Student Spotlight: Ceinna Little (MUP 2024)
Ceinna Little (MUP 2024) embarked on her urban planning journey fueled by a profound personal experience that sparked a keen interest in housing, the impacts of gentrification, and the policies influencing city planning. This catalyst not only inspired her to pursue a Master of Urban Planning but also introduced her to a range of meaningful professional experiences. Currently serving as a graduate fellow focused on housing and community development, Ceinna also holds the position of chair of NYU Wagner’s Black Student Association (BSA) for the 2023-2024 academic year.
What motivated you to attend Wagner, a school of public service?
I was motivated to attend a school of public service and pursue a Master of Urban Planning due to something that happened in my personal life. In 2013, my grandmother passed away and left her house in Oakland, California, to the family. In 2016, the house caught fire. This led to my family selling the house with hopes to buy it back after it was repaired. However, in 2017 when it was placed on the market, the house was listed for almost nine times the price that my grandmother bought the house for originally in the 1970s. Of course, a lot happened between the 1970s and 2017 that would affect the housing market (and the location in California doesn’t help), but I was just in awe about how a city that was once deemed “the most dangerous city in the United States” could suddenly become desirable enough to have a house with a listed selling price of $650,000. Suddenly, I became intrigued with the phenomenon of gentrification, and it didn’t take me long to find the profession of urban planning afterward.
I was motivated to attend Wagner, specifically, due to its location in New York City—which, due to its own housing issues, makes it the perfect place to study gentrification and affordable housing—and the NYU Furman Center—which has published a lot on gentrification and affordable housing issues. I wanted to be at a school that would nurture my interests and had outlets for me to dive deeper through research or employment opportunities.
In addition to being a student in the Master of Urban Planning program, you also work at St. Nicks Alliance. Can you share a bit about your responsibilities or projects you have worked on?
I am currently an Association of Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD)/Morgan Stanley Community Development Graduate Fellow and my host site is St. Nick’s Alliance, a nonprofit community development organization serving low- to moderate-income North Brooklyn residents. There, I’ve been tasked with conducting three reports: (1) a resident demographics profile where I analyzed resident demographic data from over 93 buildings and 2,000 residents to identify trends and programmatic opportunities; (2) a State of Aging in North Brooklyn report where I am currently reviewing U.S. Census data and researching trends within North Brooklyn, which is St. Nicks' area of operations; and (3) a report on the conditions of low-income families in North Brooklyn and their risk for displacement. My work consists of a majority of data analysis and report writing, but I am hoping that as I get more free time I can reach out to the development department to learn more about that leg of the organization.
You are the chair of NYU Wagner’s Black Student Association (BSA), a student organization that supports and increases networks for students of color at Wagner. What are the benefits of getting involved with BSA?
I would say the biggest benefit of getting involved is having a sense of community on campus. There can be times when students are the only person of their ethnic background in a classroom, and while it's beneficial to learn from diverse backgrounds, it can also feel isolating at times. Participating in an identity-based student organization like BSA can help decrease that feeling and create a community where students can collectively share their experiences based on that identity.
What past events or initiatives organized by BSA are you particularly proud of, and are there any upcoming activities in 2024 that you're excited about?
I am really proud of the Welcome Back Faculty/Student Mixer that we held as our first event last semester. We had a good turnout, and it was great to see students making connections with professors whose courses they may engage in someday. I am also proud of our Policy Talk: Post-Supreme Court Ruling event. BSA’s Vice Chair, Bryan Matthew, and Community Service & Outreach Chair, Lalia Jones, headed the event and did an amazing job! We had a great turnout, and students sent in so many questions that, unfortunately, we couldn’t get through all of them. However, it did signify that we should hold more events of that nature since students are definitely interested in it. It was also our first collaborative event with the Wagner Student Association, First Generation Student Association, Stonewall Policy Alliance, and Pan Asian Student Alliance. They were all awesome co-sponsors and we hope to partner with them again!
Events that I am looking forward to in 2024 are our Black History Month events, which include a movie night and a professional clothing drive, our Black Graduate Organization Social where we are hoping to partner with other Black graduate organizations throughout NYU, and the Graduates’ Brunch where we will be honoring those graduating in Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 semesters.