Emmy Boe

Name: Emmy Boe

College: Merrill College

Department: Community Studies

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? I received the Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Award for 2022-23.

What year do you expect to graduate? I expect to graduate in 2024.

Where do you call home? I’m from the Bay Area, more specifically Benicia, California.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I chose Santa Cruz because I was really interested in the Community Studies program. It was the one university of California that offered the major, and its commitment to working with communities for social change outside of the classroom is what actually drew me to the university. The unique opportunity to learn outside of the often limited opportunities and forms of knowledge in academia is an aspect that I really wanted, and Community Studies offered this.

What is your field of focus? Technically, I think I fall into the health justice field of focus, but the different courses in the major have offered me many opportunities in food and housing justice, with the latter being what I will be involved in and working within my field of study.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I hope to work in community-based organizations that either help care for people's basic needs or fight against injustices and advocate for the rights and protection of all. Depending on the needs of my field study organization, I may become more involved in housing justice and eviction defense post-graduation. I also someday would like to be involved in the food justice
sector, whatever that would look like, and potentially, if I save up enough, I think I might even pursue graduate school. I have a lot of things I want to do, and I hope I can accomplish them!

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?  I would say being able to participate in one of the biggest strikes in the history of academia was a really big deal for me. Showing solidarity with those who labored without sufficient funds to help me learn felt like a way to work for a shared passion for securing basic needs and fighting against exploitation for all. It was really impactful to be immersed in and participate in a very large labor justice struggle as a student who had not been within a system like this before, and it taught me a lot.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? I think that college really can be hard, especially in securing basic needs. I would emphasize caring for yourself and those around you. Sometimes there are no systems of support and we have to rely on each other, so I would say treat fellow students, and also your grad students and professors, with the same care you treat yourself with. Show up and support other communities and protest for their needs as well as your own. I know this may not be an option for some, but try and take as many classes that you are interested in as possible! You’ll learn so many new things that you may have never thought about before. I know it can be hard, but try to enjoy learning and take from your courses as much as you can! There are also so many opportunities for learning outside the classroom, so make sure to value your own knowledge and experience in your learning as well, and don’t be afraid of bringing those experiences into the classroom. You don’t need to separate your learning from your lived experiences.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? I really cannot emphasize enough how much this scholarship will help my research. Going into field study for the next six months, while very exciting, is also very economically burdensome just because of the way nonprofits are made to function with often very sparse funds and lots of needs to meet. With this scholarship though, I’ll be able to afford to live near the organization I’m
working within, that organization centering eviction defense and rental assistance, and truly become immersed in their system and the communities they serve.