@harvardfoundation
SPRING 2022
04 | ABOUT THE HARVARD FOUNDATION
@harvardfoundation
ABOUT THE HARVARD FOUNDATION | 05
06 | STAFF
Sade Abraham
Senior Director
Matias Ramos Associate Director
*Started June 2022*
*Started May 2022*
Marvin Baclig
Director of First-Year Retreat & Experience (FYRE) & Assistant Director for Student Programming of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural & Race Relations
Alejandra Rincon
Hugo Cardona
Equity and Diversity Programming Coordinator
Administrative Coordinator *Started March 2022*
@harvardfoundation
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM | 08
09 | HARVARD FOUNDATION INTERNS
Aaron Abai (he/him) is a first-generation Ethiopian-American born in Las Vegas, Nevada and raised in Littleton, Colorado. A senior in Mather House, Aaron studies Molecular and Cellular Biology with a secondary in African-American studies. For his senior thesis, he is studying the chemistry of the vaginal microbiome in a cohort of Black, South African women. He is interested in the intersection of science, medicine, and social justice. Outside of school, he loves to run, hike, take photos, and spend time with his friends and family.
Aaron Abai
Asa Coleman
Caleb Kefele Paul Gordon
I’m Asa Coleman (she/her), and I’m a Senior in Currier House studying Social Anthropology with a Secondary in African American Studies. I lived in New Jersey my whole life before starting undergrad and graduated from Rahway High School. After starting off as a Diversity Peer Educator because of my passion for creating a campus where people who live with marginalized identities can thrive, I was able to join the Harvard Foundation and continue to work towards a better Harvard while focusing on race, an identity I hold dear as a Black woman. Outside of work, I love trying new restaurants in the Boston area and being a part of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College. If you want to get me talking ask about what new music I’ve been listening to.
Caleb Gordon (He/Him) is a Junior in Mather House studying Anthropology on the pre-med track with a secondary in AFVS. He is originally from Orlando in the best state in the US, Florida. Caleb is passionate about health care equity, wellness for POC communities, and cultural organizations on campus. He serves as the co-president of the Black Health Advocates organization and the treasurer of the Black Student Association. He has been an intern at the Harvard Foundation for two years, where has has sought to bring Harvard’s resources to cultural student groups and create spaces for education on the importance of diversity. Derrick (he/him) is a Senior in Mather House studying Government with a secondary in Economics. Born and raised in NYC, Derrick is an avid movie lover. He also has a passion for hiking, photography, and Broadway! Derrick joined the Harvard Foundation to help make a positive impact on the Harvard community with regard to cultural inclusion and race relations. Conversations on race and inclusivity are constantly evolving, and we need to stay on the forefront. The Foundation has been a way for Derrick to engage in these discussions, and help
Derrick Ochiagha
push them forward.
@harvardfoundation
HARVARD FOUNDATION INTERNS | 10 Hafsa is a junior in Kirkland house studying Economics and Government. She was born in Kenya and raised in Minneapolis, MN. At Harvard, Hafsa serves on the executive board of the Harvard Undergraduate African Policy and Development Initiative. Hafsa is passionate about promoting education accessibility in K-12 and providing access to quality healthcare in underprivileged communities. Outside of work, Hafsa can be found at LamCaf napping, talking loudly with friends, or listening to useless but fun podcasts.
Hafsa Muse Hayat Muse (she/her/hers)is a first year in Weld studying Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Economics. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her interests and passions include reading, photography, and using math as a tool for social change. On campus, she is on the board of Greener Scott Scholars and serves as the first year public service chair for the Harvard Islamic Society.
Hayat Muse Jetta Strayhorn is a first-year concentrating in theatre arts and creative writing. She is from Atlanta, GA, and is best known for the AppleTV series, Swagger, and the web series, Oh Jordan. Jetta also enjoys performing in musicals and community theatre and performing as lead vocalist and guitarist for her sibling band, Strayhorn Heights. Her voiceover work includes "Amazing God" (2017) from the album, "In It To Win It", by Grammy-nominated R&B artist, Charlie Wilson.
