Undergraduate Institution: Dickinson College
Undergraduate Major: Socio-Cultural Anthropology and Women & Gender Studies
MAPSS Concentration: Socio-Cultural Anthropology
MAPSS Graduation Year: 2016
I came to MAPSS directly out of my undergraduate program with the goal of further interrogating the intersections between gender, ethnicity, race, identity, and the notion of ‘belonging.’ I am an advocate for diversifying higher education, implementing inclusive practices, and increasing access to educational opportunities for all. My thesis, titled “Bridging the Culinary Gap: Community, Place-making and Identity Construction in a Chicago Senegalese Restaurant” explored the sociocultural implications that food plays in constructing or reifying one’s identity as an immigrant. Throughout my time on campus, I took courses such as “Race and Immigration in the U.S.,” “Social Stratification,” “When Cultures Collide,” and “Race in Contemporary American Societies” that provided me with a theoretical framework that I still use in my work today.
In my current role as the Associate Director for Diversity Outreach at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business I oversee the outreach and recruitment initiatives for the full-time MBA program. My position is dedicated to diversifying the full-time MBA program by working with prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds, including women, members of the LGBTQIA community, and students of color. In my role I often draw upon my experience at MAPSS, with an emphasis on data analysis, critical race theory, and diversity and inclusion best practices.
I remain involved with the MAPSS community today, acting as the Co-Chair of the Events Committee within the MAPSS Alumni Association in Chicago.
