Class Year: 2026
Cohort: Civic Engagement
Organization you serve: SUNY Oneonta
About me
Hi! My name is Ruby Gelder, I am a rising junior at SUNY Oneonta, and I am majoring in Studio Art! I have a passion for creating, in ceramics and also painting. I also love helping out my community in any way possible, from volunteer work to personal projects like cleaning up the forests where I live (Ithaca, New York). I have volunteered in a food pantry during high school as well as the SPCA in Tompkins County. Community work and team building is so important to me and also very fulfilling, and I hope to be able to incorporate my artistic endeavors in the future, and build a career path for myself!
Why I serve
What inspired me to apply to join the Empire State Service Corps program was my love for community work, alongside my curiosity with the sustainability program at my college, SUNY Oneonta. I joined the sustainability club and became an eco-ambassador my spring semester of Sophomore year, and have since made many friends and connections in the program. Environmental sustainability is so important to me and I jumped at the opportunity to become more involved by applying for a position at an internship in the same program, to help raise awareness and teach what I already know.
