Terriers in Charge: Nyah Jordan (CGS’20, COM’22)
Terriers in Charge: Nyah Jordan (CGS’20, COM’22)
Sisters United events coordinator on how the club stays strong during the pandemic
In the video above, Nyah Jordan (CGS’20, COM’22), Sisters United BU events coordinator, talks about the organization’s important work supporting female students of color on campus and the challenges of providing programming during the pandemic.
To mark International Women’s Day, we interviewed student leader Nyah Jordan, a journalism major with a minor in political science. Since arriving at BU, the Hattiesburg, Miss., native has been involved in numerous clubs and organizations. She has written for the Daily Free Press and Boston Political Review, is a Student Government vice president, and was an intern with The Years Project. She’s currently running for BU Student Government student body president.
Jordan (CGS’20, COM’22) is also events coordinator for Sisters United BU, which empowers Black and brown young women at Boston University through mentorship and on- and off-campus events. She attended her first Sisters United meeting early in her sophomore year and immediately fell in love with the organization. “I vividly remember going there and seeing 10 or 15 women, and we just talked about everyday struggles at BU, financial struggles, academic struggles. To have that space to vent was so uplifting. I walked out of there thinking, everything is going to be okay. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of the group, and I wanted Sisters United to be widely known.”
As events coordinator during COVID-19, Jordan has had to find innovative ways to keep members engaged and connected virtually. In our video, she talks about the mission of Sisters United and the vital support it provides: “We’re trying to make sure that all women of color feel loved, welcomed, and safe on campus. It’s meant to be a safe space for all kinds of conversation, just so you have that network and that resource.”
Despite the pandemic, Sisters United has been able to maintain some in-person experiences, especially through its new “Big Sis, Little Sis” mentorship program, matching students to foster deep one-on-one connections. That mentoring has proven especially important for incoming students with no experience of “normal,” or pre-pandemic, college life, who are paired with older students. Jordan says her two “littles” check in with her several times a week.
After graduation, Jordan hopes to land a job with a major news publication like the Washington Post, and later, work for a nonprofit focused on making society more equitable.
What advice does she offer new Sisters United members? “I think it’s important to tell yourself on a daily basis that you are enough, and that your voice is appreciated, whether that be as a student talking to administration or in the workplace.
“Know your worth.”
To learn more about Sisters United, follow the group on Instagram and Facebook.
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