Jamilah Roselin ‘16 is a senior at Greenwich Academy (GA). She is both deeply involved at GA and remains connected to Waterside and our current students. 

“In a way, Waterside is my second home,” she shared. “I know that every time I visit, there’ll be a familiar face, even eight years later. Waterside will always hold a special place in my heart.” 

At GA, Jamilah is a member of the varsity track team and a leader in the Diversity Outreach Project Enrichment Club (DOPE). She has been involved in both extracurriculars since her freshman year. 

DOPE was founded by fellow Waterside alums, Sarah Prevot ‘16 and Kayla Ferjuste ‘16, and their signature event is DOPE Fest, a celebration inspired by our very own International Festival. Following in their footsteps, Jamilah coordinates DOPE Fest with her peers to bring GA’s community members together to celebrate their school’s many cultures through food, music, and performances. 

One of Waterside’s landmark mantras has stayed with Jamilah long after graduation.

“‘Leave it better than you found it’ was usually applied to cleaning up after ourselves after leaving a space, but it means a lot more as I’ve gotten older. It emphasizes responsibility and the idea of leaving a positive impact wherever you go.” 

This summer, she attended Waterside’s College Boot Camp to begin her college application process. Jamilah reunited with her classmates and found the program helpful while drafting her essay because she could brainstorm ideas, flesh them out, and receive instant feedback from Waterside’s team. 

Jamilah was also a counselor at Waterside’s 2023 Summer Program. She worked with our current second graders to enhance her leadership skills with her co-counselor. 

“I remember looking up to my counselors when I went through the Program, so it was a full-circle moment,” she said. “One of my favorite moments was the Color Wars. When I was at Waterside, we only had Field Day during the school year, and I know I would have loved to have another one over the summer. It was so fun being a part of a new Waterside tradition.” 

In her junior year, she received the 2023 Gender and Racial Justice Scholarship from the Greenwich YWCA for her work as Vice President of GA’s Black Affinity space. Jamilah was also recognized for her participation in the Institute for Public Purpose, a co-curricular course she took her sophomore and junior year to learn more about democracy, citizenship, and what they look like in the U.S. 

“With the knowledge of the justice system and our nation’s laws, I believe that I can truly make an impact, even if that means adjusting on specific law to make it more effective or advocating for a new law. Regardless of whether it’s a small act or a big one, I want to continue helping others and pay it forward.” 

Through this course, she was able to visit Washington D.C. to meet Council Member Brook Pinto, among other civil servants. Jamilah and her peers also gave back to D.C.’s community through volunteering at So Others Might Eat, an organization that provides services for D.C.’s low-income and homeless populations. Today, Jamilah’s long-term goals are to pursue a graduate degree and become a lawyer.