Young Educated Ladies Leading

May 19, 2018 — Highline College

purpose

Get Involved

Learn how you can get involved with this year's Summit.

Goal

To empower and motivate our young women of color to excel in academics and to accept nothing less than excellence from self.

Objectives

Critique life, education and careers social norms that inhibit young women of color from being recognized for their success.
Highlight the achievements in spite of the obstacles/barriers that they face.
Contextualize their self-identity socially, culturally, historically, and politically by giving the women of color a sense of self and value of self.

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agendaView Adult/Chaperone Agenda

8:00 - 8:45 am	Registration
8:45 - 9:00 am	Welcome
9:00 - 10:00 am	Keynote Address: Dr. Joy DeGruy History! Trauma and Education This presentation focuses on helping young women find their voice to move themselves and their community foreword by choosing Integrity in the moment of choice.
10:15 - 11:00 am	Debrief with guiding questions
11:10 am - 12:25 pm workshops	Ashley McGirt Putting Self First #SorryNotSorry Putting Self First- explores the importance of self-care. Participants will learn ways to manage their time to include self-care into their daily schedules. They will learn how to avoid burnout and how to find the confidence in saying yes to themselves without feeling the need to apologize. Participants will learn what happens in the body when self-care is not placed as a priority. Cassandra Aguilar Remix to the Remix: The ongoing process of discovering YOU When I was a little girl I wanted to be a veterinarian, doctor, therapist and a million other things. It took me four different careers before the age of 30 to understand what my role in this world is. Who do you aspire to be? What does society say you should be? Along the way of discovering our purpose in life, there can be stressors finding out who we are and what we want to do. This workshop is geared towards discovering your WHY and who you can turn to when you need help during the process of knowing yourself. Dawn M Webster Wait?! You Mean I Have A Choice? We make choices every day and many times a day. Most of us do it without thinking and really understanding the power we have over the 'next steps' in our lives. We often wonder 'why is this happening to me', that question can take away your power if you leave it there. What if we changed the dialogue to ‘ok, so this happened to me and I am not sure why, but I can make a choice as to how it will affect me’. This workshop will give you an opportunity to decide your outcome and make the necessary choices that will lead you there. Donna Miguel Reclaiming our Gardens Author, poet and activist Alice Walker found it necessary to distinguish feminism through the lens as a Black woman, thus creating the term “womanist.” Many other women of color would add on to the womanist scholarship, adding their voices to give distinction from White feminist issues that don’t apply. This workshop will address our need of sacred space for bonding, healing, reflecting and sharing accomplishments. In the age of white feminism, from the Womxn’s Marches and #MeToo, it is imperative that women of color understand the importance of unapologetically creating space and time for ourselves and one another, and reclaim our sacred gardens. Erin Jones Embracing Your Fearlessness This workshop will be devoted to helping young women embrace the beauty of their stories - the good, the bad, the ugly. Students will have the opportunity to share with one another in order to recognize we ALL experience struggles and challenge. These can either break us or make us better. Young ladies will be inspired to capture a vision for their lives that is bigger than themselves and will inspire them to push through difficult circumstances. The workshop will be a blend of storytelling, partner and small group discussions and interactive activities. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, MA The Power of Your Story for Change For many years, women were told stories that we didn't have the power to make our own choices or the voice to speak up for ourselves. Many of us have listened to these stories and we began to write a narrative from the voices of the oppressor. This workshop will engage in ways to re-story the negative narrative for change and how to utilize the power of code-switching as a way to co-create cohesive communities. After the workshop, women will be empowered to show up with passion, authenticity, and acknowledging that the power to change the world already exists within. It’s time to use it, and most importantly build upon it, unapologetically. Kiana Fuega O ai lou igoa? - bvewaQWho is your name? What’s in a name? Everyone has a name that tells a story. In Samoa, the proper term to ask someone their name is to ask, “O ai lou igoa?” or “Who is your name”, rather than what. A reminder that our names are not only our own personal label but are also tied to the character, origin, and importance of those who came before us. This workshop gets you to tell the story of your name as it precedes you—and identify ways in which you will continue in creating a story that will be told for the future. Students will: • Think critically about the power in a name •Reflect on the historical erasure of women’s names and contributions •Develop sisterhood with other participants through meaningful dialogue •Will identify an origin and/or meaning to their name •Build confidence by developing their own definition and story of who their name is Laura Yañez & Tasmia Moosani Navigating College As Womxn Of Color Students will learn ways to advocate for themselves as they think about college and their future goals. This workshop will provide students tools to navigate college as a woman of color. Through the workshop, students will be able to lean on each other and build their own communities that would support them through this process. Martha Molina When Nos lead to a Yes; embracing your inner monsters along the way Introduction will include an ice breaker where we all identify our inner monsters. What is that keeps us from moving toward our goals. I will talk about