News
Students
News
Students
JWU Student Groups Make Positive Impact on and off Campus
Author Ava Zajczenko '27 is a Nonprofit Management major with a focus on food insecurity and works as a student assistant at JWU, contributing to JWU News.
With 150+ clubs, organizations, sororities and fraternities across the Providence and Charlotte campuses at Johnson & Wales University, there's always something exciting happening.
From teaching the community a new language to bringing different cultures together to supporting students through service and leadership, these organizations find ways to foster connection and community on campus.
Below are just a few of the great things that JWU clubs and Greek Life are doing on campus.
West Indian Student Association (WISA)
West Indian Student Association (WISA) is a recent addition to the Providence Campus, having been created in October 2025. But even though the club is new, it's already creating a positive impact.
Ashlee Marshall '27, the president of WISA, shares that "The mission of the club is to provide a safe space where Caribbean students — whether international in the diaspora or anyone interested in associating with West Indian students' culture — can come and share different aspects of who they are, their cultures and their countries."
Their meetings focus on different facets of the culture, with a mixture of activities taking place. Marshall explains, "We have game days, and it's an interactive mixture that's both fun and informational. We share music, genres, dance and food from these cultures."
Last semester, WISA hosted a donation drive for Jamaica. Jamaica experienced devastating storms from Hurricane Melissa, which led to power outages, houses being torn apart, and loss of water and food.
WISA placed bins on the Downcity and Harborside Campuses so the community could fill them with non-perishable items, such as food and clothing, that would then be shipped to Jamaica.
With the hurricane happening right around the time the club started, there was a rush to get everything planned. Kianna Lewis '27, the vice president of WISA, says, "Everything was very last-minute; we had to push through to get a grant, which was approved, then go through emailing people so that we were able to get the four bins."
Through students' donations and all the hard work the club did, the bins were stuffed full of things to donate to the people affected by the hurricane in Jamaica. Around 20-25 people helped with this drive and spread the word about what WISA was doing.
It wasn't until the start of this Spring 2026 semester that the bins were shipped to Jamaica, and then picked up by Lewis's family, who live in Jamaica.
Judah Gomez '29, secretary of WISA, expresses how not only did this help the people within Jamaica, but it also helped the people here at JWU. "My friends and people who helped with the donation drive got to feel a sense of service. So, it's not just about helping our home countries, but everyone's getting an opportunity to feel like they're doing something relevant to the community."
WISA is a place to connect with others who understand the shared culture that they have. Lewis expresses, "It can be difficult to find your group of people. It can be hard to find that community. I think what we're trying to do with WISA is educate other people who are interested in West Indian culture. But I think it's mostly about finding your group of people."
Marshall expands on this, adding, "I see myself as an ambassador for the Caribbean. When people come here, they are all representing their countries and are eager to share it with people. I like to think of America as a global country with a mixture of different ethnicities here. You get to share that with people and help put your country on the map."
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated — Upsilon Beta Chapter
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated is one of the sororities at JWU Charlotte. Jayla Davis-Lewis '26 the chapter's vice president, shares that the sorority was "founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., making it the first Black Greek letter sorority."
In addition to that distinction, this sorority was the first Black Greek sorority to be chartered at JWU Charlotte.
Upsilon Beta cares deeply about service within the community, leadership and their commitment to excellence on campus. Davis-Lewis shares that her sororities program initiatives for 2025-2026 are "Empower our families, build our economic wealth, enhance our environment, advocate for social justice and uplift our local community."
When looking at what this sorority has done on campus to create positive connections, there are quite a few. From packing lunches to combating hunger in childhood and from cleaning up their community to spreading positive affirmations to students on campus, Upsilon Beta is trying to create a meaningful and lasting impact.
Davis-Lewis expands on this: "In December, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® — Upsilon Beta Chapter joined alongside members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® — Rho Psi Omega Chapter to participate in CHIPP (Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Packs), a program created to combat childhood hunger. Sisters worked together to assemble and pack nonperishable lunch bags that were distributed to youth in the Charlotte community, helping ensure they did not go hungry during extended school breaks."
