The John Smartt Summer Scholars Program: Research & Programming Fellowship

Victoria Parker is a doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC) at Purdue University. She earned her Master’s of Science in ASEC and graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in Agribusiness from Prairie View A&M University. Victoria currently serves as the graduate assistant for Purdue’s Black Cultural Center, where she coordinates program sessions and excursions constructed around the Black experience. Her research interests focus on the international experiences of collegiate students within the African diaspora.

Lupita Romo-González is a PhD candidate at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Bárbara. Her research interests are motivated by her educational experiences in the K-20 public system as a working-class, first-generation Latina. In her dissertation study, Lupita employs Chicana Feminist Mehtolodogies to examine the transitional experiences of working-class, first-generation Latinx students at an HSI. She is a Presidential Doctoral Fellow and Racial Justice Fellow at UCSB. Lupita embraces slowness in her daily life by going on walks by the ocean and spending time with her family and friends.

Nathaly Santos is a doctoral student in Education Policy, Politics, and Leadership at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research centers on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the ways in which colleges and universities adopt and embody an HSI identity at the organizational level. To this end, she is also interested in examining the implications of becoming a racialized organization on processes of organizational change.

Prior to her arrival at UC Berkeley, Nathaly earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Philosophy, followed by a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology all from the University of Virginia. She is the daughter of two immigrant parents and the first in her family to attend a four-year university and graduate school.

Saúl López is pursuing a PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership (EDPL) in the College of Education at Marquette University. His current research focuses on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)  and Latinx experiences in the Midwest. Saúl was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has served as a Graduate Research Assistant in Marquette's College of education. Most recently, he was awarded the Arthur J Schmitt Leadership Fellowship at Marquette University.

Ja’Mareous Thompson is a two-time graduate of Jackson State University’s College of Education and Human Development, where he has earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education K-6 and a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education. His research interests include the mental health of Black LGBTQIA+ students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the bible belt. Ja’Mareous is also a first-generation graduate, and he will be pursuing his masters in Higher Education this fall.

Originally from Cleveland, OH, Meiyah Hill is a proud HBCU graduate of Central State University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in English (Pre-Law) at 19. She is currently pursuing her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of Dayton, expecting to graduate in May 2025. After graduation, she plans to work full-time in higher education and pursue a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration or Educational Leadership, aspiring to become an HBCU president. Her research interests include HBCUs, BGLOs, and African American history and culture. Meiyah is actively involved in the Central State University National Alumni Association, the Cleveland Council of Black Colleges Alumni Association, Inc., National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), ACPA, and NASPA.

Genoveva Vega (she/her/ella) is a first-generation M.A. student studying English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition at Washington State University. In May 2023, she earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Writing Studies from the University of California, Merced. During her undergrad, Genoveva was a writing consultant, writing peer learning assistant, and writing research assistant. She came to those positions as a multilingual student (first language: Spanish and reconnecting with her mother tongue/lengua materna: Mixteco) and her experiences of being negatively judged when learning and writing in English. Through supporting students who shared similar experiences as her, she began working on projects that fostered linguistically just practices in writing spaces for all writers. These projects motivated her to switch over and join the field of Rhetoric and Composition for her graduate studies to continue creating linguistically just practices beyond her undergraduate institution. 

At Washington State University, Genoveva teaches first-year composition classes with a linguistic diversity/linguistic justice lens to help students understand and critique the relationships between language, knowledge, and power. Her interests include linguistic diversity and linguistic justice in writing spaces, translingualism practices, second language pedagogy, TESL practices, and higher education administration (specifically Minority Serving Institutions). In addition, she studies various forms of rhetoric, such as Mestiza Rhetorics, Border Rhetorics, and Anti-racist Rhetorics & Pedagogies.

Genoveva's desire to pursue and continue her education comes from the inspiration of her Mexican, Oaxacan, heritage and more specifically, her father, Alejandro Vega, who always tells her, “Échale ganas, mija.” “Give it your all, dear.”

Morgan Beatty is a first-generation graduate student at California State University, Sacramento studying Higher Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. Her research interests include: Women of Color students in higher education, Intersectionality, Minority Serving Institutions, and Black Feminist Thought. She was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, and grew up with three siblings. She enjoys running, reading, singing, and traveling as hobbies.

Alexis Weatherspoon is a passionate storyteller who aims to tell the stories of excluded identities through decolonized methods that speak to her identity as a black female athlete. Her time as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, lowa led to her interest in motivating athletes to pursue both academic and athletic success by illuminating their strengths in both areas. After working as an Academic Advisor, Recruiter, Youth Career Navigator, and Enrollment Coach, she relocated to California in 2021 to attend the University of California Riverside to receive her Master's Degree in Diversity and Equity (anticipated June 2022). While there, she became a TRIO Scholars Graduate Mentor and participated in the Chancellor's Making Excellence Inclusive Certificate Program. 

In the first four years of Alexis' education journey, she attended J.S. Chick, an African-centered elementary school in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri – a short drive east of the infamous Troost Divide. She enjoys working out, exploring new cultures (especially through food and music), spending time with friends and family, and performing solo concerts in the car. 

Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and Mēxihcatl (Aztec), is a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration. In 2018, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology also from the University of Nevada, Reno. As a first-generation Indigenous student attending a Land-Grab University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies, Alicia struggled to make sense of her validity within higher education. With the support of various Indigenous students, mentors, and connections with local Native communities, she reclaimed her space on campus. Alicia learned about Minority Serving Institutions from her advisor, Cynthia Alcantar, Ph.D., which fostered her passion for equity and justice for Native and Indigenous students at Non-Native Colleges and Universities. She utilizes her knowledge to advocate for educational leaders to make an equitable change that can empower Indigenous students and communities as they navigate higher education. Alicia enjoys spending time with family, trying new foods, learning about different cultures, and attending rap concerts. 