my inner monster of being undocumented describing my financial challenges while in college to support my education. From asking friends for money directly, to cold calls to local Latino business leaders, all the Nos eventually pointed to one yes, the only yes I would need to fund my education and begin a career in law related-field work. Activity: have each girl pair up with another girl and take two minutes to convince one another to open their fist. They will try different strategies and whether they’re successful or not they will switch to convince the other to open her first. After that small activity, we will have a five minute discussion to talk about their strategies and explain how this is real life every day. We will the. Break up into groups for the remainder of the 30 minutes and have the girls brainstorm conflict they have in common that may keep them from attending college, whether is legal status, financial, etc, and have them list three common conflicts with three solutions. For the discussion part, I will give each table about two minutes to share their conflicts and solutions. The goal is to share that we face similar problems every day and even to get to college, but if we stick together, we can come up with solutions and support one another in our goals. Rocío Carrión Unapologetic Womxn #ISlay #IThrive #IAintSorry Young womxn have the power to make social change by challenging societal norms and expectations. The main goal of my workshop is to have a meaningful and open conversation about our value and place in this world. · Objective 1: To facilitate learning on how to be an unapologetic womxn of color by finding one’s voice, building confidence over time by training our brain, knowing one’s self-worth and learning how to grow one’s market value. · Objective 2 : To demonstrate how as womxn of color we are able to take lead in our lives and how it is our duty to work together. We make this happen through education, unity, trust, respect and empowerment. Discussion topics will include societal expectations on womxn, gender roles, wage gap between men and womxn, and the intersectionality of it all. Sui-Lan Ho'okano Reestablishing your rightful place... As we begin to bring culture in curriculum and historical truths to education, we discover and uncover truths of ourselves as well. We must remember that "We have to know ourselves in order to grow ourselves" and that in itself can be a journey, especially for those who are just as complex as our environments. It is critical to develop healthy skills and ways to build our authentic selves and bring that into our perspectives spaces... We really do have to own our spaces, and we do this by reestablishing our truths. Having the skills and support is a critical component in understanding this... This workshop will help students to learn about their complex identities and cultural credits into their journey. They will view movements and stories that will allow them to gain knowledge and resources to build their own individual strengths and authentic self in a healthy supportive way. Vanessa Hara and Angieline Savini #NOFILTER Changing the lens: Compassionate letter writing will help practice being supportive, loving, and caring for yourself. Practice in this helps tone down destructive, negative thoughts and begin to embrace your true potential.
12:25 - 1:10 pm	Lunch
1:10 - 2:25 pm workshops	Angel "Moonyeka" Alviar-Langley WHAT'S POPPIN' LADIEZ?!: Home movement, embracing femininity, and free style How can womxn of color witness each other? How can we hold space for those close to us, for those not close? Is there a space we can experience joy and process grief at the same time? In this workshop, we will be exploring movement (through Street Styles practices and methodologies) as a way to claim space individually and together. We will learn about cyphering and how we can look to each other, music, and movement as forms of energy, contribution, witnessing, and healing. Ashley McGirt Putting Self First #SorryNotSorry Putting Self First- explores the importance of self-care. Participants will learn ways to manage their time to include self-care into their daily schedules. They will learn how to avoid burnout and how to find the confidence in saying yes to themselves without feeling the need to apologize. Participants will learn what happens in the body when self-care is not placed as a priority. Cassandra Aguilar Remix to the Remix: The ongoing process of discovering YOU When I was a little girl I wanted to be a veterinarian, doctor, therapist and a million other things. It took me four different careers before the age of 30 to understand what my role in this world is. Who do you aspire to be? What does society say you should be? Along the way of discovering our purpose in life, there can be stressors finding out who we are and what we want to do. This workshop is geared towards discovering your WHY and who you can turn to when you need help during the process of knowing yourself. Erin Jones Embracing Your Fearlessness This workshop will be devoted to helping young women embrace the beauty of their stories - the good, the bad, the ugly. Students will have the opportunity to share with one another in order to recognize we ALL experience struggles and challenge. These can either break us or make us better. Young ladies will be inspired to capture a vision for their lives that is bigger than themselves and will inspire them to push through difficult circumstances. The workshop will be a blend of storytelling, partner and small group discussions and interactive activities. