CONNECTING YALE

Celene & Juan

Celene Bennett

Celene Bennett (she/her) is a sophomore in TD from Peachtree City, GA, majoring in Sociology. Outside of YCC, she serves as Social Media Chair for Kasama: The Filipinx Club at Yale, coordinates resume/technology support sessions for formerly incarcerated individuals at NHFPL for Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, and dances with Danceworks. She loves babysitting, family time, and singing in the car.

Juan Borrego

Juan (he/him) is a sophomore in Silliman from Bethany, Connecticut, majoring in Global Affairs.
Outside of YCC, he serves as an EMT for Yale Emergency Medical Services (YEMS) and gets involved in the New Haven community through working with patients at the HAVEN Free Clinic and educating students in New Haven Public Schools as a CHE! He loves to catch a game of soccer and has a unique ability to nap on absolutely any surface.

Why we Work

When we met each other in Georgia, long before we stepped foot on Yale’s campus, we never would have known that we’d be running for office together. Nevertheless, collaborating on policies such as providing health supplies to our respective residential colleges in the form of Wellness Cabinets, supporting student-led projects through our YCC Incubator, and giving students the opportunity to interact with the New Haven community over Spring Break, we know that there is so much more we can accomplish together.

OUR VISION

“Connecting Yale” is about...

Our unity, health, and mutual support of one another. Connecting Yale aims to recognize that the challenges students face are not only individual struggles but collective opportunities to uplift each other. The pillars of our vision include:

Connecting the YCC to the Yale Administration to build effective collaboration and sustainable working relationships (this includes connecting administrators to policy teams & coordination with the Faculty Senate in supporting YCC Policy)
Connecting student orgs to YCC. YCC should be a tool and resource, and we aim to amplify student voices and support unified efforts.
Connecting Yale to New Haven (improving transportation, engagement).
Connecting YCC to the broader student body and highlighting the work we do in an accessible way.

Read our full platform here.