Ellen S. Cola - Ramapo High School
Hi everyone! My name is Ellen S. Cola and I am a recent graduate of Brown University. Going into college, I thought I was going to study English, because I always loved writing, and History because I always had a passion for understanding the past in order to appreciate the present and transform the future. I did not end up studying either major; rather, I currently hold a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Public Policy, and Africana Studies. As a triple major, I found that these three disciplines intersected in a way that allowed for me to ask critical questions about the world around us and actively think about social change and innovation. I completed 2 capstones and graduated with a 3.92 GPA.
When I was a student at Ramapo High School, I founded the Light of Change organization which offered tutoring to students at Pomona Middle School. As I have always been passionate about increasing minority students’ educational attainment and opportunities, I saw this organization as a great way to do that in my very own community. I believe that is why I was awarded the Babak Najafi Scholarship in 2016. Babak was a leader in his community, too. He was President of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) at Ramapo and wanted to drive change in this world after earning a Psychology degree from Syracuse University. During my time at Brown, and every day after, I strive to honor his legacy.
At Brown, I did not play any sports but I was known as the “Double Dutch girl” by many of my peers. On sunny days during the semester, I jumped rope on the Main Green with my friends and/or strangers just walking by. I loved staying active and fit this way. Aside from exercising and jumping rope, I have followed a vegetarian diet for almost 8 years, and this also keeps me in shape and healthy.
In August 2020, I will begin my professional career at Microsoft Corporation where I will be an Associate Product Marketing Manager. I will be moving from Spring Valley, NY to Seattle, Washington. After two years, I plan to go to law school. I decided to take two years off before going to law school to study for the LSAT and take a break from all-nighters. I chose to go into marketing because this field will allow me to understand the art of persuasion, communication, storytelling, decision making, and human logic. Understanding all of these will be incredibly useful to me as an attorney.
I am incredibly thankful to the Babak Najafi Memorial Scholarship Fund for helping me fund my college career. This Fund is more than just providing financial support to deserving students, however. I have gained a family through this scholarship and I am forever indebted.