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, MA The Power of Your Story for Change For many years, women were told stories that we didn't have the power to make our own choices or the voice to speak up for ourselves. Many of us have listened to these stories and we began to write a narrative from the voices of the oppressor. This workshop will engage in ways to re-story the negative narrative for change and how to utilize the power of code-switching as a way to co-create cohesive communities. After the workshop, women will be empowered to show up with passion, authenticity, and acknowledging that the power to change the world already exists within. It’s time to use it, and most importantly build upon it, unapologetically. Martha Molina When Nos lead to a Yes; embracing your inner monsters along the way Introduction will include an ice breaker where we all identify our inner monsters. What is that keeps us from moving toward our goals. I will talk about my inner monster of being undocumented describing my financial challenges while in college to support my education. From asking friends for money directly, to cold calls to local Latino business leaders, all the Nos eventually pointed to one yes, the only yes I would need to fund my education and begin a career in law related-field work. Activity: have each girl pair up with another girl and take two minutes to convince one another to open their fist. They will try different strategies and whether they’re successful or not they will switch to convince the other to open her first. After that small activity, we will have a five minute discussion to talk about their strategies and explain how this is real life every day. We will the. Break up into groups for the remainder of the 30 minutes and have the girls brainstorm conflict they have in common that may keep them from attending college, whether is legal status, financial, etc, and have them list three common conflicts with three solutions. For the discussion part, I will give each table about two minutes to share their conflicts and solutions. The goal is to share that we face similar problems every day and even to get to college, but if we stick together, we can come up with solutions and support one another in our goals. Michelle Barreto Leveraging Community Cultural Wealth within White Spaces I will be utilizing Tara Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth Theory to discuss resiliency within White spaces, specifically higher education and beyond. The first 30 minutes will provide the framework for this theory, including a brief summary of Critical Race Theory, Community Cultural Wealth, and the concept of making identity center and prevalent. The theory rejects deficit thinking and highlights how our communities give us strength and power in White spaces. I will also frame this with my personal narratives to connect it to practice. Nikki Gane Walk it Out Countless children face day to day hardships without a connection to steps to deal with their pain in a positive manner. After experiencing homelessness firsthand and now running a nonprofit organization I feel that getting in front of "" our girls"" provides an outlet for the many unanswered questions they have about all levels of poverty and homelessness. Our workshop center around self-care and internal development to assist with learning much needed "" real time life skills"". We provide alternate routes to managing every day peep pressure and stress and learning to celebrate our paths. My focus is based on a self-care platform which is also shared with our young women facing homelessness. Nyema Clark Herbs Into Income The goal of this workshop is to allow individuals to identify a variety of herbs as well as understand growing techniques, and how to produce a value added product. During this workshop participants will begin by a brief history of the program and photo slides next we will work together to use only their sense of smell to identify a variety of herbs. After identifying all of the species we will be working with for the day, individuals will learn growing techniques as well as popular uses for each ingredient. The 2nd part of our workshop will allow participants to select ingredients and produce their own value added product. Attempt a pitch and share the experience. Rocío Carrión Unapologetic Womxn #ISlay #IThrive #IAintSorry Young womxn have the power to make social change by challenging societal norms and expectations. The main goal of my workshop is to have a meaningful and open conversation about our value and place in this world. · Objective 1: To facilitate learning on how to be an unapologetic womxn of color by finding one’s voice, building confidence over time by training our brain, knowing one’s self-worth and learning how to grow one’s market value. · Objective 2 : To demonstrate how as womxn of color we are able to take lead in our lives and how it is our duty to work together. We make this happen through education, unity, trust, respect and empowerment. Discussion topics will include societal expectations on womxn, gender roles, wage gap between men and womxn, and the intersectionality of it all. Roxana Pardo Garcia Cardi B and the Respectability Politics of Womxnhood Who gets to define Womxnhood ? How does respectability politics make it so we continue to exclude certain womxn from the feminist movement and spaces? In “Cardi b and the respectability politics of Womxnhood” we will look at the historical legacies of colonization, patriarchy, and whiteness to dismantle the how and why we exclude certain womxn, like Cardi B, from the protections of mainstream feminism. What parts of our womxnhood do we suppress to please the male and white gaze? Let’s learn how to dismantle these problematic and colonial constructs and step fully, and powerfully, into our self-defined womxnhood. Sui-Lan Ho'okano Reestablishing your rightful place... As we begin to bring culture in curriculum and historical truths to education, we discover and uncover truths of ourselves as well. We must remember that “We have to know ourselves in order to grow ourselves " and that in itself can be a journey, especially for those who are just as complex as our environments. It is critical to develop healthy skills and ways to build our authentic selves and bring that into our perspectives spaces... We really do have to own our spaces, and we do this by reestablishing our truths. Having the skills and support is a critical component in understanding this... This workshop will help students to learn about their complex identities and cultural credits into their journey. They will view movements and stories that will allow them to gain knowledge and resources to build their own individual strengths and authentic self in a healthy supportive way.
2:40 - 3:25 pm	Closing Keynote
3:30- 4:00 pm	Event Closing

