Class of 2028

Kaiden Chandler is a Communication Strategy and Design student at Ithaca College with a passion for media. He aspires to work in editorial product design, using communication skills to empower news publications to produce and distribute high-quality journalism. In the fall semester, Kaiden is an active member of The Ithacan, the college’s independent student newspaper. As a designer with a deep interest in improving accessibility in journalism, Kaiden is working to produce editorial products — newsletters, printed matter, websites, social media, and more — that meet the diverse needs of the Ithaca community. Through design, Kaiden seeks to spread and deepen the impact of The Ithacan’s essential journalistic work. An avid runner, Kaiden is a member of Ithaca’s cross-country and track programs; he also helps manage the cross country team's Instagram account. He has carried this interest in sport into summer employment, coaching youth athletes in the fundamentals of swimming, biking, running, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle at a free triathlon camp. As a Park Scholar, Kaiden plans to continue working to support community-oriented youth organizations; he is working with the young people of the Village at Ithaca during the fall semester. During his time in high school, Kaiden founded and wrote a weekly newsletter with an eclectic mix of fun facts, good news, puzzles, and more. Through this publication, he raised money for Always Home, a Connecticut organization focused on preventing family homelessness. Throughout 98 weekly editions, the newsletter generated thousands of dollars in reader donations, all of which went directly toward Always Home’s homelessness prevention efforts. During his four years at Ithaca, Kaiden plans to continue to focus on critical social issues, employing media skills to spread awareness and produce a positive impact.