Syreeta Aboubaker
Since taking over as interim director in March, 2008, Syreeta Aboubaker (formerly Greene) has continued to create a relaxed environment at the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs where students can gather while learning about their culture.
"In the middle of the day it can get pretty crowded in here," Aboubaker says. "We love that; it's great energy."
Aboubaker, who joined the CBCSA in late 2007 as the assistant director, says her mission is to offer support, resources and advocacy for the black community on campus. In addition to the home away from home it offers, CBCSA runs several core programs including Somerville Place, a residential floor in Flour Tower for freshmen, the Dr. Thomas Kilgore Honor Society and an exchange program with Howard University.
Aboubaker and her staff also organize Black Welcome Week, Black History Month and Black Family Weekend. Recently, CBCSA teamed up with El Centro Chicano and Asian Pacific American Student Services to host a series of events called Project ReMix that look at the diversity within ethnicities.
Sumun Pendakur, director of APASS, says her partnership with Aboubaker has been a great one.
"Syreeta has been a wonderful partner as we work to construct more cross-cultural spaces for students on campus," Pendakur says. "She brings a high level of dedication and a great sense of humor to everything she does."
Aboubaker is a USC alumna twice over, completing both her undergraduate and graduate work here in social work and public policy and management, respectively. She left USC in 2006 to work for a non-profit and Los Angeles County's Department of Children and Family Services, but decided to return to work at CBCSA.
"This position encompasses many of the things I like to do — from planning to policy procedures to working with students. All of it is entailed in this job," she says. "There's a lot to be done and accomplished. I look forward to the challenges that come with it."