registration

Registration Now Closed

Registration for the 2018 Y.E.L.L. Conference has reached capacity and is now closed. Please email us or call (206) 592-3301 if you have any questions.

Frequently asked Questions

Registration

Do I need to register for the summit?

YES. ALL ATTENDEES, BOTH STUDENTS AND ADULT CHAPERONES, MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND

When I tried to register, it said that registration had closed. Is there a waitlist I can get on?

Unfortunately, we are unable to have a waitlist for the summit. Registration is capped at our capacity plus 30 percent, which takes into account the substantial number of no-show attendees on the day of the summit.

I forgot to register/registration is closed. Can I just show up to the summit?

Only registered students will be guaranteed admittance to the summit. If an unregistered student shows up on the day of the summit, they will be required to wait in the will call area until all registered students have been processed. In the event that there is still space available after all the registered students have been admitted, unregistered students will be admitted in the order that they arrived. After we have reached capacity, any remaining unregistered students are required to leave the campus for liability purposes.

Attendance

Why can’t middle school aged students attend?

Although we have allowed 8th grade students to attend in previous years, the summit is now reserved for high school students only for the following reasons:

Maturity level: The planning committee strives to bring presenters and topics to the summit that speak to current events and issues important to young students of color. As many of the topics discussed revolve around the dense and multi-faceted issue of social justice, many middle school students do not have the comprehension level needed to both engage in, and respect, this dialogue.

Behavior: Attending the summit requires students to have the strong personal responsibility and critical listening skills that are more common in older students; we simply do not have the staff or the ability to continuously monitor individuals who need to be reminded consistently to behave appropriately.

How long is the summit?

The summit is an all-day event, from approximately 8:00am to 4:00pm.

What if I arrive late?

We cannot facilitate late arrivals. Our registration and check-in tables open at 8:00 am sharp and close promptly at 9:15 am when the keynote speaker begins. IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 9:15 AM, EVEN IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE SUMMIT.

Cost, Location, and Programming

How much does it cost to attend?

The summit is FREE to attend.

Where is the summit?

