By Miki Canak in College Days, Student Life on January 12, 2025
Executive board members from Ripon College’s Ripon People for Animal Welfare share their inspirations
Ripon People for Animal Welfare, also known as RPAW, remained dormant until the beginning of this Fall semester.
Anna Bose, a senior at Ripon College and president of RPAW, faced challenges rebuilding the organization from scratch.
”There’s an outstanding community of people that want to help you grow; and, if you are passionate about a cause, the Student Activities Office will help you reach your goals,” she said.
Bose had no prior experience with club leadership but was guided by Brianna Cyr, Student Activities and Orientation director.
When building a new campus organization, “don’t be afraid to ask questions, and look for as many resources as possible,” Bose said.
“RPAW brings the Ripon College community together on the topic of animal welfare by spreading knowledge and awareness with educational events on campus, hosting presentations on animal welfare topics, and volunteering by giving back to the community and interacting with animals,” Bose said.
Their presentations cover a wide range of topics, from feline leukemia to the history of stigma around black cats during Halloween.
“Because fish are one of the few pets allowed in Ripon College residence halls, we also held a goldfish snack and facts event, where we distributed little note cards with fun facts about how to properly take care of a fish,” said Grace McCrery, a junior at Ripon College and design and marketing director of RPAW.
“We had over 50 signatures on our email list after the college Activities Fair, which provided a lot of insight regarding students who may be interested in RPAW. We also had posters with a QR code that displayed more information about the group and our Instagram handle. After this year’s Activities Fair, we had a much larger following,” McCrery said.
RPAW emphasizes the importance of community engagement and collaboration in achieving the club’s goals.
“We look forward to collaborating with Circle K, the Environmental Group of Ripon (EGOR), and the Green Lake Animal Shelter, Bose said.
McCrery said her role as the design and marketing director involves running social media, designing event posters, and creating advertisements.
“Balancing time between academics and advertisement designs for RPAW is challenging, but I consider it therapeutic. I prefer working late at night, and I enjoy creating Instagram posts or designing posters for a cause that I care about,” she said.
Bose and McCrery frequently work with additional executive board members to communicate the importance of Animal Welfare at Ripon College and create successful strategies for long-term sustainability.
They advise students considering creating new campus organizations to work with the Student Activities Center, ask questions, and surround themselves with partners who also share their enthusiasm.
Meeting and event information may be accessed by joining their email list by scanning the QR code on their Instagram page: @rpaw_ripon.