GEA 2024 Program

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Third Annual Gender Equity Awards

University of San Diego Women’s Commons Growing Through It

December 6 2024

AsthisisourThirdAnnualGenderEquity AwardsProgram,today'sluncheonbrings ustogetherincommunitytohonorthework ofstudentsonandaroundourcampusas theytacklegenderequityintheirownways.

Inreflectingonthepastyearandthe intentionbehindtheGenderEquityAwards, thethemeof“GrowingThroughIt”became centraltoourteamintheWomen’s Commons."GrowingThroughIt"highlights forustheideaofresilienceandcommunity supportthatcomeswithgenderequityand antioppressionwork.

Now,morethanever,ourworldiscallingus tobravelyspeakupandtakeaction.Justice workrequiresbothindividualandcollective courageifwearetobesuccessful.

Nomineesbeingrecognizedtodaylive principlesofintersectionalsocialjustice. Throughtheirwork,activities,and relationships,awardnomineesareactively promotingequitywithinourcommunity throughcollaboration,empowermentof others,solidaritywithmarginalized populations,courage,andcreativity.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Sarah Diamond

ADVANCING EQUITY IN ACADEMICS

Recipientswillhaveademonstrated commitmenttocultivatingequitablelearning environmentsandintegratingtheirclassroom learning/experiencesintotheirlivesbeyond. Recipientswillhaveengagedwithan intersectionalfeministpraxisthataddresses issuesofaccess,equity,andsocialjustice.

NOMINEES

AdánAlmeida

AriJones

AudreyKrishnadasan

BellaFigueroa

CassidyPerez

CheyenneBooth

ElainaPhiel

Emma-KateSquires

EvaFouret

GladysTorresOlivarria

GretaPalmiter

IsaacWhistler

JadaAlexis

JonasBimshas

JulianaGrigg

KatherineHarris

KeiraDooley

KylieKirkpatrick

LibbyKreamer

LuciaLaniecki

MarissaSchaad

MiaGleason

MiaVorkoper

OliviaClark

PaulaLibratoLopez

PerlaEscobar

ShelbyNicolaisen

SofiaPerez

SophieViohl

SydneyMetcalf

TateSchwerin

TheaDeBroux

ZeinaZumot

PaulinaGaitanEsguerra

CELEBRATING GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION

Recipientswillhavedemonstrated leadershipindeveloping programs/eventsthatcenter intentional,joy-filledsocialconnection andthecelebrationofgenderidentities and/orexpression.

NOMINEES

AdánAlmeida

AdrianaVentura

BrianaTorres

GladysTorresOlivarria

GillLevy

JulianaGrigg

KyleeGwilliam

KylieKirkpatrick

NainaMakkad

WyattPage

COMMUNITY CATALYST

Recipientswillhavea demonstrated commitmenttothe holisticdevelopment andsupportofothersin anefforttocultivatea senseofbelongingfor allUSDcommunity members.

NOMINEES

AriannaJones

AudreyKrishnadasan

AveryAquino

BrianaTorres

GillLevy

GladysTorresOlivarria

IsabellaAmezcua

IsabellaRamirez

JackiePerez

JessDiaz

JulianaGrigg

KaiHopkinsonRamsammy

KalieWilson

NainaMakkad

PhillipSheridan

SophieViohl

SydneyGoad

ZeinaZumot

ELEVATING HOLISTIC WELLNESS

Recipientswillhavea demonstratedcommitmentto promotingholisticwellnessthat encompassesmultipledimensionsof well-beingthroughadvocacyand preventioneducation,and challengessystemicbarriersto wellness.Dimensionsofwell-being include;emotional,physical,social, intellectual,spiritual,financial, occupational,andenvironmental health.

AriannaJones

AudreyKrishnadasan

ChristinaWaltman

CristianStClair

JulianaGrigg

KeiraBoley

SophieViohl

TheaDeBroux

TriIndahOktavianti

YesikaMenera

NOMINEES

GENDER EQUITY IN ACTION

Recipientswillhave demonstratedoutstanding leadershipskillsbytakingan activeroleincampus organizationsanddeveloping projects/programsthataddress issuesofgenderequity.

NOMINEES

ADÁN ALMEIDA KATELYN ALAM

Madison and Katelyn co-created the Gender, Peace, and Power class which is now offered this semester. They also co-organized and cofacilitated the visit of Dr Fakhira Halloun, a peacebuilder with 20 years of experience. In spring 25, they have three events planned: 1) Period Poverty Donation Drive and Informational Movie Night 2) Restorative Justice Community Circle: Destigmatizing Sex and 3) an Interfaith Dialogue on Reproductive Rights and Justice.