The student summit is located in the Student Union Building (Bldg 8) on the Highline College campus, with adult chaperone programming located in Building 7. Individual student workshops are held in various classrooms on campus; students are escorted by summit volunteers to and from these classrooms.

Do I need to bring my own food?

No. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided for you.

What workshops will I be attending?

Workshops will be assigned as students are processed through the registration table the day of the summit.

I want to see a particular workshop presenter. How can I ensure a seat in her specific workshop?

To ensure equal workshop sizes, students are assigned a workshop. Students are not able to choose their workshops. However, workshop presentations are thoroughly screened by the Y.E.L.L. Planning Committee to ensure each workshop is equally informative, engaging, and impactful.

For Adult Chaperones

I’m an adult chaperone for a school/organization but I don’t know which students I’m bringing yet. Can I just hold some spots?

No. All attendees (both students and adults) must be registered individually to attend. We can NOT hold spots under any circumstances.

I’m a chaperone and some of the registered students I was supposed to bring can’t come. Can I substitute different students in their place?

No. If a student or adult has registered but is unable to attend, they cannot substitute another individual.

As a chaperone, will I stay with my student throughout the day?

No. Adult chaperones/attendees and students are on different activity tracks in different buildings. The summit is for the students and part of the impact of the summit comes from being able to have real, open dialogue. Please respect this space and understand that you will be reconnected with your students at the close of the summit.

I’m a chaperone who is bringing multiple students. Can I send you a list of the students attending instead of registering them all?

We greatly appreciate attendees or adult chaperones registering themselves and/or their students. Having attendees or chaperones directly enter their information increases accuracy, so we politely ask that you register attendees individually.

I want to see a particular workshop presenter. How can I ensure a seat in her specific workshop?

As the summit is geared focused and created for high school aged females, chaperones are not permitted to sit in on these workshops; adult chaperones are able to view the keynote speeches remotely but have a fixed adult chaperone agenda in an adjacent building.

This is a valuable, transformative event that I want to be a part of. How can I get involved?

If you would like to volunteer at this year’s or a future Summit, please contact Rashad Norris or Rickitia Reid.

My students received a t-shirt/lanyard/giveaway item. Do adult chaperones also receive giveaway items?

Unfortunately, adult chaperones are ineligible to receive giveaways. As Highline absorbs the entire cost of the summit, we decided to limit giveaways to students to increase the quality and quantity of items they receive.

Will all my students stay together if I bring a group of students?

One of the values of the summit is to encourage meaningful conversations and create new friendships. In order to facilitate this, students are assigned to workshops by individual rather than by school. Some students in you group may end up in the same workshop by chance, but it is highly unlikely that you student group will stay together for the entirety of the summit.

keynote speaker

Dr. Joy DeGruy

Education

Dr. Joy DeGruy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication, a master's degree in Social Work (MSW), a master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Work Research. Dr. Joy DeGruy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter. She is an Assistant Professor at Portland State University and the President of JDP Inc. Dr. DeGruy has over twenty-five years of practical experience as a professional in the field of social work. She conducts workshops and trainings in the areas of mental health, social justice and culture specific social service model development.

Published Works

Dr. Joy DeGruy authored the book entitled Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Enduring Legacy of Injury and Healing, which addresses the residual impacts of trauma on African Descendants in the Americas. Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome lays the groundwork for understanding how the past has influenced the present, and opens up the discussion of how we can eliminate non-productive attitudes, beliefs and adaptive behaviors and, build upon the strengths we have gained from the past to heal injuries of today.

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: "The Study Guide" is designed to help individuals, groups, and organizations better understand the functional and dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors that have been transmitted to us through multiple generations. The Guide encourages and broadens the discussion and implications about the specific issues that were raised in the P.T.S.S. book and provides the practical tools to help transform negative attitudes and behaviors into positive ones.

Dr. DeGruy has published numerous refereed journal articles and has developed the "African American Male Adolescent Respect Scale" an assessment instrument designed to broaden our understanding of the challenges facing these youth in an effort to prevent their over-representation in the justice system.

