From the president
Naleigha Evans, a third-year student at Simmons University is a demonstrated leader on campus and beyond who sees activism not just as an activity but as a calling. Naleigha has served in multiple leadership positions including being a Wellness Ambassador on campus, the DEI chair of the Communications Liaison, The Class of 2024 Vice President, and administrative assistant in the Multicultural center. Off campus, she is a mentor for the Chica Project. As a Newman Fellow, Naleigha will focus on Massachusetts policy work relating to the school to prison pipeline. Naleigha hopes to amplify the voices of the marginalized within the public school system to make a large-scale difference, as well as impact individual students who miss out on future opportunities.
Personal Statement
My love for activism is one that I realized in high school, where I thrived as the regional Vice President for the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils, Poetry Club founder, Black Student Union Co-Founder, and more. This activist title is not one that I ever really strived for, but something I am called to do. In my Junior year of high school, six students and I took a stand against administration who were contesting the Black Lives matter movement. Ultimately, ended up getting DEI and sensitivity training added to the curriculum and demolishing policies that discriminated against black students. After this, I realized the power of my voice and I have been advocating against everything unjust in my community. I am still heavily involved in justice work in college. I serve as a Wellness Ambassador on campus, the DEI chair of the Communications Liaison, the Class of 2024 Vice President, an administrative assistant in the Multicultural Center, and a mentor through the Chica Project. Working as the Class of 2024 VP allows me to amplify the voices of marginalized communities within my class and ensure that the entirety of our community is being represented.