Gyniah Jenkins
Gyniah Jenkins of Harlem is the President of Beta Sigma Zeta Sorority Inc. and a Criminal Investigation major. She recently received an American Red Cross scholarship after her sorority helped orchestrate a campus blood drive with the Wellness Promotions office.
Gyniah was the second student from her sorority to receive this scholarship. This semester’s drives will be held Tuesday, Sept. 28 and Wednesday, Sept. 29 in SUNY Canton’s Dana Hall gymnasium.
She said her favorite class was Introduction to Forensics, taught by her advisor, Assistant Professor Kelly R. Peterson, but she also enjoys most classes in the program. “My major is very much hands-on, and I love the atmosphere, energy, and help that all the teachers and students bring to the table,” she said.
Her time at SUNY Canton has been challenging for personal reasons, but she has been able to overcome those trials with help and support of her friends and staff at SUNY Canton.
“I lost my mom my second semester of freshman year,” Gyniah said. “Instead of letting that stopping me, it pushed me more. I am the only child to ever go to college and this was something that I told myself I was going to finish. I’ve grown close with the SAIL [Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership] office. Without them, college probably would have been harder or even impossible.”
She said she also received a lot of support from her sorority. “I was truly going through a lot especially since I lost my mom,” she said. “These things gave me the push that I needed to not only keep my grade to a certain point but to also keep going with college.”