by Maddy Dillon, staff writerAmong the many new faces in Student Life, Ew Quimbaya-Winship began serving as RISE director this July. He holds a master’s degree in theatre from Missouri State University and most recently served as the director of social justice and peer education minor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. He also helped develop the Education through Drama program at the Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse area.

When interviewing for the position, Quimbaya-Winship was excited about the level of student enthusiasm surrounding the RISE project.

“The students I met were really charged and dedicated. They were genuinely interested and asking some really smart questions,” he said.

Quimbaya-Winship understands that the first year is always a learning process.

“I believe in something called co-intentional education. All of us that are newer to the campus are coming in with skill sets and knowledge, but this campus comes with a long history and its own skill sets. We need to cross-educate each other,” Quimbaya-Winship added.

While the Wilson community welcomes the new RISE director, he has big shoes to fill. Quimbaya replaced Kelly Kelbel after she was denied a leave of absence when offered a scholarship to attend a two-month program at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC. Kelbel was a well-respected figure on campus. However, Quimbaya-Winship’s enthusiasm and energy will bring him up to the challenge.

“I like to hope that the Warren Wilson community brought me in because they know they have something to gain from me, but I also have something to gain from this campus,” Quimbaya-Winship said.

Quimbaya-Winship is looking forward to meeting new people, and maybe making a difference on campus.

“These issues are always challenging no matter where you go,” he said.

“We want people to be in healthy relationships and if they chose to have sex, we want it to be safe and consensual,” he added.