(she/her/ella) is a graduate student in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. She currently serves as a Mentoring Site Coordinator for Project Mentoring to Achieve Latino Academic Success (MALES), a research-based mentorship program for boys and young men of color in the Austin area. Her research interests include the educational access and attainment of Latinx students across the pipeline, ethnic studies, and educational equity for underserved students through policy reform and the building of culturally-responsive support models. 

Lesley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Latinx Studies and Spanish from the University of Michigan. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. Being a first-generation Latina scholar, Lesley is deeply passionate about changing the educational opportunities for her community through her research, volunteerism, professional, and academic pursuits.

Latrice Johnson is a native of Oklahoma City, OK. She received her B.A. in English with a minor in Pre-Law from Tougaloo College in 2020. Latrice is currently a first-year student in the M.A. in English program at the University of Mississippi where she holds a Teaching Assistantship in the Department of English and Graduate Assistantship for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. She also serves as a University of Mississippi Graduate School Ambassador. In each role, Latrice has been afforded the opportunity to mentor and advocate for students from historically underrepresented groups and MSIs. Her research interests include American literature, African American literature, Blues literature and culture, Afrofuturism, and Critical Prison Studies. Latrice is also particularly interested in continuing her research on race, names/naming, and identity in academia. In her free time, Latrice enjoys watching YouTube vlogs, napping, and baking.

Ariadna Manzo (she/her/hers), holds a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University (NYU) and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Chicano and Chicana Studies and Theatre Arts from San José State University (SJSU). Ariadna's passion for social justice and equity is informed by the identities she holds as an undocumented Chicana and her experiences navigating higher education as a first-generation and undocumented college student. She attributes her persistence in education and accomplishments to her mother's resiliency and the many individuals that have and continue to support her along the way. Ariadna’s career and research interests fall in areas that address access and persistence for marginalized students in higher education and educational policy and research that addresses the inequities that impact students of color in the K-12 education system.

Alex is a first-year, first-generation graduate student in the Master of Arts in Postsecondary Educational Leadership program at San Diego State University. He is a product of immigrant parents and a proud Latino scholar embracing both Mexican and Salvadorian culture. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, and knew from an early age that education was a pathway towards social mobility. Alex's research interests include access and retention initiatives for men of color in higher education, holistic student development, and designing policy-relevant research. His current roles include coaching first-year students through a social justice lens at the Center for Intercultural Relations (CIR) and supporting high school seniors on college applications through his non-profit involvements. Outside of academia, he values spending time with his family, producing hip-hop music, running, and exploring San Diego with his dog. 

Naomi Simmons-Thorne is a graduate student and early-stage education researcher. She currently studies at the University of South Carolina where she is working towards the completion of a Master’s degree in Secondary Education with focuses in literature, literacy, and composition. Naomi’s research interests include qualitative methods and inquiry, Two-year MSIs, education and opportunity, SOGIE expansive students, Black students and girlhoods, and educational thought and history. Naomi accredits her lived experiences with academic tracking in suburban public schools in the south, what sociologist Dr. Lewis-McCoy terms “inequality in the promised land,” as her most formative catalyst for education equity. Since then, Naomi has gone on to attain undergraduate degrees in the sociology and philosophy of education from the University of South Carolina, study at numerous colleges and universities nationwide, publish scholarship, present at academic conferences, and consult on issues of diversity and inclusion at the K-12 levels. In 2019, she became a Fellow at the Research Institute For Scholars of Equity, a Dept. of Education-funded research training program, where conducted a study on teacher retention, undercredentialing, and education quality in South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice schools. In 2022, Naomi will join the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership at the University of Illinois for doctoral work. Naomi is also a first generation American of Trinidadian descent and identifies as a transgender woman.

Miranda Febus is a recipient of the Villanova University Presidential Graduate Fellowship for Underrepresented Students and currently enrolled in Villanova’s Higher Education program in the Department of Education and Counseling. Her career ambitions include creating and fostering higher education environments that welcome students from all backgrounds to assure underrepresented students feel safe and comfortable on campus. As an aspiring Chief Diversity Officer, she has a strong interest in cultivating learning and working environments that promote and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her research interests include the sense of belonging for underrepresented local students attending universities in their own neighborhoods that often have a stigma or reputation for being unsafe. 

Tiyana Herring received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in 2018. She has recently been accepted into the School Psychology Ed.S program at Florida State University. Aside from early literacy intervention, her research interests include early numeracy intervention, access to technology for educational and social equity, and classroom dynamics and learning environments. She is also a Thurgood Marshall College Fund Teacher Quality and Retention Program Fellow, a program designed to assist with developing and demonstrating research-based educational practices, and help teachers analyze current educational policy. 

As a school psychologist, she plans to aid schools assess and diagnose students who require special education accommodations, help teachers implement academic and behavior interventions, and help raise awareness to parents and communities about educational resources and mental health. She one day plans to open her own private practice. Currently, she is a 5th grade math and science teacher. When she isn’t in her classroom, she loves to read, be with family and friends, and support FAMU Rattler football! 

Steffi Huynh is a graduate intern for the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program within the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. She will soon receive an M.A. in Student Development Administration from Seattle University and has obtained her B.S. in Biopsychology with a minor in Educational Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is interested in research that focuses on the academic persistence of first-generation, students of color and how Minority Serving Institutions support their success.