Jetta Strayhorn
Juan Guzman
My name is Juan Guzman, I take he/his/him as my pronouns. I am a Senior in the best house, Currier! I am studying Government, and doing the Tech Science Track and will have a secondary in Computer science. My family is from the Dominican Republic, I'm a first gen student, and I was born and raised in Lawrence Massachusetts! I am hugely passionate about topics surrounding diversity and inclusion as well as tech and policy. The Harvard Foundation isn't really too techy, but it does do alot when it comes to inclusion and belonging on campus. I wanted to help facilitate a better campus for students of color and of marginal identities and really pave the way for future generations of students.
Hi! I am a sophomore at the college, born and raised in Boston, MA. I am the oldest daughter of two Nicaraguan immigrants. I am into public service and passionate about immigration, education, and the Latinx vote. I have worked and volunteered with various non-profits such as Agencia ALPHA and Sociedad Latina. At Harvard, I am part of the Institute of Politics, an assistant director for the Latina Empowerment & Leadership Development Conference, and the civil engagement chair for both the Fuerza and Latina Unidas boards. I love to travel,
Karen Torres
go on roller coasters, and dance to some Bad Bunny and Romeo Santos.
11 | HARVARD FOUNDATION INTERNS
Kyla Golding
Kyla Golding (she/her/hers) is a sophomore in the class of 2024 living in Adams House (the TRUE best house!). She is jointly concentrating in History of Science and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is from Westchester, NY, and proudly of Jamaican heritage. Outside of her role in the Foundation, she is an editorial writer for The Harvard Crimson, member of the Association of Black Harvard Women, and project associate with Harvard Global Research & Consulting. Feel free to reach out about all things pop culture, especially really juicy reality tv (big fan of The Bachelor Franchise and virtually anything on MTV)! Read about why she interns below. Hi, my name is Leslie Arroyo and I take she/her/hers. I am a part of the class of 2023 and live in Dunster House! I am currently pursuing a joint concentration in Government and Studies of Women, Gender, & Sexuality. I am Southern California and in my free time I enjoy ATV riding, baking, and exercising! I joined the foundation team because I am passionate about fostering diversity and inclusion on campus and beyond.
Leslie Arroyo Mariana Haro '23 (she/her) is a junior majoring in Computer Science with a secondary in Government. She is from Zacatecas, Mexico. Her passions and interests include basketball, soccer, and using technology as a tool to serve underprivileged and underserved communities. On campus she is also the president of RAZA - the Mexican student organization. Her motivation to join the Harvard Foundation happened freshman year when she attended a speaker event hosted by the Harvard Foundation featuring Dr. Yusef Salaam. To this day, this event has been the highlight of her time at Harvard. Listening to one of the exonerated 5 tell his story, his vision, and his hopes was aweinspiring. After attending this event, she looked into the Harvard Foundation and decided that being a part of this meaningful type of work and mission was how she wanted to spend her time here.