"In addition, we hosted a campus and community clean-up initiative aimed at enhancing our environment," she adds. "Members of the sorority, along with student volunteers, worked together to collect debris and properly dispose of trash found throughout our campus and the surrounding local community."
Another opportunity for connection: the Petals of Positivity event that Alpha Kappa Alpha Incorporated — Upsilon Beta Chapter hosted. This event consisted of roses of various shades being handed out to students across campus that had motivational messages and affirmations attached — handwritten by the members.
Davis-Lewis recalls, "As the flowers were distributed, faces lit up with joy and excitement, reminding students that they have a strong and supportive community within JWU."
She feels empowered to be a part of these initiatives that create such a positive and encouraging atmosphere on campus for students, expressing, "I feel honored to be a part of a rich legacy of women committed to service, leadership and excellence. Participating in these events empowers me and serves as a reminder that kindness is still alive and thriving within our community."
American Sign Language (ASL) Club
The American Sign Language Club (ASL Club) is a club on the Providence Campus that started running in the fall of 2025.
Keyla Cintron '26 and Jelena Vazquez '26 are the co-presidents of the club and expressed that their mission "is to provide students with an opportunity to learn a new language that facilitates communication with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. We seek to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment, aiming to create a bridge between communication gaps."
This is done through meetings that happen twice a week, where Cintron and Vazquez teach lessons along with engaging activities that pair with each lesson. With the club being so new, the focus was on creating a format for the club and teaching people the basics of ASL.
Cintron and Vazquez share, "Since this is an informational club at heart, we have been finding the balance between learning a new language and having fun, with our biggest priority being to ensure the club doesn't feel like another class." They also incorporate lessons that teach fingerspelling, numbers, questions and BINGO.
A big part of this club is providing information about the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, with both sharing, "As described in our mission, we have been working to bridge that gap between communities one lesson at a time. Alongside the meeting lessons, we try to share information or clarify misinformation regarding this community."
With ASL Club being new, Cintron and Vazquez are still trying to raise awareness, but they have a set number of students who attend every meeting. "These students participate enthusiastically and feel comfortable enough to share the things they want to see in the future. One benefit of still creating the club framework is that we can easily incorporate their suggestions."
Notably, Cintron and Vazquez have already made a positive impact by making this community feel seen.
"We have heard from various students who are part of the deaf/hard-of-hearing community, and they are happy to see a club that focuses on teaching ASL. We have also heard from students about their excitement regarding JWU now having an ASL/language-based club."
Being a part of this club means a lot to both Cintron and Vazquez. Cintron shares, "I personally have family members who are deaf, so I have always wanted to learn ASL. I remember staying up late trying to learn how to sign my name. When the chance to start this club came up with Jelena, I was ecstatic to jump in."
She continues, "As the club continues to grow, it has been amazing to watch its impact, no matter how small. Seeing how excited the club members have been and how eager they are to participate has been wonderful. Our long-term goal is to set up a club that can outlast us, since we are both graduating within the year, and can be seen around campus. It would be a dream to see students one day signing to each other and for JWU to have an ASL-friendly community."
Vazquez adds, "For me, being part of initiating this new club and teaching others what I have learned has been an amazing experience. I have truly enjoyed learning and practicing ASL, and seeing other students' excitement and eagerness to learn brings me so much joy."
"Whether they want to learn ASL to communicate with others or simply out of curiosity, it makes me happy to know that we are helping expand a community that often struggles to communicate with hearing individuals," she continues. "Additionally, ASL will be extremely valuable in my future career in criminal justice, where effective communication can make a meaningful difference."
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. — Mu Kappa Chapter
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. — Mu Kappa Chapter is another sorority at JWU Charlotte, dedicated to sisterhood, scholarship and service.
Sydney Wells '26 is the vice president of the chapter, and shares that the mission of the sorority is "centered on enhancing the quality of life for women within our communities through civil and social action along with service, leadership development and educational initiatives."
She explains, "The chapter focuses on community service, youth empowerment, academic excellence and creating impactful programming that supports both students and the surrounding community."
The sorority's most recent initiative was their "Back-to-School Book Bag Drive," which focused on collecting backpacks and school supplies, which were then donated to local elementary schools within the community.