Adán currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the LGBTQ+ & Allies Commons Adán works with students and staff to develop intersectional programs that advocate for LGBTQ+ students and USD community members. He is always intentional about explore topics through a Black Queer Feminist lens and is quick to challenge himself and others to grow.

ISABELLA AMEZUCA

Isabella is a part of Kappa Alpha Theta, MEChA and USD International Business Council. She has a deep commitment to social justice advocacy Her commitment in elevating experiences of those with marginalized identities is very clear. She co-organized an event to bring a woman of color CEO to share her story. Elevating these stories is important to Isabella as she knows the importance of representation and highlighting the resiliency of women of color in the business field.

Avery has served as a student leader for the Tijuana programs for three years, encouraging and facilitating hundreds of students to have a transformative experience of solidarity with our neighbors across the border Avery brings tremendous thought, intentionality, intellectual information, cultural competency and compassion to her cross-border work as well as to all of her other commitments

AVERY AQUINO ASHLEY BAADSGAARD

Ashley has been a prominent leader on the law campus, serving on leadership boards for Pride Law, Advocates for Children and Education, and Older Wiser Law Students. She has organize countless events that address issues of gender equity. Having navigated a significant portion of law school as a single mother, Ashley now helps support the next generation of parenting law students

KEIRA BOLEY

Keira is a second-year in the RSVP program and a champion for gender equity. She possesses a unique ability to foster open dialogue and cultivate safe environments Her approach is characterized by a blend of passion and knowledge, She also proactively seeks to understand and address the distinct challenges faced by marginalized communities Keira inspires a culture of support and resilience, making a profound impact on the lives of those around her.

CHEYENNE BOOTH

Cheyenne is the current president of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). Cheyenne is often in the Ideation Space, tutoring her peers. One example that stands out is her support of a peer with dyslexia. She met with him regularly on Zoom and in person to support his learning style She even spends her own money on fun additions for club events, asking for nothing in return but the happiness of others She’s truly a dream of a student

THEA DEBROUX

Thea has volunteered as a Research Assistant at the UW where she helped pediatric residents with a virtual educational product aimed to increase empathetic interactions between patient and doctor. She took this experience to the next level by recognizing the gap in knowledge in how the choice of words physicians use impacts patient experience. This is one of many examples of Thea’s consistent and passionate promotion of gender equity both within and outside the classroom.

JESS DIAZ

Jess has been on the Women in Business eboard for the past 2 years and on the Business Administration Society board this semester. Jess is a tell-it-like-it-is kind of woman and a trailblazer who relentlessly goes after her goals She is driven by a genuine passion to ensure that the voices of individuals like her are heard and acknowledged Beyond that, she aspires to leverage her legal education to advocate for others in her community.

BELLA FIGUREROA

Bella was a leader with her coordination of the First Year Retreat in University Ministry With her identities and upbringing, Bella has intentionally sought to use her voice, research, and vocation to uplift and give opportunities to those who may feel silenced. She has worked at the Barrio Logan College Institute to help give pathways toward higher education for marginalized youth in our local community.

PAULINA

GAITIAN ESGUERRA

As the President of Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers and the former Professional Chair of Theta Tau, She also uses her platform to provide academic and professional services to underserved communities. At the end of last semester, Paulina won the Outstanding Junior Award in the ISYE department Paulina also works at Beyond Borders, which is aimed at aiding people in detention centers at the US/Mexico Border.

SYDNEY GOAD

Sydney is always being a leader on campus and promoting inclusion in whatever she is involved in She is a great role model for leadership She is always a friendly face and she is always kind towards everyone.

JULIANA GRIGG

Juliana has actively promoted gender equity through her role as president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for the 23-24 academic year She organized and funded the participation of 29 students in the SWE national conference. Juliana also facilitated numerous events aimed at fostering a supportive community within SWE One standout initiative she spearheaded was "EmpowerHer," which brought together SWE alumni from USD for an evening of networking and community-building, providing students with inspiring role models and networking opportunities.

KYLEE GWILLIAM

Kylee is the current President of Pride Law Kylee has spearheaded events focusing on celebrating all gender identities and expressions. These have included Pride Law's Back to School Social, Pride Beyond Borders, a lunch & learn titled "Legal Insights on Gender Affirming Care for Trans Youth", and a Q&A panel. These events, under Kylee's leadership, have helped in making the law school an environment where students of any gender identity or expression feel supported.

KAI HOPKINSONRAMSAMMMY

Kai has consistently poured into our campus community. As an example, during the BSRC's skate collaboration with BSU, Kai made it a point to individually ask each student how BSU can support them and implemented these recommendations.This individualized approach to support students really highlights being a community catalyst. Because the support that people want and need can easily vary by individual, tending to those individualized needs is a great way to help one ' s peers feel as though they belong in our campus community.

