Adam Rateb
"I love everything about what I do. I got to stand at the lead of marches, I got to host webinars, I raised money and supplies for people who need them, I am earning a master's degree, I got to be a Division I athlete, I got to bring back my fraternity to °Ä²Êͼ¿â, I get to be happy."
What’s your name, major and where are you from?
My name is Adam Rateb from Fairfield, California. In 2020 I received my undergraduate degrees in Public Health, focusing on Human Development and Family Sciences, along with a General Business minor. In 2021 I will graduate with an MBA in Marketing.
Tell us about your time at OSU. How did you get involved? How did you find yourself within Beaver Nation?
I feel like I truly found my path after I started working at the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center on campus, and this is primarily because of the community that I surrounded myself with. I have always been a student athlete and had my teammates to rely on, but there were things that I couldn’t talk about with my team that I found a lot more comfort in when I was in the BCC. A common misconception is that the BCC is meant only for Black students, but it is truly a safe space for students to come in and enjoy video games, conversation, eat their lunch, or just be around people from all different backgrounds. Not only the center itself, but the amount of student organizations that represent themselves in this student community really helped me find my path. Whenever there was an opportunity for me to join a student organization, I took it. I would even find myself stressing out because of the amount of weekly meetings, events, and commitments that I was a part of; but, it was the GOOD STRESS. The kind that was worth the hours of work that I was putting in. On top of my studies, I was basically working to be a voice for students and try to benefit the city of Corvallis--sheesh, all of Oregon really. I found myself speaking in front of many people, donating to charities, becoming a mentor for underclassmen, and still maintaining the honor roll in my studies. I try to inspire those around me and give a reason for underrepresented students to strive for their goals. DSI (Distinguished Scholars Initiative) is a retention program for male students who identify themselves in their respective colored communities, and being an ambassador for this at a Primarily White Institution also helped me understand what I wanted to do with my life. Here are some of the organizations and honors I received in my time at °Ä²Êͼ¿â:
Student Organization/Athletics Involvement
- °Ä²Êͼ¿â Athletics Wrestling
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated Secretary
- NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) President
- DSI (Distinguished Scholars Initiative) Board Member
- SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) Wrestling Rep.
- NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) Alpha Phi Alpha
- MSA (Muslim Student Association) Member
- UBC (United Black Council) NAACP Rep.
- BSU (Black Student Union) Member
- ASA (African Student Association) Member
- Community Service Representative OSU Wrestling
- BCC (Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center) Student Peer Facilitator
Other noteworthy accomplishments
- Golden State Scholarship Award
- Steve Johnson Fellowship Award
- LBH Black Excellence Award
- Jason Dorsette NAACP Award
- Honor Roll (8 undergraduate terms)
- Certificate in Professional Sales
- Philanthropy Champions - Alpha Phi Alpha (2021)
- 5 years as a collegiate wrestler