Selena Crummie: Removing roadblocks, managing risk
Selena Crummie is a mathematics senior from Atlanta, Ga., who will graduate in spring 2020. She is a first-generation college student.
Selena Crummie was a junior at MSU when finances and other life circumstances presented a roadblock to finishing her education.
“I was going through a lot at the time; my advisor and I were thinking about how we could navigate this so I could graduate on time,” Crummie said. That’s when they found out about the College of Natural Science (NatSci) Undergraduate Emergency Assistance Fund.
These emergency funds are available to assist students who are faced with minor financial needs and challenges, including unforeseen expenses that may put students in jeopardy of completing their MSU education. To date, seven students have been helped by this fund since its inception in April 2019.
Because of donors who generously gave to establish and support the fund, Crummie is now on track to complete her undergraduate degree at MSU.
“Being a first-generation college student comes with a lot of obstacles to overcome,” said Crummie, whose father immigrated from Jamaica. “The emergency fund alleviated my financial roadblocks so that I could concentrate on my studies.”
Receiving these funds allows students to focus not only on their coursework and research, but on extracurricular experiences that will advance their careers in the sciences and help them develop personally and professionally.
During her time at MSU, Crummie also joined Successful Black Women at MSU, serving in several leadership positions.
“That experience taught me a lot—how to network, how to interact with others and how to plan,” said Crummie, who also tutors high school students on the weekend.
After earning her undergraduate degree, she plans to become a data scientist—combining her love of coding and mathematics. In addition she plans to start a nonprofit organization that will provide mathematics skills and perhaps scholarships to students from underserved communities.
“That’s a real passion of mine so I hope to get that started within six to eight months after graduation,” Crummie said.
“As a student interested in actuarial science and the world of risk, I understand the amount of financial risk that one enters when becoming a college student,” Crummie said. “The emergency assistance fund has really helped me manage my personal financial risk being at MSU. The fund has provided me with the necessary tools and resources to get one step closer to graduation.”