Randall Robinson, Al Sharpton, and many more have praised the book. Susan Taylor, Editorial Director of Essence Magazine says that "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is a master work…Her book is the balm we need to heal ourselves and our relationships. It is the gift of wholeness." Adelaide Sanford, Vice Chancellor of the Board of Regents for the State of New York states that "Dr. Joy DeGruy’s mesmerizing, riveting book is vital reading for our time…With Dr. DeGruy’s potent words we can and will heal."

In addition to her pioneering work in the explanatory theory and book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, she has developed a culturally based education model for working with children and adults of color.

presenters

Angel "Moonyeka" Alviar-Langley

"Angel Alviar-Langley (aka ‘Moonyeka) is a sick and disabled queer Filipinx femme street-styles dancer who utilizes art creation and organizing to realize a more inclusive and intersectional world for the communities she comes from. Her current projects for 2018 include expanding WHAT’S POPPIN’ LADIEZ?! into a mentorship program for young brown femmes of color, ""In The White Frame"", a work exploring the multi-racial experience in ""post-racial"" America that will be premiered at Northwest New Works, and so much more! Moonyeka is also a choreographer and dancer of Au Collective – a dance collective that puts women, queer folks, and POC at the forefront. When not battling, Angel is a teaching artist for Arts Corps + Spectrum Dance Theater, helps runs an open dance session (VIBE) for immigrant youth at Yesler Terrace, and coaches LIL BROWN GIRLS CLUB. Follow Moonyeka by subscribing to their mailing list (moonyeka.com) and donate to WHAT’S POPPIN’ LADIEZ?!.

Angieline Savini

Angielene Agliam was born in the Philippines and raised in South Seattle. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at Washington State University. Angielene is experienced in sales, marketing, property management, and real estate. She is passionate about serving the community and working with youth in pursing a higher education. Both Angielene and Vanessa are proud members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and are committed to empowering women and the community.

Ashley McGirt

Ashley McGirt is a speaker, author, and licensed mental health therapist. McGirt has received a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. McGirt has an extensive amount of experience working with vulnerable populations, including work in prisons, medical and psychiatric hospitals, homeless shelters, hospice, and long term care settings.

Cassandra Aguilar

In 2011, Cassandra earned bachelors’ degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Eastern Washington University (EWU). While at EWU, she was a McNair Scholar and had the privilege of presenting her research, The Correlation Between Working Memory and Verbal Time Estimation at the Western Psychological Association Conference in Los Angeles, CA, and National Conference of Undergraduate Research in New York. In 2013, Cassandra was awarded the Howard Coughlin Memorial Scholarship to help her achieve her goal of obtaining a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership at Seattle University. Today, Cassandra works as a contracted recruiter with Microsoft, and in her spare time volunteers with College Success Foundation and TEALS to ensure that students from underrepresented communities have access to every career opportunity.

Dawn M Webster

I am a very proud mother of two wonderful young men. My "why' is, that every day I pour into the lives of others, intentionally working as a tool to help crack open the light inside of them and the beauty they have offer to the world. Without judgement or expectation, I gently love them until they arrive at their amazing! A journey that includes faith, authenticity, grace, truth and a lot of laughter.

Donna Miguel

Donna Miguel is a senior associate professor at Bellevue College, and teaches various types of reading and writing classes in the English department. As a proud Filipina-American born to immigrant parents, her lived experiences and learned knowledge of racial literacy and gender inequities allow her to integrate issues of empowerment, intersectionality, privilege and power in her classes. Her current research project focuses on how cultural taxation impacts health and wellness of people of color, and on the radical act of self-care that is necessary for self-preservation, especially for women of color in higher education.

Erin Jones

Erin Jones is a 26 year locally and nationally-award-winning educator. She is also the 1st Black woman in WA to run for statewide office. Erin speaks 4 languages, plays basketball, soccer and runs half-marathons. This year is her and husband, James, 25th wedding anniversary, and they have 3 adult children.

Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, MA

Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell is a doctoral candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA. Born and raised on the island O'ahu, Hawaii she considers herself a Pacific indigenous scholar, storyteller, a Wayfinder, a student, a transformative leader, and designer of change. It is her hope is to share the wisdom of what it means to be an indigenous leader and the power of Storytelling. A living, breathing, dynamic and real skill which includes aspects such as genuine adaptive capability, multi-dimensional intelligence, empathetic humanity and the kind of authenticity and ethical conviction that grows valiant and honorable people.

Kiana Fuega

Kiana Fuega is a Hawaii-born Samoan from the villages of Olosega, Manu'a and Leone in Amerika Samoa by way of Tacoma, Washington. Much of her work is focused on relationship and community building, of which she credits her cultural upbringing for instilling. She is a strong community advocate within Washington’s greater Pacific Islander community, implementing culturally relevant leadership building and mentorship with youth. Kiana is a founding member of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth Health & Wellness initiative through the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, an organizing member of Washington’s UPRISE Pacific Islander Education Summit, the ASPIRE Summit, and serves as an acting board member for the Samoan Arts & Academic Competition. Kiana is a spoken word artist, a fellow of the Native and Pacific American Leadership Institute (NAPALI), and mother to Hinevai-Mele Fuega. She is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle with a BA in Anthropology where her studies included a focus in applied & indigenous anthropology and decolonization.

Laura Yañez

Laura Yañez is a LatinX immigrant part of the LGBTQ community and they were born and raised in Colombia. Currently, Laura is pursuing a Master’s degree in Student Development Administration at Seattle University. Laura also works as the Commuter and Transfer Commons Manager at the University of Washington. Laura plans to dedicate their life to fighting for social justice, human rights and to reducing barriers in higher education for students of color and other underrepresented communities.

Martha Molina

Martha is a Highline College and University of Washington alumni studying Journalism, Political Science and Spanish. Graduating during the 2008 recession while undocumented didn’t leave her with many options, but giving up wouldn’t be one of them as she knew her five younger siblings watch closely how she coped with this serious circumstance and her desire to study law. With help from the Latino community, her peers and support from family, she managed to still find a career that shared her passion for legal work without attending law school. Today, Martha is going on 10 years as a workers compensation professional. She lives in Federal Way with her husband Mario and Chihuahua babies, Buttercup and rescue Dixie.

Michelle Barreto

I am a graduate coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) at Seattle University. In my role, I strive to create and facilitate programming and events that support historically marginalized students. Prior to OMA, I worked at DigiPen Institute of Technology as the Student Life & International Student Advisor. I identify as a Boricua-German military brat from Lakewood, Washington and enjoy knitting, cooking, and drinking tea in my spare time.

Nikki Gane

My name is Nikki Gane and I am the founder and executive Director of a nonprofit organization called Dignity for Divas. We support women experiencing homelessness by providing personal care items to remind them of their value.

Nyema Clark

Nyema Clark is a Seattle native with a passion for the planet and our community. Nyema is Founder and Director of Nurturing Roots Farm located on Beacon Hill, a program committed to addressing food justice issues in the community and an organizing keyholder of the Black Power Epicenter collective. As a small business owner her strength and overall goal is founded in youth empowerment and community economic sustainability.

Rocío Carrión

My purpose in life is to serve and inspire lives. Through resilience I have embraced my life as an undocumented Latinx womxn of color where I can thrive. I am the Executive Director and Co-Founder of I AM Empowerment LLC, a leadership organization that inspires individuals to discover and believe in their potential, passion and purpose. I will be taking my organization around the world to touch the lives of people wherever I go. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), serve as a member of the YWCA Racial Justice Committee, lead a community undocumented support group in Yakima, and was currently appointed to the City of Yakima Community Integration Committee. Soon, I will be launching a second company with the mission to empower womxn to be self-advocates, unapologetic and power-driven individuals.

Roxana Pardo Garcia

Roxana Pardo Garcia aka La Roxay is a self-identifying Xicana Mujerista that was born and raised in Burien, Wa. Roxana is a speaker, presenter, event MC, facilitator, and poet. She uses indigenous knowledge and her genetic memories to do work that will allow people to live with dignity, respect, self and collective determination – because we know, nothing will liberate the hood, but the hood itself.