TRIN INDAH OKTAVIANTI

Tri is a Fulbright Scholar from Indonesia and in her second year of the Peace and Justice MA program; she previously served as a Practice Fellow in the Violence, Inequality, and Power (VIP) Lab in the KIPJ and currently serves as the GA for Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention. Tri has a passion to educate fellow graduate students on this topic and created a workshop on intimate partner violence for graduate students in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness.

ARI JONES

SKY JOHNSON

Lydia is the co-founder of the Magenta Movement on campus which is taking over the Gender Equality Sex Positivity Club's work of spreading access and awareness of reproductive health products and services for students.

Ari Jones has been a transformative force at USD where she focuses on inclusivity within Fraternity and Sorority Life She has led workshops for 50 sorority members to explore gender stories and foster inclusivity for genderqueer and nonbinary individuals She is planning a social justice summit to equip future DEI chairs with the tools for sustainable progress. Ari’s impact also extends through her role on the RSVP team within the CHWP

KYLIE KIRKPATRIK

Kylie Kirkpatrick is a senior in industrial and systems engineering and the VP of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. She’s held leadership roles in that organization for years, keeping the organization strong and active She’s a fierce advocate for women, who is not afraid to speak up about inclusivity Her ability to hold people accountable, even when it’s uncomfortable, is nothing short of inspiring. Kylie’s commitment to challenging the status quo is exactly what will drive real change for women in engineering and beyond.

AUDREY KRISHNADASAN

Audrey Krishnadasan, a senior computer science major, transferred to USD in fall 2023 and has been a game-changer in CS. Audrey’s a natural leader confident in her knowledge but always open to learning from others As VP of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and a member of the SMSE Industry Scholars program. She brings her passion for tech into SWE, helping members network more effectively and showcase themselves in the best light. In her short time at USD.

GILL LEVY

Gill shows up to every desk worker shift wanting to promote a positive and fair experience for students. She is thoughtful in her actions and makes sure that students felt supported and were connected to the appropriate resources As someone who has outwardly expressed finding difficulty in cultivating a community here on campus, Gill does not let that stop her from supporting others to make sure they feel safe.

NAINA MAKKAD

As the president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Naina has cultivated a strong culture of network and camaraderie. SWE has been able to stay strong and reach record breaking GBM attendance numbers under Naina’s guidance. As the president of ASME Naina works with all the clubs in the Engineering department such as the Society of Hispanic Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers Naina connected the clubs in the engineering school by helping plan the first annual SMSE holiday party, and a Skate Night

REBEKAH MAUK

Rebekah Mauk is truly one of the unsung heroes of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) in her role as Vice President She’s involved in every part of the organization fundraising, promotions, recruitment, conference prep, and more She takes charge and consistently upholds the standards SHPE expects. She stepped out of her comfort zone to complete an internship in Missouri and Indiana She’s left her mark on SHPE in the best way possible.

YESIKA MENERA

Yesika is a second-year in the RSVP program and a champion for gender equity. Her approach is characterized by a blend of passion and knowledge, enabling her to effectively convey intricate concepts surrounding consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. She proactively seeks to understand and address the distinct challenges faced by marginalized communities Yesika inspires a culture of support and resilience, making a profound impact on the lives of others.

CASSIDY

WYATT PAGE

Wyatt has been an active member of leadership for Pride Law at the Name and Gender-Marker Change Clinic ("N&G Clinic"), Through his Pride Law leadership, Wyatt has helped create an environment where law students feel welcomed through events, mentorship, and friendship. Wyatt's work has helped people all over San Diego achieve legal recognition for their gender identities and expressions, allowing them to live their true selves

PEREZ

Cassidy has directly represented several clients in family law matters Most of whom are victims of domestic violence and have helped fill out TROs with our partner, Your Safe Place. She also helped victims of violence obtain permanent restraining orders and other clients who have been victimized by their intimate partners. Cassidy has forcefully and effectively advocated for women during an incredibly difficult time in their lives.

JACKIE PEREZ

In the Women's Legal Clinic, Cassidy has directly represented several clients in family law, most of whom are victims of domestic violence She has helped victims of violence in obtaining permanent Restraining Order and other clients who have been victimized by their intimate partners Cassidy has forcefully and effectively advocated for women during an incredibly difficult times. Cassidy is a force.

ISABELLA RAMIREZ

Isabella's leadership on campus is extraordinary She serves as a cantor/leader for Founders Chapel Choir as well as one of 2 primary coordinators of the Search Retreat She is also a leader for the Ignite Group. The quality Isabella brings to her work is truly exceptional. She embodies the USD vision statement by leading with love as she fosters peace and works for justice.

