ATHINA RAMPHAL

The Genealogy Club Inc.

Athina Ramphal was asked throughout childhood what she was. As an Indo-Caribbean American, she often felt pressure to fit labels, none of which fully described her. Genealogy supplied the language, confidence and pride to understand her identity as a legacy rather than a question mark, and that experience inspired Project I.D.E.A.: Who Am I?, the community service initiative she created through The Genealogy Club Inc., where she is president.

I.D.E.A. stands for Identity, Diversity, Exploration and All-Inclusive, and it empowers students, through culture, family stories, neighborhood research and, when appropriate, DNA education, to explore who they are. Hands-on activities teach them to honor their identities rather than defend them. To Ramphal, genealogy is more than a study of the past. As a tool it builds confidence, empathy and connection, and young people who understand their own stories grow more open to understanding those of others.

A Women in Bio grant she secured launched The Genealogy Club’s first initiative, Seedlings of the Caribbean, which she piloted in 2022, bringing genealogy, identity and STEM-based learning to students in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Many of those students still reach out years later as they start university and new chapters, a reminder that mentorship goes beyond one program to becoming a person students can continue to learn from, trust and look to for encouragement. Her work has reached more than 300 students across 10 countries. In Maryland, her partners include The Ingenuity Project and the Children’s Institute for Cultural Appreciation and Understanding.

Ramphal has turned ideas into partnerships, programs and real opportunities for others, work that never depended on someone handing her a clear path. She sees what is missing and has the courage to create it. Looking ahead, she will expand Project I.D.E.A. statewide through educator resources, workshops and more partnerships with organizations that serve youth.