presenters
Anita Garcia Morales
Anita Garcia Morales received her BA and Teaching Degree from the University of Washington. Anita spent 20+ years in the classroom and the last ten years as an instructional services coach. As a social studies coach, Anita's focus was educational and racial equity. In her ten-year position as coach, Anita oversaw a three-year UW/SPS partnership bringing American Ethnic Studies courses to over 800 district personnel. As a migrant farm worker for the first 21 years of her life, Anita sought to include all that had been missing in the many classrooms and teachers she had experienced in her own school career. She is skilled at creating brave and hopeful spaces for people to reflect on why they came to do the work they do with children and families and how to tap their inner resources to continue to do what is needed for our children. Anita is a Certified Class Action Trainer, a Courage & Renewal facilitator and a Certified Positive Discipline Associate Parent and School Trainer.
Yoshiko Harden
Yoshiko Harden earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, San Diego in Communications and Women's Studies in 1996. In 2001, she earned her M.Ed from Seattle University in Student Development Administration. Currently, Ms. Harden serves as the Vice President for Diversity/Chief Diversity Officer at Bellevue College. Ms. Harden was formerly the Director of Multicultural Services and Student Development at Highline Community College. She brings over ten years of experience as a student affairs practitioner with extensive skills in leadership, program development, and implementation that integrate diversity and pluralism across departmental and divisional lines. As an educator and practitioner, she believes that building human capacity to create institutional change is most successful when approached from both individual and institutional angles.
Amelia Phillips
Amelia Phillips is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS degree in Astronautical Engineering and a BS in Archaeology along with an MBA in Technology Management from University of Phoenix. She recently completed her PhD at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Computer Security – one of the first in the nation in this field. After working as an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and TRW, Amelia worked with e-commerce sites and began her training in computer forensics and investigations during the dot-com boom as credit card numbers were being stolen from website databases. She has also managed rock bands, worked on an assembly line; has been a real estate broker, computer consultant and hard money lender. She has designed certificate, AAS and BAS programs for community colleges in e-commerce, network security, digital forensics and data recovery. She is currently tenured at Highline Community College in Seattle, WA and is serving as the Chair of the Pure & Applied Science Division. Amelia is a Fulbright Scholar and published author.
Tammie Holmes
Tammie Holmes, a Seattle native, is an ordained minister of the Gospel and in 2007, Chaplain Tammie truly surrendered her heart to Christ. God delivered her from a twenty year crack addiction and mind binding strongholds. This deliverance and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit has given her passion to encourage the hurting and dying. God has set her apart with a unique call of dwelling in His presence. She completed Chaplaincy training in 2008 and was ordained as an Elder in the same year. Empowered by God’s love, the word, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, she has ministered to countless homeless individuals living on the streets in Washington. After going through many battles, God has increased her anointing to encourage others to break the strongholds and yokes in their lives. Chaplain Tammie founded The Love Connection Ministry in 2008. This small outreach organization organizes efforts to meet the needs of homeless men and women in the Seattle, WA area. Our purpose is to provide help for the helpless, hope for the hopeless, and love to the loveless. We offer Christ-centered Services that meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of hurting people. We aim to reach the lost through the love of Christ. Tammie Holmes is currently attending Highline Community College; completing her Chemical Dependency Professional degree.
Teresa Springer
“Go Local's” 2013 Entrepreneurial Empowerment Award Recipient, Teresa Springer makes opportunity happen. She is on a road that stretches out before her on her entrepreneurial journey. She’s on a quest for better products, more compelling services, and more exciting ways to share insights on growth, business leadership, and personal & professional transformation within the marketplace.As an entrepreneur extraordinaire and mother of four AWESOME children, Teresa has a sincere and dedicated love for business and entrepreneurship. Teresa’s many business start-ups and ventures include being an owner of a franchised smoothie & supplement store in Downtown Seattle, real estate investment, non-profit organizations, financial consulting, health & wellness retailing, owning a fashion boutique and leading the metro area chapter of a nation-wide organization of professional women. Teresa’s latest venture is hosting her business talk show the “Teresa Springer Show” with her digital media company, PaintBox Labs Media Group.
Elizabeth Word
As a full time communication studies faculty member at Highline College, Liz enjoys teaching introductory courses, and small group communication. Additionally, she co-coordinates the Umoja Black Scholars program for African American student achievement. As a community activist, Word was instrumental in the development of the African American Leadership Forum of Greater Seattle, an organization that provides a platform for community discussion, agenda building and civil civic discourse on issues that are of importance to the African American community (child welfare, law and justice, healthcare, education, and economic prosperity). Word holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Arts in Communication from Washington State University. Prior to her teaching career, Word spent over 15 years working across the State’s Higher Education institutions, including Washington State University, Central Washington University, Seattle University and the University of Washington, in the areas of alumni relations, development, admissions and career services. Word’s broad experience in higher education and her passion for working with historically underserved students brought her to Highline College.
