,” she said.

As far as the future is concerned Vanguard Impacts is currently on hold. “ Last fall was really just a chance for them to get their feet wet. Also, it is harder now because they are not in Peer Mentoring Practicum class anymore” she explained.

Her hope is that students will get excited about Vanguard Impacts and help her establish the club. That way they can put together a video clip to show in chapel and get the word out to the community. She hopes that Vanguard Impacts will start up again in the Fall of 2012.

If students feel called to participate, they can either email Nicole Quijada via nicole.quijada@vanguard.edu or find her on Facebook.