Sui-Lan Ho'okano

The daughter of George Ho'okano and Lucille Fernandez-Fraticelli Sui-Lan Ho'okano is from the Island of Hawaii Hilo and is of Hawaiian, Taino Indian, Puerto Rican, African, Chinese, French ancestry. Sui-Lan Ho'okano current journey is as The Cultural Program Manager for the Enumclaw School District and works collectively with the Muckleshoot Tribe and the surrounding educational institutions and communities. Sui-Lan has over 25 years working collectively with institutions and communities in honoring and Reestablish understanding of Indigenous intelligence cultural capital and its traditional shared values. Sui-Lan Ho'okano continues to share her ma'nao gifts that she was gifted and believes by standing firmly in the present, with our backs to the future, and our eyes upon our past. We are able to access the deep and abundant ʻike (knowledge)of our Kupuna (elders) It is through our Kupuna and their wisdom that we will be able to grow, cultivate, elevate, and expand our ʻike for the benefit of self, ʻohana, community, and ultimately our global.

Tasmia Moosani

Tasmia was born & raised in Southern California and attended UC Irvine for undergrad so she is a proud Anteater (Zot Zot)! She developed a strong passion for helping students succeed in higher education because of the obstacles she faced as a first-gen, low income student in college. After graduating from undergrad, she moved to Seattle to pursue my masters and currently work as an academic advisor at SU. Outside of school and work, I'm very passionate about social justice, food, ice cream, music, basketball and spending time with friends/family.

Vanessa Hara

Vanessa Hara was born and raised in Seattle, WA and is currently completing her doctorate in clinical psychology at Pacific University. She works as a psychology intern helping improve the health and wellbeing of patients at Providence Hospital. Vanessa is passionate about increasing mental health access for people of color and addressing mental health disparities.

Bahia Overton

Bahia Overton holds a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work. She is completing her Ph.D. in Social Work Research, focusing on the experiences of African American female adolescents in foster care. She is the Executive Consultant for Joy DeGruy Publications and assists Dr. DeGruy in researching historical trauma and developing new models and methods for culturally responsive service delivery. Bahia served for more than 15 years as a Child and Family Therapist and community social worker. Bahia assists with training and development for educational institutions and government agencies in creating and sustaining equitable policies and practices. Bahia is the Owner of Bahia Honey Beauty and Well-being, an manufactures natural hair and skincare products. Bahia resides with her husband, children, Nasir (14) and Naime (12) and cousin (10) in Vancouver, Wa.

Nicole Hoyes Wilson

Nicole Hoyes Wilson currently serves as a Faculty Counselor at Highline College. In this role she provides mental health counseling, outreach, and education to the Highline community. She has a passion for social justice, building community, and helping others reach their goals and find healing. Much of her work has focused on the intersections of oppression and mental health; namely, the impacts of racial trauma, sexism, and homophobia on one’s sense of self. Nicole is originally from Washington, and grew up in Puyallup and Federal Way. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and Social Work from Pacific Lutheran University, her Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) with an emphasis on multi-ethnic practice from the University of Washington, and most recently her Masters of Arts (M.A.) in Community Counseling from Seattle University. Prior to becoming a counselor, she worked as a case manager for families experiencing homelessness and domestic violence. In addition, she has over 15 years of student affairs experience at Everett Community College in the Diversity & Equity Center, and most recently at Seattle University.

Allison Masangkay (2018 Y.E.L.L. DJ)

Allison Masangkay (DJ Phenohype) is a sick and disabled queer Filipinx femme artist, student, and social justice advocate. Her work is influenced by and dedicated to her childhood in northern New Jersey, survival in Sequim, Washington, ancestral memory, and diaspora feels. Her sets include a range of genres, especially Jersey club, soul, hip hop, and house. allisonmasangkay.com/phenohype

location

Highline College is located at:

2400 South 240 Street, Des Moines, WA 98198

All Summit sessions will take place on the first floor of the Highline Sudent Union (Building 8)

View campus map →

Please email us if you have any questions.