2018-2019 JHU OMA Annual Report 2019 OMA Annual Report_Unabridged | Page 6

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YEAR IN REVIEW/HIGHLIGHTS & IMPACT
The academic year began with amazing additions to the staff. We were able to hire two key
positions within OMA that needed great energy, ideas, and expertise. In the Fall, we hired Rezwana
Zafar as the Assistant Director for Leadership Development and Masuma “Missy” Islam as our
Program Administrator. They hit the ground running. Rezwana was able to help institute our leadership
model (Cultural Wealth model) and incorporate it into the structure of our student groups and
organizations. Masuma helped spearhead the vision set forth and delivered on our cultural celebrations
(Heritage 365) and influenced the participation of innovative programming coming out of OMA.
Kwame Phillips and Masuma became a great team that has set the programming bar high with our
most involved student participation we have ever seen in our history within OMA. We also began the
year with the resignation of our Assistant Director for Diversity Education and continued to support
the efforts of the peer to peer diversity education team Student Educating and Empowering for
Diversity (SEED) through several programs and initiatives. Overall, this did not impede on our
influence across the university and we trudged along with new approaches and initiatives.
The Multicultural Leadership Council has become a huge influencer across campus and this
consortium of over 35 cultural student groups and organizations has been integral in the success of its
membership and transformed our community relationships. We have seen an uptick of collaborations
within MLC organizations that have produced involved dialogue around inter-cultural relationships
and historical context that promote division between groups. The executive board, advised by Kwame
Phillips and Rezwana Zafar, have begun to set standards and expectations around effective student
leadership and delivering upon best practices through our theories and models.
Another successful initiative, the Multicultural Leadership Institute, held in the Spring, advanced our
approach around identity leadership and garnered a methodical approach to discuss leadership design
and focusing on race/ethnicity. Over 50 students applied and 35 were able to partake in this leadership
development retreat that was specifically for emerging leaders (First-Years and Sophomores). We also
invited upper-classmen who held leadership positions to discuss and present their experiences. With
the assistance of professional staff and the Multicultural Leadership Council executive board, we
embarked on an impactful experience that will hopefully promote exceptional leadership for years to
come. We have noticed participants have become more active and been elected to positions within
cultural groups and organizations for the next academic year. We will continue this endeavor next year
and amplify our efforts to create great leaders.
The first Indigenous People’s Day celebration was a huge highlight and great addition to our
new traditions across campus. The Indigenous Students at Hopkins organization co-sponsored and
organized this campus-wide event that brought indigenous communities via our first Pow-Wow
ceremony that featured local Native American tribes and Central American Indigenous communities.
A powerful event that advanced the conversation around land rights and implications of historical
misrepresentations.
These are a few of our many highlights and we are amplifying our efforts next year with
streamlined approaches that will incorporate more student facing engagement.