This drive had over 25 participants, including sorority members and other student volunteers. Wells elaborates, "Many families face financial challenges at the start of the school year, and our donations helped alleviate that burden for families. By providing essential school supplies, we helped students feel more prepared and supported financially."
The chapter held other events throughout the Fall 2025 semester, focusing on campus involvement, mentorship and academic success. This fostered connection and involvement not only for the sorority, but for those participating on campus.
The sorority has also hosted multiple student engagement events throughout the fall semester of 2025, which fostered campus involvement, mentorship and academic success with students on campus.
Participating and being a part of these initiatives means a great deal to Wells. She expressed, "Service allows me to lead with purpose and contribute to something larger than myself. As vice president, I take pride in helping organize initiatives that create meaningful change."
Not only do these efforts strengthen Wells' bond with her fellow sisters within her sorority, but the bond is also strengthened within her community on campus.
Theta Delta Chi Fraternity (TDX)
Theta Delta Chi Fraternity (TDX), a fraternity on the Providence Campus, focuses on brotherhood and improving intellectually, morally and socially through friendship.
"We're very community-focused and involved in our community," says Ryan Zamiarski '27, philanthropy and fundraising chair for TDX. Zamiarski relays that their main mission is constantly striving for improvement: adding, "Over my time here within the fraternity, we've broken our records in community service hours. Every Friday, we volunteer at soup kitchens, host clothing drives, do tablings to get people involved and do other things. We try to stay very involved and just be better."
The fraternity's two most recent initiatives that created a positive impact on campus were the 4th annual Flutie 5k for Autism and the annual "Dodgebrawl" tournament.
The Flutie 5k for Autism was hosted on the Harborside Campus in the fall semester, involving 329 runners and raising $28,060 overall. TDX collaborated with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, raising awareness and supporting people with autism for this event.
All the proceeds went to the Sargent Rehabilitation Center, which according to Zamiarski is a special education school for children and young adults with disabilities.
Something special about this event was how much money the fraternity raised and donated to the Sargent Rehabilitation Center. Zamiarski said this was a big moment for him and his fraternity. The year before, they raised just under $13,000 across multiple events — so more than doubling that total from a single event this year was a major accomplishment.
"When we hit $28,000 from one event, that was so big for us, we couldn't believe it. The fact that Johnson & Wales students can do that is insane. I did not come to college thinking I would be doing these things and making such a positive impact."
The second event, the annual "Dodgebrawl" tournament held in the Wildcat Center Gym on Harborside, was also a huge success during the spring semester.
College of Food Innovation & Technology Dean Jason Evans and Chef Jeremy Houghton were guest referees for the event. There were different teams created for the tournament — even a team of faculty members joined the fun!
Zamiarski adds, "It was great because traditionally we would have the event in the Delaney Gym, but this year we got to use the bigger gym. We had a faculty team and advisors, including the dean there, and we ended up raising $841 for that event."
When asked what being part of these initiatives means to him, Zamiarski shares how coming from a small, upstate New York town, and leaving home without knowing what to expect, and then "joining this brotherhood and having opportunities to help others and make an impact in people's lives was really big for me."
"I came here for culinary, and then I joined the fraternity, and I'm finding all these other things that I'm passionate about and just come naturally to me. It's like culinary is genuinely a second thought at this point. I could really go into some philanthropy thing and make a difference for people."
Events to Watch!
If you want to be part of these positive initiatives happening on campus, here are some dates to look out for!
West Indian Student Association (WISA) - Providence: Toward the end of March, there will be a Caribbean food sale taking place where people can experience food from these cultures.
American Sign Language (ASL) Club - Providence: Meetings take place biweekly, typically on Mondays at The Bridge Center. Look out for a bigger event being planned on the last day of classes!
Theta Delta Chi Fraternity (TDX) - Providence: There will be a fundraising event at the Triggs Memorial Golf Course on April 18, where teams will play golf, with proceeds going to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority — Upsilon Beta Chapter - Charlotte: Be on the lookout for SkeeWeek events happening in April!
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. - Charlotte: There will be a community engagement event sometime in April focusing on student mentorship and professional development, as well as a campus-wide meet & greet to expand their outreach to others across campus.
