Each year, incoming Collins students take Q199, a peer-taught course that introduces them to the guiding principles of the community: academics, diversity, community, sustainable living, and student empowerment.One class requirement, the Q project, can manifest in a number of different ways, from joining an established group or council to writing for the Collins Columns to putting on a program to share students’ own interests with the community at large.
Candace Bertotti and Ellen Goldberg, two Collins alumni, recently decided to give back to the Collins community by offering awards to students with exemplary Q projects. Collins’ scholarship committee will examine the applications to determine which projects best fit the criteria.
Candace and Ellen reminisced about their time at Collins and what it meant to them. “The people that I met at Collins are still my best friends in the universe,” Ellen says. Candace agrees, saying that the friendships she made during her time at Collins continue to support her.
Both were involved and held leadership roles: Candace was a Q teacher and student government president, and Ellen was the Columns editor for two years. Here’s what they have to say about their time in Collins and what they hope their new award will do for current Collins students.
What do you remember most about your time at Collins?
CB: I lived in Forest, Teter, and Read before I ended up at Collins as a junior. While I had a good experience at the other dorms, Collins had a real sense of community. I remember a sense of belonging and support, and a synergy of creativity and activism.
EG: I have a really tight-knit group of friends, such as Candace, that I met either on Ed 3, where I lived, or all over Collins. My involvement helped me become friends with a lot of other people. We had a staff of 20-30 people on the Columns by the time I was a senior.
What was the impetus behind your decision to give to Collins as alumni?
CB: I made the commitment while I was still living in Collins. Ellen and I would talk about how we wanted to give back someday, as Collins made a huge difference for both of us. Then, real life showed up after college, and that commitment was almost forgotten. It’s easy to think of yourself as a generous person, but then one day you wake up and realize you haven’t taken action to make that true.
At a big university like IU, there are so many ways to fall through the cracks and not feel a part of a community. Collins, to me, was such an oasis of community, and I want to continue to support that.
EG: It’s so rewarding to give back to the things that are most important to you. I have for years wanted to give back to Collins, and there was always a reason not to do it. But now I’m in a place where I can give. I believe in the mission of Collins.
How do you hope the Q Project Award will affect the Collins community?
CB: The science of influence is one of my favorite topics. Research shows that the more sources of influence you apply to a challenge, the more likely you’ll be to influence change. I wanted to add an additional source of influence, a monetary reward, to encourage students.
EG: Q projects have been really powerful and transformative for the community. We wanted to do something that would have a positive effect on the community and give students who are already motivated a chance to be rewarded for their efforts.
What are you doing now, and did your involvement in Collins help shape who you are today?
CB: I have my own company and go around the world giving talks on how to have more influence. In addition, I’m on the faculty at the University of Maryland and deliver executive education on Negotiation and Crisis Communication. I’m also a volunteer mediator for child abuse cases in DC.
Experiencing the different viewpoints at Collins and being exposed to a wide variety of personalities widened my horizons and my thinking, and really shaped me.
EG: I’m the Director of the Transfer Center at Harold Washington College in Chicago. I help students make a seamless transition from two- to four-year colleges.
At Collins, I learned to believe in the power of people, bringing people closer together. Collins did so much for my formation and my growth. Collins made me the person I am today.
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