The annual Washington Square News Influentials issue assembled a top-ten list of NYU students who stand out in their respective fields and this year’s edition also considered those students whose work engages with concerns about the environment. Two Gallatin students, Jakiyah Bradley (BA ’20) and Devin James Gilmartin (BA ’22), were recognized for their leadership in creating programs that work towards local and global ways of living sustainably.
As the Student Government Assembly Chair, Jakiyah Bradley has been an instrumental member of NYU’s Food Insecurity Working Group. Through her work with the group and her collaboration with Share Meals, Bradley created the NYU Courtesy Meals Program in 2016, which served almost 2,000 students in 2018. She also acts as the Senator at-Large for students who experience food insecurity, and has hosted a town hall meeting about the topic and started a newsletter for students looking to access to food on campus. Bradley acts as a liaison between the University administration while advocating for the thousands of students she represents.
For Devin James Gilmartin, a sophomore pursuing a concentration in Russian Literature and the Cold War, his extra-curricular activities earned him a spot in this year’s list. The founder of his own sustainable fashion brand, Querencia Studio, worn by celebrities like model Cara Delevigne, Gilmartin addresses the social and environmental issues facing the fashion industry. His second creation, The Canvas by Querencia Studio, acts as a marketplace for international brands working to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals through global multidisciplinary retail locations. In 2017, Gilmartin was invited to speak at the UN about sustainability. To ensure the broad and diverse reach of his mission, the company also holds a collaborative division, Q Agency, and an ambassadorship program, Q Global.
To read more about Jakiyah, Devin, and the other students leading NYU, pick up a copy on campus, or visit Washington Square News.
—Mary Gonzalez (BA ’20)