Mariana Haro
Nayleth Lopez-Lopez
Nayleth Lopez-Lopez (she/her/hers) is a junior in the class of 2023 living in Winthrop House (best house!). She is studying Neuroscience on the Mind, Brain, Behavior (MBB) track. She is from Hyde Park, MA, and the proud daughter of Venezuelan immigrants. She started as a Diversity Peer Educator through the Office of Diversity Education & Support, and has been grateful and excited for the opportunity to continue building a warm and welcoming community for all students on campus as a Harvard Foundation intern. Outside of her role in the Foundation, she is involved in Fuerza Latina and Indigo Peer Counseling. Feel free to reach out to talk about movies, reggaeton, or the Marvel cinematic universe :)
Mariletzy Venegas (she/her/hers) is a senior in Adams House studying Sociology with a secondary in Economics, and she is from Stone Mountain, Georgia. She enjoys reading, working out, and going on spontaneous outings with friends (especially late night trips to Jefe’s). Mariletzy joined the Harvard Foundation her first year in order to foster cultural inclusivity on campus through thoughtful programming and to grow her personal knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Mariletzy Venegas
@harvardfoundation
HARVARD FOUNDATION INTERNS | 12 Santy Mendoza '23 is a Junior living in Winthrop House. He was born in Jalisco, Mexico and was raised in East Palo Alto, CA. On campus, besides being a Harvard Foundation intern for the past 3 years, Santy is also the VP of Fuerza Latina the largest Latinx social organization on campus. He also enjoys listening to corridos/rap and playing soccer in his free time. Santy is studying computer science with a secondary in Sociology.
Santy Mendoza
Sydney Lewis
Tiffany Onyeiwu
Sydney Lewis '22 (she/hers) is a senior in Quincy House studying AfricanAmerican Studies and History of Science with a secondary in Astrophysics and language citation in Spanish. She is from Jacksonville, FL and was inspired to intern at the Harvard Foundation to help make Harvard more accountable to its students of color. Outside of the Harvard Foundation, she is Co-President of the Harvard Undergraduate Black Health Advocates and does research for the Harvard and Legacy of Slavery Initiative. In her free time you can find her roller skating, running a fashion blog, looking at the night sky, and petting every dog that crosses her path. Tiff(any) Onyeiwu (oh-KNEE-woo)–she/they–is a first year student at the college. At Harvard she is interested in pursuing a Special Concentration which merges their interests in Sustainable Development and the Arts, alongside an Igbo Language Citation. They are a proud first generation Nigerian-American. On campus she spends her time with various comedy collectives, the first-year arts board, and the Association of Black Harvard Women. Tiff is passionate about advocating for people and the planet, and always aspires to be a catalyst for something more. As a lover of creating, laughing, mediating, and exploring, she seeks experiences that allow her to be threedimensional–not merely existing in one pane but challenging her to work to make the world a better place by adding her own unique flavor.
13 | STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD
Abigail Romero
Abigail is a junior at Harvard College pursuing a B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Economics, with a secondary in Ethnicity, Rights, Migration, and a language citation in Spanish. She is committed to serving communities of color and increasing diversity & inclusion in spaces that have historically lacked it. On campus, she also leads the Latina Empowerment and Development Conference, works as a calculus course assistant, and serves as an RA at HLS and HBS. She’s also had the opportunity to work at some exciting diversity startups in the tech and education space, including the 501(c)(3) she founded called the Mentorship Project which has helped 1k+ FGLI/underrepresented students through college admissions. As part of SAC, she hopes to increase access to funding for groups on campus championing equity, inclusion, and cultural understanding.
Committee Chair
Chidera Ejikeme
Communications Chair
Chidera is a junior concentrating in History of Science with a secondary in Molecular and Cellular Biology on the premed track. She is Nigerian-American, takes the she series, and is from New York. She is passionate about racial healthcare disparities. She became a member of the Foundation after entering the space to study with a friend; after learning about their mission to aid cultural orgs on campus, she was passionate about becoming involved. As part of the SAC, Chidera hopes to advance the mission of the Harvard Foundation by uplifting cultural and identity organizations by promoting their events and voices across campus.
Kareem King is a junior from Cleveland, OH on the pre-med track. He lives in Lowell House and concentrates in the History of Science with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. As the Finance Chair of the Student Advisory Committee, he is excited to create funding opportunities that foster inclusive spaces for all cultural and affinity groups on campus.
