Minority Leadership Program
The Minority Leadership Program develops the skills of talented students of traditionally marginalized communities, to help them become exemplary leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
2020-2021 Board Member
Kai K. Martin
Kai Martin is a Masters of Public Policy candidate, with a concentration in Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Law and Society from John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she graduated with honors. Passionate about serving her community, Kai volunteers with organizations such as TheDream.us, where she serves as an alumni council member, Immigrants Rising, where she works as an entrepreneur ambassador providing resources to undocumented entrepreneurs, and the Undocublack Network where she advocates on policies and topics affecting undocumented black communities. Adding to her public service work, Kai facilitates community workshops on mental health, domestic violence, immigration policies, and race relations. At the completion of her graduate program, she hopes to further her community services by partnering with local agencies to provide a variety of services and job training to domestic violence survivors, while continuing to advocate for disadvantaged social groups.
HISTORY:
Founded in Fall 2017 by former Trachtenberg student, Christopher Stevenson, the Minority Leadership Program (MLP) is a cohort made up of talented minority students enrolled at the Trachtenberg school. MLP provides these student leaders with unique opportunities and experiences to build leadership skills through leadership activities and professional development with leaders in policy, private, public and non-profit sectors. The MLP cohort seeks to advance the career opportunities of its members and inspire their ambitions with practical training sessions, networking opportunities, and speaker sessions. From mentorship programs to social events, the network and lasting friendships found within the MLP stay with members long after graduation.
MISSION:
The Trachtenberg School's Minority Leadership Program develops the skills of talented students of traditionally marginalized communities, to help them become exemplary leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
GOALS:
1. To connect the Trachtenberg School minority community and to enhance the professional development and leadership skills of its minority students.
2. To foster participants' leadership skills through their active participation in self-empowerment coaching by alumni, and participation in professional development activities.
3. To promote the success and inclusivity of minority professionals in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
4. To connect cohort members with mentors from successful GW minority and non-minority communities to advise them regarding issues, challenges and opportunities encountered in the workplace.
5. To create lasting relationships that will continue to empower minority students long beyond graduation.
Are you interested in joining the Minority Leadership Program? Are you a Minority student in the PhD, MPA, MPP, or ERPP program? Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about how MLP can work for you.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Orientation- Date TBA
Meet MLP Leadership- A virtual conversation with current and former MLP board members
Monday, August 3rd at 5pm- Join the Tractenberg faculty leaders for a conversation with students of color at the Trachtenberg School. Special guest will be Mafona Shea, DEI Director for Columbian College (CCAS) at GW (please email us for invitation link)
2020-2021 MLP COHORT
Maite Rubio
Maite is a second-year Masters of Public Administration candidate, with a concentration in Social Policy. She graduated from George Mason University, B.A in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Development. Maite serves as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Audit Coordinator for the Field Operations Directorate in the Office of Response & Recovery, responsible for the tracking and preparation of regulatory and program audits, and implementation of audit recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of program objectives. Prior to joining the Field Operations Directorate, she deployed to five disasters, including Hurricane Maria operations, supporting recovery and mitigation assignments in the field. Maite’s emergency management work began with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) FEMA Corps Program.
Gabriel M. Royal
Captain Gabe Royal is an Army officer and a current Ph.D. student at the Trachtenberg School. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in U.S. History and American Politics in 2012. Gabe spent the last 8 years serving as an Army Aviator on active duty, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan. His current field of study within the Ph.D. program in Public Budgeting and Finance and he is interested in researching the externalities associated with national defense spending. He serves on the board of trustees for the Connecticut Boys and Girls State Foundation, working to increase the diversity of future Boys and Girls State delegates and educate the next generation of public servants. Upon completion of his graduate studies, Gabe has been selected to teach American Politics as an instructor at West Point.
Christina Prinvil
Christina is a current Masters of Public Policy student concentrating in social policy. She graduated from the University of Florida where she received a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Political Science and Economics while minoring in Latin American Studies. One of her favorite forms of community work is with the Georgia Farm Worker Health Program. Through this organization, she helped Farmworkers receive care by translating physician instructions and recommendations to Haitian Creole for the Haitian farmworkers.
Fania Jean
Fania is a second-year Master of Public Administration student with a focus in Nonprofit Management. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Florida State University, where she studied International Affairs and Mass Media Communication. She currently works as an Office Assistant at the GW Law School Career Center. She has interned for two Representatives for the State of Florida during the 2019 session. She previously worked as an Office Assistant for the Winthrop King Institute for Contemporary French and Francophone Studies. During her undergraduate years, Fania dedicated her community work to the Haitian community in Tallahassee.
Bianca Onwukwe
Bianca is a current Masters of Public Policy candidate with a concentration in Education Policy at Trachtenberg school. She obtained a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to the pandemic, Bianca served as a mentor for the U.S. Dream Academy at Turner Elementary School and for the YWCA National Capital Area.
Dagoberto De Jesus Acevedo
Dagoberto is a proud first-generation Salvador immigrant to the United States. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Communication from Bluefield College, a private liberal arts institution embedded in the Appalachian mountains. Currently, Dagoberto is pursuing his Master of Public Administration in Transnational Security and International Leadership, as he aspires to become the change that his homeland country needs to advance in the world. Besides serving as a Minority Leadership Program Scholar, he serves the George Washington College Democrats as Deputy Director of Graduate Student Affairs and is a Field Organizer for the District of Columbia College Democrats. In addition to this, he is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association on Capitol Hill, and a mentor to the brown and black youth of Washington, DC.
Diana Aguiler
Diana is a Masters in Public Policy candidate with a concentration in immigration policy and a certificate in Public Health. She graduated from Queens College, the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts. Her commitment to serving the community has led her to focus on immigrant experiences by raising awareness in intersectional social aspects. Currently, Diana serves as a Clinton Global Initiative University awardee focusing on discussions aiming to destigmatize mental health. In addition to this, Diana is a Knapp Fellowship recipient, researching healthcare barriers for immigrants in the area of Washington DC. After completing her studies, she hopes to share her research findings with other smaller community clinics. Moreover, Diana wants to organize and lead discussions addressing the inaccessible features of telemedicine and how clinics can get more resources to assist the community.
Malka Berro
Malka is a first-year Master of Public Policy student, with a focus on health policy. She is passionate about advocating for those living with mental illness and addiction, as well as the providers who serve them, and is currently working as a policy associate with the National Council for Behavioral Health. Malka also has worked to advance population health with the National Academy for State Health Policy, interned in the U.S. House of Representatives, and conducted research on reproductive health policy in Madrid, Spain. She graduated summa cum laude from Antioch College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Spanish language focus.
Genevieve Afrifa
Genevieve is a first-year MPA student with particular interests in health. She received her Bachelor of Science from Temple University where she majored in Public Health. She also works full time as a Program Coordinator at GW's Academic Commons.
Shalene Miller-Whye
Shalene is a Master of Public Administration student at Trachtenberg. She graduated from Delaware State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. For the last 6 years, Shalene served the community of Wilmington through many organizations and programs such as Autism Delaware, where she organized events and volunteered with those on the spectrum. Urban Promise Ministries, where she served as a student community leader to assist inner-city children in leadership and educational activities. And the Center for Neighborhood Revitalization where she interned as a research assistant to better understand the Wilmington, Delaware community’s lack of trust for the criminal justice system. Shalene has a great passion for urban communities and is dedicated to serving them through her current and past works.
Jonathan Carter
Jonatha is a Masters of Public Policy candidate with a concentration in Regulatory Policy.
