2026-Jillian Berger

Major: Government & Law, Anthropology & Sociology

Jillian Berger CV 

Personal Statement:

“The Lafayette Ideal is a well-rounded, educated member of the senior class who adds to a sound academic record noteworthy participation in college activities and student life, which contribute to the advancement of the College on and off campus. Academic brilliance or athletic prowess alone is not the criterion for selection as a Pepper Prize recipient.”

Four years later, I can confidently say that the vision I articulated in my college application-that Lafayette’s opportunities would allow me to channel my passion for social justice to make a difference on campus and in the greater Easton community–has been fully realized.

From the moment I arrived on campus, I began bringing that vision to life as a first-year in the Pre-Orientation Service Program (POSP), engaging in community work centered on achieving social justice through education, service, and reflection. This experience inspired my continued leadership in POSP over four years and sparked broader campus leadership grounded in the same commitment.

This commitment to social justice-rooted engagement led me to my role as Program Coordinator of Kaleidoscope and Director of the Peer Education Team. Through these roles, I expanded access to peer-led learning opportunities, equipping students with tools to critically engage with social issues and translate that understanding into meaningful community impact.

I further extended this work by founding the Pennsylvania College Food Insecurity Cohort, where I led cross-campus initiatives with Lehigh students to address student hunger across Pennsylvania, extending social justice engagement on campus into statewide impact. Additionally, as a Next Generation Intern with Bread for the World, I expanded this impact to the national level by co-chairing the College Action Conference, convening 150 student advocates from across the country to advance efforts addressing campus food insecurity, furthering my commitment to social justice outcomes.

Lafayette provided the opportunities, mentorship, and community that enabled me to develop as a leader in social justice. In turn, I have worked to advance the College’s mission by strengthening campus-community partnerships, expanding peer education and service initiatives, and representing Lafayette’s values beyond Easton through regional and national efforts to advance social justice. Together, these experiences fulfill the vision I arrived with four years ago: channeling my passion for social justice to create meaningful, lasting change on campus and beyond.

 

Question 1: Please elaborate on the activity or accomplishment that has been the most meaningful to you during your time at Lafayette and why?

My most meaningful accomplishment at Lafayette is also my hardest-earned: recognizing opportunities for growth and leading Kaleidoscope’s transformation into a proactive, campus-wide organization expanding access to social-justice education.

As a Program Coordinator, I strengthened impact by building leadership committees and launching new campus-wide initiatives. I helped design and establish four committees: Outreach and Media lead all communications and event promotion, connecting with faculty, students, and campus organizations to design and deliver customizable social-justice workshops; Research and Education curates resources on current events and heritage months, and Recruitment manages orientation-sponsored events and logistics of the application cycle to ensure classes of value-driven members. Beyond these structural changes, I introduced monthly social-justice presentations, open to the entire community, operating alongside our private, request-based workshops.

Leading Kaleidoscope’s transformation from a small organization with limited programming into a thriving, campus-wide program has been the most meaningful experience of my time at Lafayette. This year, our team managed a 700-person orientation event on the college’s history, led twelve monthly presentations for the community, fulfilled nine workshop requests, earned NASPA certification, attracted over 50 student applicants, and initiated 26 new members–tripling our organization’s size. Watching the program grow, thrive, and touch so many students under my leadership makes this my most significant accomplishment.

 

Question 2: Please briefly describe any unique circumstances, highlights from your time at Lafayette, things you are proud of or other special considerations, anything that you feel is relevant to your consideration as a Pepper Prize applicant and that is not addressed elsewhere.

Community has defined my experience at Lafayette from the very first moment. When I committed to Lafayette, President Hurd, an alumna of my small Los Angeles high school, reached out to my family before my first semester to share the warmth and brilliance of the Lafayette community. In her words, I found reassurance that Lafayette was not just a college I would attend, but a community that would affirm and support me.

It is in walks around campus with my roommate, shared meals at the dining hall with my sorority sisters, office hours with professors I have had since freshman year, late-night study sessions with classmates, direct service in Easton, and leadership in campus organizations once run by graduates that I admired, through which I have found an enduring sense of community. This community has continuously stood by me, offering warmth on the coldest days, courage in moments of doubt, and the strength to grow into the person I am meant to be. I am endlessly grateful for the community that Lafayette has enabled me to foster over the past four years, and I am certain that the bonds we’ve built here will continue to grow and thrive beyond Lafayette.