It isn’t easy trying to make a difference on campus. With all of the different student organizations, clubs and meetings, joining a cause seems less tiresome than starting one. Despite this, Zila Renfro, a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism, saw the need for something different and decided it was time to shine a new light on campus. All while dreaming of helping those around her, Zila keeps busy by making videos and being involved in the Multi-Racial and Multi-Ethnic Student Union, of which she is a founder.
Her Campus: Tell us about the Registered Student Organization (RSO) you helped start.
Zila Renfro: Along with a couple of other really awesome students and very supportive staff, I started a new RSO on campus called the Multi-Racial and Multi-Ethnic Student Union (MSU). We are trying to provide a safe space for students of multiple heritages to talk about the multiracial experience. It’s sometimes really difficult to navigate your identity when you come from different backgrounds. I’m black and Filipina and growing up I had to learn how to incorporate both my black culture and my Filipina culture into my identity. Sometimes I felt pressured to identify in certain ways or often like I didn’t belong to either one and this is a common thing that mixed people go through. So we wanted to create a space to talk about some of the issues that go along with that and be able to meet other people who have shared experiences. I actually just went to an awesome conference last week with two other students called the Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference at DePaul.
HC: What else are you involved with on campus?
Zila Renfro: I am heavily involved with my service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. While I complete service hours with the rest of the organization, I also serve as the media director, which means that I run the committee that takes and edits videos about the activities we complete. I’m a member of Ma’at, which is one of the black student unions on campus. My membership has helped me realize how important it is to have that solidarity as a black community on campus, especially in light of all the racial issues that occur on a daily basis and that are now becoming part of a larger conversation across the country. In addition to these two organizations, I also work ten hours a week as a marketing intern for Diversity and Social Justice Education on campus. My job is just to promote the really cool programs this department puts on to create a more pluralistic campus.
HC: Wow, that’s so many different activities! How do you manage to balance your extracurricular with school and having a social life?
ZR: It’s definitely busy! But, I find that it’s important to know your priorities. I’m here on this campus for an education first. I’m so lucky to be here when I know many people who aren’t as fortunate to have the opportunity to take these classes and get a degree, even though they have the potential. When I think about that, it sort of reorients me. However, I do love spending time with my friends and most of my free time goes to hanging out with them. My friends are also extremely busy with their various clubs and classes, but they are such a great support and help keep me sane no matter what is happening in my life.
HC: What made you decide to pursue a major in broadcast journalism?
ZR: I worked on my newspaper in high school and I truly enjoy working with video so that was my way of combining two of my interests.
HC: As a young woman in the journalism world do you feel that you face any barriers?
ZR: As a black woman, I feel like I’m going to have to push a little harder to get where I want to be in my career. Fortunately, I’m starting to see more black women journalists, which is comforting and inspiring. So I don’t see my identity so much as a barrier. However, I know there’s still a long way to go and I’m just doing my best to achieve my career goals. Once I am a journalist, I want to use my identity to have a positive influence. For example, I think there is a terrible media bias in America against blacks and other people of color. Also, a journalist’s job is to cover the world, to seek truth and report it. Unfortunately, the world is filled with racism, sexism, homophobia, violence, and poverty among other issues. As a journalist, I would hope to never lose sight of the truth and remain as a voice of the underrepresented people.
HC: Do you have a motto that you live by that you use to keep you motivated?
ZR: Like I said before, what I really use to keep me going is remembering how incredibly lucky I am to be where I am. Not everyone gets to be on a college campus. I know people who are so intelligent and talented, yet circumstances don’t allow them to get to a higher education. It’s hard to think about that and not be invigorated and want to accomplish as much as I can while I’m here at U of I. Especially as a black woman, it’d be almost disrespectful to waste my opportunities when so many have paved the way for me to be here and there are still youth who need us to pave the way for them.
HC: What goals do you see yourself reaching in the near future?
ZR: In the near future, I want to put my career goals into action now by reporting on underrepresented voices on this campus. I would also love to see the membership for MSU grow. In a few years, I’d like to be working with video in some capacity, hopefully serving communities in some form or fashion along with it.
HC: What advice do you wish you had when starting college and what advice would you give yourself now?
ZR: If I could go back, I would tell myself to stop worrying about unimportant things. The world is so big and exciting. There’s so much to learn, do and see. When your focus is on small stuff like appearances or boys, you’re going to be less happy overall. Advice I would give myself now would be to read more. I used to read a lot and it was awesome, it’s like free traveling. Now I get busy, but I’d like to make more time for it.
Photos courtesy of Zila Renfro