Although Commencement has concluded, CSU continues to celebrate graduates who have overcome obstacles, achieved significant milestones, or fulfilled Cleveland State University’s mission in and beyond the classroom.

Today, we celebrate Ruby Darwish ’25.

CSU: Have you had any significant internships/co-ops/careers while at CSU?

RD: During my time at CSU, I had the profound honor of working in the CARE Psychology Lab under the guidance of Dr. Shereen Naser. As a Palestinian student learning from and working alongside a Palestinian scholar, the experience carried deep personal meaning. It was empowering to contribute to research led by someone who genuinely understood the complexities of my identity and the urgency of amplifying communities that are too often overlooked.

Our work centered on Arab and MENA high school students, investigating how their identities shape their educational experiences and how the absence of Arab and MENA representation within school curricula affects their sense of belonging. Having gone through the Northeast Ohio school system myself, I knew firsthand what it felt like to rarely, if ever, see my identity reflected in textbooks or classroom discussions. Being part of a research project that examined this very erasure felt both validating and healing.

Through one-on-one interviews with students and careful analysis of Northeast Ohio curricular materials, I witnessed how structural invisibility impacts young people in ways I had once experienced personally. Engaging in rigorous cycles of coding, data analysis, and research refinement not only strengthened my discipline, but also deepened my commitment to ensuring that Arab and MENA students feel seen, valued, and represented. Working under a Palestinian mentor while uplifting stories that mirror my own made this experience academically enriching, culturally affirming, and personally transformative, an opportunity that will continue to shape my path moving forward.

CSU: How would you describe the connections you have made with the faculty and staff at CSU?

RD: The connections I have built with the faculty and staff in the Africana Studies Department have profoundly shaped not only my experience at CSU, but also the person I am becoming. What began as a place where I simply felt seen and supported soon grew into a true academic home, so much so that I chose to pursue a minor in Africana Studies because of the powerful mentorship, community, and intellectual grounding the department offered me.

As the president, working to build Students for Justice in Palestine within this space has been an honor in a department that understands the interconnectedness of global liberation movements and the importance of shared struggle. The department, along with the Howard A. Mims African American Cultural Center, provided me with guidance, resources, and a sense of belonging that deeply influenced the direction of my activism.

Dr. Thomas Bynum, Professor Pickett, Dr. Donna Whyte, and Dr. Gosselin has each played a significant role in inspiring me, academically, personally, and as an organizer. Their mentorship helped me find my voice, expand my understanding of justice, and recognize the importance of solidarity across communities. The relationships I formed here will stay with me long after I leave CSU, and I carry immense gratitude for the faculty and staff who welcomed me, challenged me, and ultimately helped shape my path.

CSU: How has Cleveland State inspired you for your future?

RD: Cleveland State University has inspired me to become a powerful force for social justice by providing the space, support, and community I needed to transform my convictions into meaningful action. At CSU, I found an environment that not only encouraged advocacy but actively nurtured it. Through intentional dialogue and coalition-building, I worked to bridge gaps between the Arab and Black communities on campus, fostering understanding and solidarity across identities that are often spoken about separately despite deeply interconnected histories.

My time at CSU also allowed me to engage directly with the needs of our surrounding neighborhoods through food and resource distributions and experiences that grounded my activism in care, consistency, and relationship-building. Additionally, launching The People’s Press Cleveland became my way of addressing the silences in our local media landscape, creating a platform dedicated to amplifying stories and voices that are too often overlooked or misrepresented.

These experiences collectively shaped not just my academic journey, but my sense of purpose. CSU strengthened my commitment to truth, equity, and community empowerment, and it helped me grow into the advocate and leader I am becoming. As I look toward the future, I carry with me the lessons, relationships, and resolve that CSU instilled in me, fueling my dedication to building a more just and connected world.

CSU: How do you think you have fulfilled the CSU’s mission?  

RD: I believe I have fulfilled CSU’s mission by dedicating myself to empowering others, creating knowledge, engaging my community, and actively shaping the world around me. My experience at Cleveland State has been grounded in coalition-building, justice-centered organizing, and amplifying voices that are too often pushed to the margins. I worked to bridge divides between the Arab and Black communities on campus and helped create the Black and Brown Coalition, bringing together CSU Students for Justice in Palestine, CSU Sankofa, New Era Scholars, Latinos Unidos, the Black Student Union, and other student organizations. Through this effort, I aimed to cultivate unity, strengthen cross-community relationships, and encourage students to advocate for each other with purpose and solidarity.

My community engagement extends far beyond campus. One of my most meaningful connections to the Cleveland community has been through my work as a photographer. By documenting real, raw, and unfiltered moments within the movement, I strive to preserve truth, honor resilience, and ensure that the voices fighting for justice are not forgotten. Photography allows me to bear witness, to stand alongside my community, and to capture stories that deserve to be seen and remembered. This work is deeply personal to me as a Palestinian, because it embodies the principle of sumud, meaning steadfastness, perseverance, and the refusal to be erased. Sumud guides how I show up, how I create, and how I serve.

I have also contributed to creating knowledge in ways that reflect CSU’s mission. As a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The People’s Press Cleveland, my team and I built a platform to fill gaps in our local media landscape, elevate marginalized narratives, challenge systemic bias, and ensure that overlooked communities can finally see their stories reflected with dignity and truth.

Through my leadership, scholarship, art, and community work, I strive every day to embody the mission CSU stands for. By empowering others, preserving stories, practicing sumud, and working toward justice, I hope to help shape a more equitable, honest, and connected world, both within CSU and far beyond it.

CSU: Do you have a career lined up, and how has CSU been instrumental in that process?

RD: Yes, I do have a career path forming, and it is rooted in the work I began here at CSU. My goal is to continue building The People’s Press Cleveland into a powerful force for community storytelling and accountability. I envision transforming the publication into a fully realized news organization that not only uplifts marginalized voices, but also creates real jobs for Cleveland residents, including for myself. I want it to become a space where local journalists, creatives, and community members can build meaningful careers while reshaping how Cleveland’s stories are told.

CSU has been instrumental in helping me move toward this future. The university gave me the environment to turn ideas into action, the support to challenge the gaps in our local media ecosystem, and the opportunities to develop the leadership and community-engagement skills needed to build an organization with purpose. The connection I made with Dr. John Jirik in the School of Communication has been especially transformative. He pushed me to become a stronger writer, a sharper journalist, and a more disciplined and intentional person. He showed me that I carry both the fire and the focus necessary to take journalism far, especially within the context of movement work and community liberation. His mentorship helped me see that my voice has power, and that I have the responsibility and capacity to use it well.

Through the Africana Studies Department, the CARE Psychology Lab, and the support of mentors like Dr. Jirik, I gained the confidence, experience, and conviction to pursue journalism not just as a career, but as a calling. Because of CSU, I am not only prepared for my future—I am already building it.

Congratulations, Ruby!