Kareem King
Finance Chair
Kimani Panthier Programming Chair
My name is Kimani Panthier and I am the Programming Chair for the Harvard Foundation SAC! I am a sophomore at Harvard College originally from Hempstead, NY planning to concentrate in Government with a secondary in Educational Studies. Interestingly, I have always felt the call towards leadership, public service, and government. Chief among my beliefs is the principle of servant leadership which has fueled my desire to one day become a public servant. I envision myself on Capitol Hill, creating legislation and representing underserved populations. My passion is to effect meaningful change that would reduce the prevalent economic and racial disparities that persist in education, housing, employment, healthcare, and wealth.
@harvardfoundation
STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD | 14
@harvardfoundation
STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD | 15
16 | OPEN HOUSE
@harvardfoundation
OPEN HOUSE | 17
18 | DIVERSITY DIALOGUE SERIES
@harvardfoundation
DIVERSITY DIALOGUE SERIES | 19
20 | INTERN QUOTE #1
@harvardfoundation
INTERN QUOTE #1 | 21
22 | CULTURAL RHYTHMS
26 | COMMUNITY BUILDING
@harvardfoundation
COMMUNITY BUILDING | 27
28 | INTERN QUOTE #2
@harvardfoundation
INTERN QUOTE #2 | 29
30 | FGLI STUDENT TASK GROUP
@harvardfoundation
INTERN QUOTE #2 | 31
32 | VISITAS 2022 EVENTS
@harvardfoundation
VISITAS 2022 EVENTS | 33
34 | VISITAS 2022 EVENTS
@harvardfoundation
VISITAS 2022 EVENTS | 35
36 | TRAININGS & CONSULTATIONS
Harvard Foundation Interns offer diversity and inclusion trainings and consultations to interested Harvard College student organizations and programs on campus. Interns use this educational framework to foster inclusive spaces for all students at Harvard College. For the Training and Consultation Specialty Team to tailor the training to match the needs of each interested group, they meet for a preliminary consultation with the leaders/members of the student organization and allocate a minimum two weeks of preparation before moving forward with any training requests. Interns offer five different training modules, which can be customized as needed: Intro to Core Diversity Concepts, Definitions, and Language Supporting First-Year Students From Diverse Backgrounds Intro to Dialogue and Facilitation for Diverse Groups Assessing Organizational Culture and Building Practices of Inclusion Individual Identity Reflection and Sharing This semester, the Trainings & Consultations Team worked directly with three student organizations: the Freshman Outing Club, FIG Magazine, and the Harvard Outing Club. Some of these trainings and consultations will continue into the summer and the next academic year.
@harvardfoundation
TRAININGS & CONSULTATIONS | 37
38 | STAFF QUOTE
@harvardfoundation
STAFF QUOTE | 39
40 | QUAD DAY OF SERVICE
@harvardfoundation
VISITAS 2022 EVENTS | 41
42 | SCHOLARSHIP & SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE
@harvardfoundation
SCHOLARSHIP & SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE | 43
44 | STUDY JAMS
46 | HARVARD FOUNDATION AWARDS
@harvardfoundation
HARVARD FOUNDATION AWARDS | 47
"Anastasia was the co-director of the 2021 Black Playwrights Festival and is the current Vice President of Harvard Black CAST. Anastasia is a talented and well-known stage manager and she managed Black CAST's production of "For colored girls" as well as our upcoming production "All the Natalie Portmans." As the only senior in our organization, Anastasia has maintained Black CAST traditions and prepared underclassmen to continue the organization's legacy of creating Black art and community for all students on campus. This school year, Anastasia served as one of our Black Community Leaders Co-Chairs lead community conversations on topics like love and the African diaspora and coordinating the Harvard Yale "Soul" bus. On Adams Hoco, she founded the Hair Art Project. The Hair Art Project provides accessible natural hair resources like free hair services and skill-building workshops to students of all identities both in and outside of Adams House."
