Mercyhurst Student to Participate in Historic 2011 Freedom Ride

ERIE, PA (04/26/2011)(readMedia)-- The ride of a lifetime awaits Mercyhurst College junior Robert Sgrignoli of Mechanicsburg who is one of 40 U.S. college students selected from nearly 1,000 applicants for the 2011 Student Freedom Ride, a journey retracing the historic civil rights bus rides that changed America.

The experiential learning opportunity was created in conjunction with the PBS series "American Experience" and the film "Freedom Riders," a story of the more than 400 black and white men and women who, using nonviolent tactics, risked their lives to challenge segregated facilities in the South in 1961. The film airs over PBS on Monday, May 16, at 9 p.m.

Sgrignoli, a sportsmedicine major, will meet his traveling companions May 6 in Washington, D.C. From there, they'll roll through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi on a 10-day bus ride coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the original rides. They'll stop at historically significant locations and spend time with original Freedom Riders who will share their memories of the fight for equal rights.

"I am hoping to gain a real appreciation for these people and the path they carved, a path that a lot of us still walk today," Sgrignoli said. "Raised as part of a multi-racial family, I have seen all kinds of disparities among classes and races and I think we still have a long way to go."

The son of a first-generation Korean mother and an American-born Caucasian father, Sgrignoli has driven hundreds of miles to listen to speeches by Cornel West, philosopher, author and civil rights activist; and Michael Eric Dyson, considered by many to be one of the nation's most influential black Americans.

Heeding their message, he said, "I try to be the bridge between the have-nots and the have-gots in everything I do, both professionally and personally."

Sgrignoli is the president of Diversity 101, a student organization whose purpose is focused on academic, social and cultural development of all Mercyhurst College students. His career goal is to be a physician and work with underprivileged and vulnerable populations.

Sgrignoli and the other Student Freedom Riders were chosen from nearly 1,000 applicants and represent a diverse cross-section of America, much like the original Freedom Riders. They hail from 33 states and the District of Columbia. Besides Sgrignoli, there are two other students from Pennsylvania colleges represented: Meghan Chandra, University of Pennsylvania; and Diana Mahoney, Messiah College. The students were selected on the basis of their essays on their reasons for wanting to participate, their thoughts on the role of social media and technology in civic engagement today and their extracurricular activities.

The Student Freedom Ride will end in New Orleans on May 16 with a public event and rally to welcome the students and the original Freedom Riders 50 years later.