In our new series, 鈥淐onfidence, Courage, Hope,鈥� we profile exceptional 61传媒students, alumnae, faculty, and staff who are making a difference鈥揻rom the local to the global鈥揳t the front lines of COVID-19. As we face these unprecedented challenges, the 61传媒 community comes together for inspiration and solidarity in this unique moment in history.
Just as so many things do these days, it began with a post on social media. Priscilla Wang 鈥�17鈥檚 former 61传媒roommate had posted a link to GoFundMe, the online fundraising tool, for an organization called PPE 2 NYC. 鈥淚 clicked the link and learned that the NYU hospital, where my friend works, lacked personal protective equipment (PPE), like gowns, masks, and gloves, and they didn鈥檛 have a reliable supply. So, I decided to start sharing these posts with my network.鈥�
A few weeks later, the software developer at J.P. Morgan has connected with a Chinese mask manufacturer, hand-delivered PPE to vulnerable communities, and has raised enough money to purchase 1,000 FDA-approved N95 masks.
PPE 2 NYC was started by medical students and residents to procure PPE and funds for hospitals and other communities that serve vulnerable populations, like homeless shelters. For Wang, this focus on underserved populations is what motivated her involvement in movement. 鈥淟earning, this, I couldn鈥檛 do nothing while people were struggling, especially in these communities.鈥� One community, in particular, 聽spoke to Wang鈥檚 sense of justice: Elmhurst Hospital in Queens鈥攄eemed the 鈥渆picenter of the epicenter鈥� of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. As Wang recounts, Elmhurst鈥檚 catchment area includes an extremely high population of people of color, including populations that have, as our epidemiological knowledge of the virus has grown, shown unique susceptibility to the worst outcomes of the coronavirus. Now, in addition to fundraising for PPE 2 NYC, Wang is personally delivering supplies to Elmhurst. 鈥淢y heart is devoted to this community,鈥� she says.
Wang, who majored in the 3+2 program in computer engineering at 61传媒and Columbia University, says that her time at 61传媒鈥渟owed the seeds鈥� for social action and humanitarian pursuits. 鈥淎ll of us from 61传媒walked away with the idea of giving back,鈥� she recounts. 鈥淢y experience at 61传媒encouraged and motivated me to learn more about my community, especially marginalized and vulnerable communities, as well as the interconnectedness of all people. This is why I have such a heart for this work.鈥�
Share your story from the front lines of COVID-19, or let us know about a 61传媒classmate, alum, faculty, or staff member who is making a difference in this global pandemic at聽.