Jolyn Gardner
Jolyn E. Gardner is an award winning artist and practicing attorney from Seattle. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Law and Diversity from Western Washington University and her Juris Doctorate from the University Of Illinois College Of Law. She has developed an arts and social justice program for teens called TEENERGY that teaches young leaders how to use their creative voice for social change. As a curator for various virtual art exhibitions, she enjoys helping emerging artists define their own artistic paths using innovative media forms. Gardner also assists many creative professionals with their legal needs and is passionate about finding ways to artistically express the gaps in our laws through the medium of art. Prior to starting her own law practice, Gardner worked in the King County Prosecuting Attorney's office from 2005-2008. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, serves on the Board of Washington State Arts Commissioner, volunteers as a coach for Nathan Hale High School Mock Trial and participates as an officer for the African American Leadership Forum of Greater Seattle. She loves international travel and currently splits her time between Seattle and Jamaica.
Christina Lopez
Christina López is the Seattle Comrades of Color Caucus coordinator. As the organizer of Seattle Radical Women (2005 -2012) she helped lead the chapter in defense of immigrant rights, union campaigns, and reproductive justice, and in opposition to police brutality, U.S. wars, and budget cuts targeting the most vulnerable. López also serves on the National Steering Committee of Radical Women.
Seconde Nimenya
Seconde Nimenya was born in Burundi-Central Africa. She immigrated to North America in the 1990s and first lived in Canada before moving to the United States. Seconde is an Author, an Inspirational Speaker, and a Youth Leadership Coach. Her award-winning book, Evolving Through Adversity: How to Overcome Obstacles, Discover Your Passion, and Honor Your True Self is a true story of her life journey, recounting her experiences of adversity, and sharing her life lessons to empower and inspire young people around the world.
Seconde’s mission is to help others transform their personal stories and life journeys into teachable moments, so they can live the life they want. An active member of her communities where she lived, Seconde thrives to use her writing and speaking voice to raise awareness on key global issues, focusing and promoting women and the youth’s human rights. Seconde holds an MBA, is fluent in three languages, and is an avid traveler.
Shirin Subhani and Shahana Dattagupta
Shirin and Shahana met in 2008 while doing a transformative storytelling project together, and eventually formed Flying Chickadee in 2010. Through this work, Shirin has realized that her true calling is to be a connector, and that her roles of parent, storyteller, community builder and autism advocate are all One with this calling. Shahana has realized that her true calling is to be a catalyst for awakening Love and Creativity, and that intuitive coaching with others to do this is simply the natural outcome of working within herself – it is One. Similarly, she unifies all her gifts of spiritual visualization, ideation, teaching, healing, writing, music, visual art and theater to do her intuitive coaching work.
Claudine Richardson
Claudine Richardson, is a PhD candidate at Gonzaga University and a graduate from Eastern Washington University with a double master’s degree in Public Administration and Biology. She has served as a project director for Upward Bound at Washington State University and worked at EWU as an admission advisor, international admission coordinator, and an assistant to the faculty fellow for diversity at Eastern Washington University, and teaching assistant to the department of biology. As a TRiO and Ronald E. McNair scholar, she is devoted to providing leadership in preparing first-generation, low income and/or historically disadvantaged students for college. It is also important to note that Richardson is a Dutch citizen and a product of colonization is mixed with Black, Dutch, Panamanian, Dominican, Arawak, French, British, East Indian, and Asian ancestry. She now resides in the U.S. after having lived in various parts of the world.
Emily Washines
Emily grew up on the Yakama Reservation, where she currently lives. She began film in high school and has made a few short videos. Her family taught her to gather foods, dance, sing traditional songs, Yakama language, culture, beadwork, and weave. She passes these teachings on to the younger generation including her two daughters. She serves as President of the Yakima Environmental Learning Foundation, which coordinates a yearly film series. She also serves on Museum of Culture and Environment Board member, where she assists with exhibits and an annual Salmon Run. She works as Public Relations Specialist for Yakama Nation Fisheries. She is the former Miss Yakama Nation and Miss National Congress of American Indians. She is passionate about teaching the endangered Yakama Language and practicing the cultural gathering and fishing. While much in the Yakama culture remains guarded and culturally sensitive, her approach to education and outreach remains respectful of those boundaries. The Yakama teachings along with her Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Master of Public Administration have helped Emily continue the legacy of her people.
