John Contreras is the Sociocultural Programming Manager within Student Involvement. He graduated from Roosevelt University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and received his master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from Western Illinois University. In his free time, he can be found reading poetry, playing video games, reading/watching manga/anime, and hanging out with his three cats. Mentor: Alberto Maldonado
Derrick Langston is a Success Coach in the Black Student Cultural Center. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a bachelor’s degrees in Radio/Television and Speech Communication, a master’s degree in communication studies, and is currently a Doctoral candidate in UWM’s Communication Department. Outside of work and research, Derrick enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, reading, watching basketball, drawing, cooking, comics, movies, music, weightlifting, and writing. Mentor: Joe Walzer
Cassia Patrick has spent the past 8 years growing with UWM. She started as a student employee in 2016, became a full-time staff member in February of 2021, graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Communication in May of 2021, and continues this growth today in her role as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator with IT Professional Services. Cassia’s areas of professional interest include change management, quality communication, and student outreach & engagement. Outside of UWM, she spends her time working as a special effects makeup artist, doing her nails, and watching movies with her friends and family. Mentor: Ariana Meyers
Thomasina Jenkins is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Social Work Field Liaison in the Social Work Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Throughout her social work career, Thomasina has provided services in a variety of child welfare and clinical settings, established a private mental health practice, co-founded Black Clinicians Milwaukee, LLC, and served on the executive committees of UWM’s African Diaspora Council and Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination. Her interests include eliminating barriers to education and mental health services, and she enjoys reading books, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. Mentor: Elizabeth Drame
Gabriela ‘Gaby’ Dorantes is a Senior Advisor & Success Coach at the Roberto Hernández Center (RHC) and serves as the Success Coaching Coordinator for all four of UWM’s Multicultural Student Centers. Gaby earned her bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Broadcasting & Electronic Communication and Spanish. Her master’s degree is from UWM where she studied Cultural Foundations of Community Engagement & Education. Informed by a passion for justice and equity, Gaby’s work centers on bolstering BIPOC student excellence at UWM. Outside of work Gaby is active within Milwaukee’s community via board memberships and is an avid supporter of the arts. In her free time, Gaby loves to dance, practice yoga, cook, and spend time with family and friends. Mentor: Robin Van Harpen
M. Estrella Sotomayor is a Senior Teaching Faculty in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she developed the Spanish for Health Professionals Certificate and teaches courses on language and culture. Her research focuses on reproductive rights in Latin America, particularly mass sterilizations and reproductive violence in Puerto Rico. She is also a Global Studies Fellow for 2024-2025 and enjoys spending time with friends and family, gardening, and practicing hot yoga. Mentor: Jennifer Doering
Aliah Taylor joined UW-Milwaukee in December 2021 and currently provides administrative support to the Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) program through her work in daily operations, as well as in the graduate program. Additionally, she’s passionate about creating electronic media on behalf of CSD because she believes in the significance of highlighting the achievements and efforts of the program, students, faculty and staff. Aliah also serves on the Asian Faculty and Staff Association (AFSA) Steering Committee. Outside of work, Aliah enjoys baking, testing recipes, exploring, and being outdoors. Mentor: Becky Lang
Susi Gomez Kennedy is the manager of the Student Employment Program at SET, where she conceptualizes and implements innovative programming to support supervisors and students alike, including recurring conferences and the on-campus internship program. She also serves as a member of NACE’s Technology Task Force, researching the impact of A.I. on career services. Her experience includes serving as Manager of the University of Oregon’s NOMAD Undergraduate Research Program. Susi was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, and spends her free time with her husband and toddler exploring child-friendly activities around Milwaukee. Mentor: Ilya Avdeev
Mia Valenzuela is the Assistant Director of the Women’s Resource Center. She graduated with her bachelor’s in social work from UWM and is currently working on her master’s in social work at Aurora University. In her current role at the WRC, she supervises the lovely WRC student staff and WGS interns, as well as oversees programming and daily office operations. She’s extremely passionate about creating safe spaces for students to learn intersectional feminism both with and from each other. Outside of work, Mia can be found dancing, reading and writing poetry, exploring Milwaukee, and hanging out with her two cats! Mentor: Becky Freer
Madiha Ahmed has been teaching as a member of the Industrial and Manufacturing Department since 2018. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky and completed her Master’s in Industrial Engineering at UWM, with a focus in workplace ergonomics. In her free time, Madiha enjoys being a foodie, exploring Milwaukee, reading, and being with friends and family. Mentor: Daâd Saffarini