PHILLIP SHERIDAN

Phillip is a very positive individual, always with a smile, cheering others on! He has helped coordinate coffee meetups for the team of LSM instructors, in addition to meditation retreats. He also is continuously offering an abundance of resources to help our team thrive. He has empowered those around him to stand up for what they believe in

CRISTAN ST CLAIR

Cristian St Clair is a senior in computer science and President of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) He supported a fellow student facing issues of racial profiling, and was incredibly honest and kind, Cristian is also constantly learning and supporting the experiences of women in engineering He participated in fundraisers for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)

GLADYS TORRES OLIVARRIA BRIANA TORRES

Briana is the current president of the SOLES Graduate Association She has organized events for students of diverse gender identities and backgrounds, She has championed equity within our Military and Veteran Program office and advocated to President Harris to hire a female counselor specifically for our female veterans. Briana consistently demonstrates commitment and advocates for all students, enhancing their experiences at USD.

As a USD College Corps Fellow with the Office of the Tribal Liaison, she supports initiatives that celebrate diversity and individuality. She has facilitated hikes and reflective discussions, creating spaces for cross-cultural dialogue As Co-Chair of AChA, Gladys has led workshops with local high schools, empowering young women and underrepresented students to pursue higher education Her advocacy extends to supporting undocumented students at USD. She’s also engaged in community initiatives like the Farm Workers Mass and the Turning Wheels project

MADISON TURUNEN

Madison and Katelyn co-created the Gender, Peace, and Power class which is now offered this semester They also co-organized and co-facilitated the visit of Dr Fakhira Halloun, a peacebuilder with 20 years of experience. In spring 25, they have three events planned: 1) Period Poverty Donation Drive and Informational Movie Night 2) Restorative Justice Community Circle: Destigmatizing Sex and 3) an Interfaith Dialogue on Reproductive Rights and Justice

Adriana is an exceptional voice for gender inclusivity and justice. They are reflective, a thoughtful listener, responsive to their peers,and a silent and strong advocate Adriana is masterful at helping debrief the compassion and advocacy needed to support and understand transition and pain Adriana has challenged their professors, colleagues, and fellow classmates to think differently about gender, race, and class differences

ADRIANA VENTURA SOPHIE VIOHL

Sophie is very involved across campus in several spaces where she advocates for Gender Equity. In her capstone for her minor in Women and Gender Studies, Sophie explored the concept of Queer Joy and the importance of joy in resistance and resilience. Currently, Sophie also serves as a RSVP Peer Educator and Health Promotion Intern in the Center for Health and Wellness Promotions, leading with an intersectional lens of issues as she works towards change and campus awareness

CHRISTINA WALTMAN

Christina is promoting holistic health and academic wellness throughout campus because she plans fun events for Women in Business like Pilates, as well as other academic and professional events

KALIE WILSON

Kalie is a desk worker as well as an RA. She makes an effort to make her residents feel at home, through artwork or providing resources to residents, She is committed to always being the best version of herself and maintaining meaningful relationships with her residents, peers, and supervisors. As a desk worker, she always treats others with the respect they deserve, even in difficult situations

ZENIA ZUMOT

Zeina’s has helped facilitate numerous spaces for Palestinian and Indigenous students. She has often supported other minority women students on campus She supported the students who made the Día de Muertos altar. She brings forward academic justice work. She crafts spaces of belonging and supports the holistic development of others. She also has demonstrated leadership skills in intersectional equity.

SABRINA ZUNICH

Sabrina is this year ' s President of the Women's Law Caucus. She has put on events that have included Women in IP and other panels bringing prominent women attorneys in San Diego to campus to share their experience. WLC also runs a mentorship program that matches members with female attorneys who provide them guidance. The work Sabrina has done has been incredible in uplifting women at the law school and achieving gender equity

USD VOTES

USD Votes provides information about registering to vote and casting a ballot to all USD students, ensuring inclusive democracy (focused on young and marginalized people experiencing diminished access.) Ensuring students have a voice via their votes compels officials to listen and heed their voices on pressing issues bound up in our everyday lives. In feminist political theories, they discuss texts showing that experiences lead to knowledge, to political action, and to change in communities. USD Votes shows the best of what politics can be, and the inclusive, empowered communities we can build together.

USD VOTES MEMEBERS

ELAINA PHIEL

PAULA LIBRATO LOPEZ

SHELBY NICOLAISEN

LUCIA LANIECKI

SOFIA PEREZ

ISSAC WHISTLER

MARISSA SCHADD

EVA FOURET

JONAS BIMSHAS JADA

USD VOTES MEMEBERS

PERLA ESCOBAR

KEIRA DOOLEY

MIA GLEASON

TATE

SCHWERIN

MIA VORKOPER

EMMA-KATE SQUIRES

LIBBY KREAMER

SYDNEY METCALF

KATHERINE HARRIS

GRETA PALMITER

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