"In her first year, Sydney was a Diversity Peer Educator (DPE) with the Office of Diversity of Education & Support. As a DPE, she was an integral part of a student-run Quincy House group, InQlusivity, which, among other things, invited professors of color to speak to the House about their research. These conversations would intersect with current events in the world and Harvard College and offered a valuable space for students of color to process their feelings as students at Harvard College. In her second year at Quincy House, Sydney continued to take a leadership role in race relations, despite the added huge challenge/barrier of the pandemic. Throughout her four years at Harvard College, she has organized three panels on topics including Black maternal mortality and morbidity, fighting HIV/AIDS stigma among African Americans, and unequal access to telemedicine during the pandemic."
"Since she stepped foot on campus, Busola has shown an intense commitment to the Harvard community, and the Black Harvard community in particular. As a first-year, she co-founded Greener Scott Scholars, Harvard's premier organization that connects Black undergraduate students with Black graduate students across Harvard's campus through soulful mentorship. During the same year, she served as publicity chair for the First-Year Black Table and was the inaugural chair of diversity of Harvard's radio station where she worked to recruit students of color. As a sophomore, Busola continued her commitment to improving intercultural and race relations by working as a co-chair for the Institute of Politics' Politics of Race and Ethnicity program and as the community chair for the Crimson Key Society. In both positions, she worked to ensure that both spaces were inclusive and safe for members involved regardless of their racial or ethnic background. Busola's work to connect and create communities continued into her junior year as she worked as a member of the Internal Outreach Committee for the Harvard Undergraduate Black Health Advocates, began working on the Presidential Initiative on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery, and co-founded the IOP's inaugural summer teach-in that encouraged attendees to engage in anti-racism work."
48 | SENIOR THESIS SPOTLIGHTS
@harvardfoundation
SENIOR THESIS SPOTLIGHTS | 49
Aaron is a senior in Mather house studying molecular and cellular biology with a secondary in African-American studies. In his thesis titled "Investigating the Relationship Between the Female Genital Reproductive System and the Microbiome and Metabolism," he focuses on understanding the microbiome’s relationship with the metabolome – the total number of metabolites, or chemicals, present within an organism, cell, or tissue. He started his research journey in South Africa the summer before his sophomore year when he was interested in learning more about HIV and public health. Once he returned to Cambridge, he joined the Kwon Lab in which he investigated how the microbiome and the female genital tract may be increasing risk to HIV infection and mediating impact on health outcomes. His motivation was making an impact on global health and global health inequality. More specifically, he strives to help the young women in South Africa who are at a higher risk of HIV. After graduation, Aaron will be resting at home with his family over the summer and starting a masters program in medicine, health, and society in the United Kingdom. He plans to continue to explore the questions he has about the “role of science in society and how science can be used as a tool for social justice”. His advice for future thesis writers was to “make your thesis process be a reflective process." Interview conducted by Cody Chou '25.
Sydney is a senior studying a joint concentration in African American studies and History of Science, and a secondary in astrophysics with a citation in Spanish. Wow! Sydney has been with the Harvard Foundation since her first year and continues to do amazing work toward race equity outside of the program. In her thesis titled The (Mis)Education of black Harvard: The fight for African American studies 1963. Her thesis focuses on the "circumstances leading up to the department's creation as well as the power struggles and contestations experienced by the department in its early years of existence at Harvard." When considering the temporality of her thesis, Sydney replied "a lot of people just see it as something that happened 50 years ago, but what my thesis is arguing is that the struggle to make legible and legitimate the history and culture, and lives of the people of the African diaspora, is one of challenging dominant epistemologies and dominant knowledge-making processes." Additionally, when drawing similarities between her HF work and her thesis, Sydney said that the HF's work to "facilitate intercultural relations and awareness and respect within Harvard... and uplifting the marginalized" is very related to her thesis which "centers on narratives about the value and the worth of black life and culture and knowledge through the African and African American studies department." Finally, Sydney advised all future thesis writers to "choose a topic that you really love learning more about because you will learn a lot about it and you have to become an expert in your topic." Interview conducted by Santy Mendoza '23.