Luce Leader Grows at Yale: from Anti-Bullying to Autism Awareness

New Haven, CT.  In the study of psychology, there is a term called 'feature integration theory.'  The term describes how we visually combine details to identify unified objects. For instance, when looking for a friend in a crowd (assuming he or she has a striped shirt on), one scans the crowd for a striped shirt and then combines other details like hair color or height to find one’s friend. In much the same way, I have combined interests of mine and identified a cohesive path following my selection as a Luce Leader –and I couldn’t be happier.

Christopher and "Jeffrey" at Capernaum. Photo Credit: Gerald Juan.

The summer after my junior year, I served as a counselor at Capernaum, a camp for youth with disabilities and disorders. Going into the camp, I was unaware that my experience would come to shape my next few years in college. I was paired with "Jeffrey," an introvert with a warm smile and a heart of gold. Each time mealtime came around; Jeffrey would sit cross-legged outside of the dining hall and wait until everyone left so that he could eat. Shy his whole life; he preferred to avoid social contact during meals. While this was new to me, I vowed to work on it with him. I would try to introduce him to somebody new or ask him to sit with me in the dining hall and, over time, he became more and more receptive to socializing. My time with Jeffrey (and at the camp in general) was humbling and reminded me that I have a duty to give to those in need of a helping hand.

Christopher Rim, founder of It Ends Today, with volunteers at a school in Los Angeles this past spring.

Photo Credit: Misael Cabrera.

This sentiment continued as I began my freshman year at Yale University. I was excited at the thought of bringing It Ends Today, an anti-bullying organization focused on promoting bystander intervention that I started in high school, to campus. The topic of bullying is, quite frankly, not talked about enough on college campuses; yet, bullying is prevalent on college campuses. I made it a goal of mine to change this. By the end of fall 2013, It Ends Today had only eighteen members. By the end of Spring 2014: thirty-eight. By Fall 2014: one hundred and sixty eight. The cause has caught on and it makes me happy to know that college kids are beginning to take bullying seriously.

Christopher with "Jeffrey" at Capernaum activity night. Photo Credit: Gerald Juan

Thus far, I have taken an array of formative and thought-provoking courses – including Microeconomics, University Writing, Negotiations: Beyond Win-Win, and Professional Ethics – but Autism and Related Disorders was, by far, my favorite. The course touched a soft spot of mine that was planted by Jeffrey a year back. In addition to the class, I was required to spend every Friday of the semester at Benhaven, a specialized school for autistic children. However, my exchange with autism was unlike the first time. This time around I was learning in-depth about the causes, history, effects, and future of the disease. I came to know autism inside and out and I was fascinated by the study of autistic minds.

Isiah Cruz and Kenna Nzewi of Urban Improvement Corps at Yale. Photo Credit: Melany Rodriguez.

My attraction to the study of the mind led me to pursue a psychology major with a focus in neuroscience. When I sit in a psychology lecture, I feel enthralled and inspired to learn more. In order to continue helping others and to further the fight against bullying, the science of why and how the mind works is essential. I have spent the rest of my time at Yale helping start the Urban Improvement Corps, a tutoring and mentoring organization that seeks to emphasize the importance of education amongst inner city youth, with two of my best friends, Isiah Cruz and Kenna Nzewi. This past summer I spent a month working with a consulting company in Shanghai for a month and spent the rest of my summer studying at the London School of Economics.

All in all, thanks to the assistance and the platform of success that I received from the Luce Foundation , I have experienced substantial growth and I feel more prepared to take on the world. Somehow, someway, I will identify success – feature integration theory or not.

The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation , Inc. presents annual  Luce Leadership Awards  to young leaders working to better humanity, either in the U.S. or abroad who embody the characteristics of honor, intelligence, benevolence and integrity.

2013

Joey Lowenstein ,  The Joey Lowenstein Foundation, NYC

Jesse Pollans ,  University of Madison, Chicago

2012

Isaac J. Kassin , Chair,  The Isaac J. Kassin Fund, NYC

Christopher Rim , President,  It Ends Today (Anti-Bullying Organization), N.J.

2011

Auguste Jean Fédris , President,  Association Pour Secourir les Victimes, Haiti

Bill Tenda, Executive Director,  Orphans International Worldwide Indonesia

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