Clifton Snorten, a Ball State graduate student, has had a lot on his plate while balancing a career in government, directing a summer literacy program in Indianapolis and finishing up his online degree.
But when the opportunity arose for him to become president of the National Black Graduate Student Association (NBGSA), he knew he couldn’t turn it down.
NBGSA is the nation’s largest interdisciplinary graduate organization for students of African descent, according to mynbgsa.org. The association was established to address the needs and concerns of black graduate and professional students, and to encourage black undergraduates to pursue advanced degrees.
Snorten previously served as the organization's state representative for Indiana, social media coordinator, and secretary before attaining his current position.
“This opportunity for me is [not] just the chance to lead this organization and take us to the next level, but it’s also about using the experiences that I’ve had with the NBGSA over the past few years, the relationships that I’ve built with people within the organization, and really across this nation, to help bring this organization to the forefront of the graduate student experience," Snorten said.
While the NBGSA is an organization that represents thousands across the U.S., many black graduate students still aren’t aware it exists.
“This year we’re really focusing on public relations to make sure our name is getting out there, that people are aware of the programs, events and benefits offered for students currently in graduate school," Snorten said.
In addition to leading the NBGSA, Snorten is also currently working as the scheduler and office manager for U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, a position he says he heard about while working as assistant director of Ball State’s Multicultural Center.
“It was just one of those opportunities where I was looking to make a change in careers, and broaden my skill set in terms of both as a professional, but also being able to come back to this community," he said. "I’m from Indianapolis, and being able to connect with people here and make more of an impact was important."
In addition to working with constituents, Snorten has also put time and effort into building a summer literacy program for children in his hometown.
“In 2012, I attended the Children’s Defense Fund conference, and at that conference I learned about many of the programs that they offer, but the thing that resonated with me the most was their Freedom Schools program, so since then, because previously there weren’t any Freedom Schools in the state of Indiana, it was my goal to bring that to this state," he said.
In 2015 Snorten helped to open the first Freedom Schools site in Indiana, a six-week literacy program aimed at curbing children’s summer learning loss by providing reading enrichment. The group is currently looking to expand in the future to open up different sites across the city.
While Snorten has set his sights on aiding children in Indianapolis, he still involved with student life on campus through the local chapter of his organization, called the Black Graduate Student Alliance, which he is currently working to revive after a year of inactivity.
As for the future, Snorten says he is lucky to be in a position where he is able to advocate for many of the issues he is passionate about.
“Looking forward, I definitely see myself continuing my work in the community, and thankfully it’s through my job with the congressman’s office that I’m able to do that," Snorten said. "Beyond that, definitely expanding the Freedom Schools program here in our state is something that I’m focused on and something I’m working to achieve.”
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