SUPPORTING MARIBEL GARCIA
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
What was your path/journey after you graduated from Cornell?
1995 classmates Amy Melnikoff Rosenberg, Kavitha Chetty Ness and Sarah Jensen - along with Samantha Shaber ‘94 - wrote the following:
Cornell Class of ‘95 classmate Maribel Garcia died tragically in a car accident in 1997. We established the Maribel Garcia Community Spirit Award fund to honor Cornell students who, similar to how Maribel lived, make remarkable contributions to the spirit of humanity. And now, for 18 years, Maribel’s legacy of passionate, inspired, community engagement has been brought forward through these unique thinkers, from establishing cooking classes for underserved youth in Ithaca, to publishing a literary journal out of Auburn State Prison, to offering mental health services in Mandarin during COVID lockdown, to this year’s winner - Ivonne Kienast - running elephant conservation field teams for girls in the Central African Republic.
What extracurricular activity or hobby at Cornell was most meaningful to you?
As creators of The Maribel Garcia Community Spirit Fund, we have received three unexpected gifts: 1. We have created a legacy for Maribel that represents and celebrates her uniquely creative and giving spirit. 2. We have been inspired by all of the applicants who are participating in such a wide range of thoughtful, dedicated, and passionate service to the communities around them. 3. As Cornell alumni, we have loved continuing our friendship and working closely on this initiative that means so much to each of us!
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in contact with?
Maribel cherished her poetry and creative writing classes the most. These courses allowed her to explore language, emotion, and narrative, fostering her love for storytelling and self-expression. The creativity and freedom in these classes helped shape her voice as a writer, making them the highlight of her academic journey.
What random or surprising encounters with Cornell, or Cornellians, have you experienced since you left?
Our biggest surprise has been the range of Cornellians we have honored with Maribel’s award. In Year 1, we chose Ding Kong for creating cooking classes to empower underserved children in downtown Ithaca. In Year 11, we honored Osei Boateng, who spent his winter break creating Project Hope to bring education and free health screenings to a rural community in Ghana. We have honored Kelley Mark for her Knit with Care therapy group and Shiwani Bisht for an art exhibit raising awareness about child sex trafficking. Michael Sanchez worked with fellow Cornell military veterans, while Cátia Dombaxe helped bring STEM education to communities in Angola.