Ivy Bryan is a local Brooklyn woman who loves Brooklyn College and giving back to the community. She is a full time student who is a double major focusing on Film and Women and Gender Studies. /web/aca_socialsciences_general/CT_Nov2019_IvyBryan_94x84.jpg

Our Students: Ivy Bryan

Ivy Bryan is first-semester senior with a double major in film and women's and gender studies who plans to continue her education through graduate school. She was the winner of this year's Women's and Gender Studies scholarship, is a part of the WGST Student Advisory Board, and is beyond proud to represent her major.

Ivy is no stranger to Brooklyn College. Having grown up about a mile away, she always knew she would end up here. As a child, she would pass by campus and knew that eventually, this would be her home for four years. She is the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant and a mother who was born and raised in Brooklyn. She believes that her father has a massive influence on her studies, as he is a feminist himself. In her culture, she says, women are not seen as fragile and incapable, as in other countries. This is a perspective that has empowered her to challenge the perspectives of others who do not see women as powerful and independent. In her junior year of high school, she was able to take a women's and gender studies course at NYU, and from that moment on knew that this was her calling.

Bryan is a full-time student here and also works full time. She explained that she is busy all the time, but time management and determination to graduate make it possible for her to keep going. She has a very disciplined schedule. She wakes up at 6 a.m. every day, uses the gaps in her long days to study or complete assignments, and is a firm believer that her work will pay off in the long run. She is currently employed at HeadCount, a nonprofit that encourages voter registration "through the power of music." (Oh, and did we mention that Ivy has a superb, even operatic voice?)

At HeadCount, Bryan attends events such as concerts where she registers people to vote. She has faith that even if the job is small, she is still making a difference in the world. Since she has been working at HeadCount, she has been interviewed by Soledad O'Brien, spoken on the main stage and facilitated multiple workshops at Ru Paul's Drag Con. In addition, she opened a Rangers game in Madison Square Garden, singing “Seven Nation Army” by White Stripes, and spoke for WE day at Barclays Center.

She loves Brooklyn College because she is able to get great quality education at an affordable price. Bryan loves our campus because of its diversity. She considers it highly important to have people from all backgrounds in her environment. Ivy feels like she belongs on campus because most students are commuter students who are hardworking, in and out of the classroom, similar to herself. Currently, she is working on her senior thesis and has chosen a topic that has not been researched much in the past, but one which she enjoys exploring every day. She is focusing on how rap music portrays sex work, and women. She selected this theme because it is a part of our everyday lives, but one which we do not think much about. Ivy notes that artists like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are very popular for their sexualized lyrics and viewpoints, but asks when did it become the norm for society to go from condemning sex work to normalizing it?  When exactly did that change occur and with whom are the questions she hopes to answer.

Ultimately, Ivy Bryan wants to create a lasting relationship with the Women's and Gender Studies Program. She values the idea of giving back and hopes to mentor those who will one day be in her place. Her drive to educate and serve the masses inspires her to keep going and to never give up. The School of Social Sciences and Humanities is thrilled about her hard work and dedication to Brooklyn College and to her personal goals.

Back to Critical Thinking — November 2019