Tatym Rasmussen

Class of 2025
B.A. in Global Studies
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota

What communities do you claim membership within?

My friends and family, first gen students, the LGBTQ+ and lesbian community, advocates for change

What areas of community engagement are you most passionate about?

I’m most passionate about how having a sense of belonging, of having a voice that is actively sought out and heard, can have a rippling effect on growth and prosperity. Most of the social barriers to social equity have a common thread of disconnection: disconnection to the land, to where you call home, to your work, to the social circles you navigate. That’s why I’m so interested in community engagement. When people feel as though they are a part of something bigger than themselves, it gives them the strength to come together and build a future that wouldn’t be possible alone.

Why did you choose to become a fellow?

I chose to become a fellow to investigate ways that change is made, outside a theoretical framework. Higher education is such a powerful catalyst for expanding your knowledge of yourself and the world around you, but sometimes, especially at spaces like CMU, it can feel like a bubble: those inside stay in, those outside stay out. I wanted it to pop, to engage with forms of knowledge and growth that might not have been visible to me before and to start looking for ways to find community in everything I do.

What are you enjoying most about the fellowship so far?

The connections I've made thus far! Connection is a huge theme of the fellowship, and I’ve seen it blossom so much in just a little more than a semester. The mission and goals of the other fellows are often intertwined with my own, and we help each other grow collectively. Not only that, but even the briefest interactions I’ve made with non-profits and grassroots organizations around Pittsburgh have opened doors for me to explore, get involved with and further connect social change makers in the region.