Rural Students Alliance at Yale

The Rural Students Alliance at Yale (RSAY) is a student cultural group founded in 2018 by Jared Michaud (YC ’19). RSAY has evolved from a small group of rural Yalies who were gathering for regular dinners to a growing organization focused on fostering community based on rural identity. This includes advocacy for rural student needs, connection-building for students on campus, and outreach with prospective students. 

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Since our founding, RSAY’s main goal has been to build a supportive, tight-knit community for Yalies from rural areas and small towns of all backgrounds where they can find others who relate to their unique experiences, perspectives, and challenges. It’s remarkable how easy it is for rural Yalies to connect and realize they share similar high school extracurricular and academic experiences. However, even within the rural community, there are abundant experiences and realities presented for each student, and this diversity in rurality is celebrated. Alongside, it's equally as important to us to build a strong relationship with the Yale Undergraduate Admissions Office and collaborate with them on outreach to rural and small-town high school students.

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Our current work is focused on hosting food-centric social events for current students (family dinners, s'mores nights, cookouts, etc.), building relationships with alumni, and welcoming the members of the Class of 2028. Additionally, we've been in communication with building networks across the Ivy League. In the future, we look forward to our work in increasing visibility and resources for rural students.