On April 17, a group of first-years and sophomores presented to mentors and peers on issues ranging from misogyny to code-switching as part of the Intercultural Center’s new leadership program. Push 92 helps students develop leadership skills and confidence. The program’s inaugural cohort launched this academic year with 25 fellows completing it. Throughout the program, fellows develop interpersonal skills to contribute to their own leadership paths at Brandeis. Peter Rojas, director of the Intercultural Center, came up with the idea for Push 92 to inspire students to become future leaders on campus. 

The program’s name was inspired by the Push Committee — a group of individuals in the late 1980s and early 1990s who petitioned to create a space for students of color. As a result of the committee’s efforts, in 1992, the University administration approved the Swig building, which formerly housed the Athletics facilities, as the ICC. Rojas shared that he wants Push 92 to commemorate the Push Committee’s efforts to advocate for an on-campus initiative.

“My goal is to make sure that [the fellows] continue the legacy of the ICC. Not just the building, but the idea behind creating change on campus. At the end of the day, what I hope is that they continue that legacy for them, then to create their own legacy here on campus for the next four years,” Rojas shared in an April 17 interview with The Justice.

Rojas explained that he came up with the idea for Push 92 in the fall of 2025. He hoped the program would help students develop valuable skills that would motivate them to become leaders in their ICC clubs and even extend this learning beyond this space on campus.

“The principle of the program was to create a space for our ICC club to develop [first-years] and sophomores in leadership skills, emotional IQ, team management [and] team conflict, in hopes that it would create an essence of confidence for the students, but also create a catalyst for change on campus,” Rojas said.

One of the projects that Push 92 fellows worked on was their capstone presentation, which took place on April 17. Monica Claros ’26, an ICC ambassador and a Push 92 mentor, told The Justice that the presentations highlighted everything the fellows have learned so far. They had to translate that knowledge to address a problem of their choosing, related to their careers, academics or general problems they face in the world.

Some of the topics that fellows presented included the fetishization of Asian American women in professional and academic spaces, combating misogyny, gender roles in healthcare occupations and code-switching. In addition to presenting the problem, fellows offered solutions and ideas to address it. They also spoke about learning how to advocate for themselves in leadership positions and navigating different fields as members of minority groups.

Zaire Simmonds ’26, an ambassador for the ICC and a Push 92 mentor, helped develop the curriculum for the program’s fellows. In an April 17 interview with The Justice, Simmonds shared that the leadership program would inspire the next generation of leaders at Brandeis and help fellows build confidence and skills for jobs and internships.

“So [first-years] and sophomores have an opportunity to be a part of this cohort program, where they are learning ins and outs about themselves, about what it means to be a leader [and] how to be a leader. We have things such as building your own brand … We are giving them a lot of skills early on so that in their sophomore, junior [and] senior years, they feel like they are more qualified and that they are able to go off and lead,” Simmonds explained.

Two current fellows shared their experiences in Push 92 with The Justice on April 17. Both students spoke about their journey in the leadership program and the skills they have gained thanks to it. Elizabeth Adjovu ’28  shared that the program has taught her the importance of empathy and believing in yourself.

“One thing I have learned is being humble, being confident, knowing that you deserve any good things that you get. Also understanding that you are working with people, and you need to have a sense of understanding and empathy and emotional intelligence that people nowadays kind of lack. So especially now, that’s very important,” Adjovu shared.

Destinee Ponder ’29  said that Push 92 helped her embrace her authentic identity with confidence. She mentioned that one of her favorite things about the leadership program is having people from different cultures in one place.

“I feel like a lot of times people tell you to kind of like wash yourself over, tone yourself down and just completely fit the script of who you are just to fit some type of job description you should be in. Push 92 has really taught me that I can still embrace myself and be who I am without having to wash myself over to fit a job description,” Ponder shared.

Claros encouraged students to be part of Push 92. She said the leadership program focuses on community building and community-based learning, which is what makes it unique.

“Students should be part of Push 92 because I think it teaches a really good value of relationship building, just because it is a community cohort-based program. So I know a lot of the students have come to me and the other ambassadors as upperclassmen for academic advice, career advice, club advice, and I think that they are learning how to build their network from really early on, which I think is really great, especially here in the ICC,” Claros explained. 

Push 92 is set to continue on for the following semesters. Rojas aims to incorporate peer-to-peer curriculum development, allowing fellows from cohort one to mentor those from cohort two. His future goals also include increasing Push 92’s participation by opening it to everyone on campus who might be interested. However, the primary focus would remain on developing ICC clubs and student leaders. 

Additionally, rumors that the ICC building will be torn down next year have been circulating within the student community. Simmonds shared that the rumors have been “spreading like wildfire” and have yet to be addressed by the administration.

“I think it’s the University’s responsibility to step in and give some kind of clearance because the rumor hasn’t been addressed. Therefore, the rumor is still living, and people are making assumptions off of this rumor,” Simmonds said.

Rojas also addressed the rumors and reassured students that the ICC building will not be closed anytime soon, “Right now, the ICC is here to stay, so there’s nothing to worry about at that essence, and we have that from our senior leadership,” he shared.

Despite these rumors, programs like Push 92 continue to foster leadership, community and identity among students on campus.