From the president
Jessica Cruz ’26 is a BA candidate in Educational Studies at Trinity College with a deep commitment to educational equity, community engagement, and building inclusive communities. She leads withempathy, collaboration, and hands-on involvement across both academic and co-curricular settings. Jessica’s work ranges from direct classroom experience and mentoring local high school students in college-level courses to conducting community-based research with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and RE-Center Race and Equity in Education. At the heart of her approach is a commitment to working within communities by listening to lived experiences of systemic inequities and co-creating solutions with those directly impacted. On campus, she serves as President of the Asian American Student Association, a Senior PRIDE Leader, and a Posse Scholar. She also strengthens campus–community connections through her involvement in the Trinfo community garden and her documentary filmmaking. Jessica’s thoughtful leadership and reflective practice make her an outstanding representative of Trinity College and a strong voice in the next generation of civic leaders.
Personal Statement
My early experiences navigating inequitable educational settings started my passion for engaging with schools and communities around me. In my work towards equity advocacy and change in and outside of classrooms, I came to recognize the importance of understanding systems and the power in community building. My approach to addressing social and community issues is based in non-hierarchical and hands-on methods. Physically participating and learning with students, parents, and school faculty and staff has informed my work in creating a relevant and inclusive curriculum. Prioritizing critical analysis and social empathy in my education background drives my problem solving methods for broader societal issues. In this way, I go beyond outside-perspective research and instead embed myself in communities to understand first-hand experiences and valuable context. On campus, my collaborative experiences outside the classroom facilitates mutual exchange of knowledge and growth — I learn from communities as much as they learn from me. Ultimately, I strive to continue change through cultural and social responsiveness by a participatory and collaborative approach in both youth and community work.