Marissa Balonon-Rosen

Marissa Balonon-Rosen grew up in the City of Rochester and graduated in 2009 from Wilson Magnet High School, located on Genesee Street in the 19th Ward. She attends the University of Rochester and the Eastman School of Music, expecting to receive degrees in Urban Youth Studies and Music Theory in May of 2014. Marissa is involved in projects that promote non-violence and community building among the city’s youth. She has organized events such as 5K runs and a youth leadership conference, and is a founding board member of the Rochester Police Activities League (PAL). She brought a music program to Industry, a local juvenile detention center. She organized a bike club for Pathstone’s Sojourner House and has worked at NYU’s Hip-Hop Education Center and at Art-Start, a New York City organization that provides dance, art and music experiences for youth in New York City’s homeless shelters. Marissa has worked closely with Rochester youth advocate Tim Weider. She served as a Gandhi Service fellow for two years. Her current projects include support for Determined Divas, a gang-prevention program for girls. Marissa plays classical piano, flute, and electric bass, instructs Zumba in Rochester and New York City, and is Promotions Director of WRUR, the University’s radio station.