Roxana Pardo Garcia
Roxana Pardo Garcia was born and raised in the beautiful Emerald City. Roxana’s graduated from Highline High School in 2008 being the first in her family to do so and graduating as the schools’s 1st Latina ASB President. In the fall of 2008 she start her college career as a 1st generation student on the University of Washington campus – in the Spring of 2013 she received her Bachelor’s of Art in American Ethnic Studies – during her time at UW she was a student activist and was part of the cohort of student leaders that fought to pass a Diversity Credit Requirement for undergrad graduation. Roxana is a self-defined Xicana Muxerista who was raised by a single mother in the ‘hood. She currently works as a Leadership Development Director for the Auburn Valley YMCA in a middle school running after school programs. Roxana approaches her community work with a decolonial lens-fighting for the liberation and self determination of every member of her communities. "Nothing will liberate the hood, but the hood itself."
Lori Hunt
Lori Hunt is the Director of Multicultural Student Services & Outreach at Spokane Community College. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Gonzaga University a master’s in educational leadership from Washington State University and is working towards her educational doctorate in educational leadership. She has worked in education for over 13 years, is a member of the Washington State Multicultural Directors Council and Co-Chair of the Spokane African American Graduation Committee. Currently Lori is a co-facilitator for the Intercultural Leadership Program at CCS. She enjoys spending time with her son and traveling.
Bola Majekobaje
Bola Majekobaje serves a dual role at Washington State University Vancouver as Advisor to the Chancellor for Equity Diversity and Community Engagement and as the Assistant Director for Student Diversity. Alongside staff and students, she provides diversity and equity-focused leadership associated with student recruitment, retention, strategic planning, community building, and campus climate. Her office coordinates activities and programs such as the MLK Day of Service, the Impact Volunteer Program, Noche de Familia, V-Day, the Vancouver MOU Tribal Scholarship, and others. Bola recently led efforts in the establishment of the all new Student Diversity Center in 2014. Before starting her career at WSU Vancouver in 2006, Majekobaje was an Admission Counselor at Central Washington University. She serves on the African American Advisory Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters, as an advisor for the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, and volunteers for various community-based organizations. In 2012, Majekobaje received the Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence.
Missy Takahashi
Missy Takahashi works as a Research Coordinator at the University of Washington & Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She earned a BS in psychology from the University of Washington, with a special emphasis in cognitive neuroscience. Missy has worked for over 10 years on various academic and applied research projects in areas including: electrophysiology, clinical oncology, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cognitive neurolinguistics and child development. She is interested behavioral research that investigates the connection between the mind and the body. Missy lives with her POSSLQ (Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters) of 8 years in Renton, Washington.
Kamrica Ary-Turner
Kamrica Ary-Turner is the Associate Administrator at Graham-Kapowsin High School. She has worked in education for the last six years and has spent most of her time at the High School level. Kamrica graduated from Seattle University with an Bachelors of Arts in Strategic Communications and played on the Women's Basketball team. Kamrica received her Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling at City University. While receiving her masters Kamrica worked at Federal Way High School as a Discipline Specialist while Coaching Volleyball at Federal Way High School and Basketball at Todd Beamer High School. After two years as a Discipline Specialist Kamrica accepted a position as the Dean of Students at Illahee Middle School, which she had attended as a student. Thereafter, Kamrica practiced her counseling degree at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and coach basketball at South Doyle High School. Kamrica then returned to Washington and accepted a position at Lindbergh High School in Renton as the Dean of Students. After attending the Black and Brown Male Summit in fall of 2013, she was inspired to create and support an after school group for young men and women of color titled the Band of Brothers and Sisters.
Elizabeth Rangel
Liz is a first generation student who came in contact with a mentor from the TRiO Upward Bound Program that pushed her to find education as her way out of her abusive home life. She attended Big Bend Community College and dealt with homelessness, a family member behind bars, and the responsibility of helping to raise her nephew all while attending her first two years of college. After graduating from BBCC she took the initiative to apply and was accepted to 4 universities before she decide to finish her Bachelors in Art with a minor in Spanish at Central Washington University. While attending CWU she became more interested into learning her Mexican roots and got involved in taking Spanish and Chicano/Latin American Studies classes, became the President of M.E.Ch.A. and studied in Morelia, MX at La Universidad de Latina América. She finally found her place and her full identity when she met her family in La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico. In her last year of college, Elizabeth had her daughter which helped push her to the completion of her degree. Since 2007 she has been working with students and in every level of education. She now works as the Baccalaureate Program Coordinator at Highline College and has a true passion for helping students understand their full potential and see what can be done when you don’t give up on yourself.
