Elizabeth Zapanta

Class of 2025
B.S. in International Relations and Politics, Minor in Hispanic Studies
Hometown: Irwin, Pennsylvania

What communities do you claim membership within?

Woman, Filipino-American

What areas of community engagement are you most passionate about?

I am most passionate about community building, organization and mobilization. Not only in Pittsburgh and on campus, but in our world there can be a lot of division, and I am passionate about looking past differences and creating a more accepting world that emphasizes meaningful relationships and conversations.

Why did you choose to become a fellow?

A lot of times Carnegie Mellon can feel very much isolated from the rest of the Pittsburgh community, even though so much of our collective identity is alongside and in partnership with them. In choosing to become a fellow, I wanted to gain more of an understanding about this idea of community and how I can play a role in that space.

What are you enjoying most about the fellowship so far?

My favorite part of the fellowship so far is the conversations we have had as a cohort. We are able to challenge our prior knowledge and dive deeply into these ideas of community, engagement and connection. I love seeing our unique perspectives intersect in our discussions.