Fellowship Spotlight: Isabella Ristuccia

Isabella Ristuccia is a fourth-year student majoring in Political Science and English. She is the Site leader for IMPACT, whose mission is to engage University of Georgia students in an affordable, substance-free, service-learning experience that facilitates the understanding of pressing social issues in an effort to develop active citizens. Isabella also works as a TA for the UGA English Department and an Office Assistant at the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Isabella hopes to work in Education Policy in some capacity and to gain valuable professional experience that will help her in her future pursuits. She has studied travel journalism in Prague and was a Public Service & Outreach Student Scholar from 2019 to 2020. Her biggest takeaway from the Fellowship is how precarious the current system of the United States is. One disaster left so many in a position where they are at risk of losing or already lost their home, food security and healthcare, along with many other personal hardships. The pandemic has shown her the critical need for widespread systemic change to provide people with safety nets to ensure that one disaster does not leave people destitute. Her favorite UGA memory occurred while she was studying abroad as she was able to march with Greta Thunberg in a Fridays for Future protest in Vienna.