Cohort 18

Over the past decade, Gary Albury has built a robust career in higher education, working across various roles focused on student success, retention, and support. His journey in educational leadership has included significant positions at both two-year and four-year institutions, as well as non-profits, reflecting a deep commitment to fostering inclusive and supportive educational environments. He holds a Master of Science in Sociology from Morgan State University and is currently pursuing an applied doctorate in educational leadership. As a first-generation college student, his path was greatly influenced by his background, with his mother, a single parent with a high school education, instilling the importance of education to overcome adversity.

Currently, Gary serves as the Dean of Student Success and Equity, leading programs including Learning Communities, Mental and Health Services, Undocumented Resource Center, Student Onboarding and Retention, and the Veterans Resource Center. He has developed and executed a wide range of programs aimed at enhancing the student experience, from leadership workshops to diversity programs. His experiences have equipped him with strategic planning and financial management skills crucial for effective educational leadership. Additionally, as a former student-athlete and avid sports fan, Gary understands the importance of balancing academics and extracurricular activities, bringing a unique perspective to his work.

Myeshia Armstrong is a Senior Administrator with over twenty years of experience in California higher
education. As an educational leader, she is committed to creating an inclusive, innovative, and adaptive
infrastructure that supports student success and access to higher education for all students. Her career in
the California State University and California Community College systems has given her extensive
knowledge of business operations within public institutions. She has established a successful record of
managing a combined portfolio of institutional assets valued over a billion dollars. Myeshia currently
serves as the Vice President of Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer at California State
University, East Bay. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President of Finance and Business at East Los
Angeles Community College. Her professional experience includes leadership and oversight of key
administrative units such as accounting and budget, payroll and personnel, facilities maintenance and
operations, construction management, information technology, procurement, risk management and
campus safety.

Myeshia holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University, Long Beach. She also
holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Myeshia devotes her time to serving the community through the following organizations: Board Member
of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; Fellow of the Los Angeles African American
Women’s Public Policy Institute; and Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. In her spare
time, she enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

Tramaine Austin-Dillon (he/him) is from South Central Los Angeles and graduated as a first-generation college student with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Washington State University. After a brief career in radio, he shifted to higher education at UCLA and later earned a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University.

With over 10 years in higher education, Tramaine has focused on students' personal, social, and academic success, specializing in residential education, student programming, Black male success, community engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

He is currently the Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs and Initiatives at Sonoma State University, where he promotes a sense of belonging and engagement. Tramaine is pursuing his doctorate to advance Black Communities at Hispanic Serving Institutions.

He credits his MoM with instilling a deep sense of pride and the belief that knowledge is power.

Dionne Blackman-Moeller is a dedicated practitioner and scholar committed to education equity and workforce development. Born in St. Louis, MO, and raised in Oakland, CA, she draws strength from her large, Southern-rooted, Black, military family background. With 30 years of experience in healthcare and nearly a decade in non-profit education she is excited to join and contribute to cohort 18. To date, she holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Sacramento State University, specializing in Workforce Development Leadership. Her academic journey also includes a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Human Development from California State University East Bay, as well as an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts: Behavioral and Social Sciences from Los Medanos Community College. Dionne’s career and academic journey reflect her passion for fostering educational opportunities and improving workforce outcomes, particularly for BIPOC students. She joins San Francisco State's doctoral program eager to contribute meaningfully to the field of education. Beyond her professional life, Dionne resides in Pittsburg and cherishes time with her three adult children. She is a gastro-traveler who delights in exploring new restaurants, cuisines and cultures via food, while embracing her personal mission to “taste the world” as her one bucket list item. She dedicates this journey to her beloved, late husband Scott whom she lost to brain cancer in 2015.

Imani Ali Bosley has served as a public servant for over 4 years and looks forward to serving in the Bay Area as a new community member and change agent. As an undergraduate student, Imani received services from TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) and was chosen as a TRIO Ronald E. McNair Scholar where she completed a summer research project. Imani also had the opportunity to complete an internship through the TRIO Upward Bound Math & Science Center (UBMSC) which further increased her interest in providing innovative, educational opportunities to diverse groups. These experiences as well as the level of support and guidance she received at her Alma mater led her to seek opportunities to challenge and rebuild systems in place that continue to marginalize students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Imani earned her bachelor’s degree in social work and her master’s degree in urban leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Imani chose San Francisco State University (SFSU) because she believed that she would receive a high degree of commitment to her academic and personal success and she was correct in doing so. Imani hopes her admittance into this university and doctoral program serves as a reminder to those considering pursuing their education in any capacity that being bold can lead to new opportunities as well as growth. 

Imani aims to serve as a driving force for intellectual, ambitious, and creative Black men like her husband who continue on their journeys to uplift and be sources of light for everyone around them as well as Black boys like her 2-year-old son who are gifted, loving, and capable of achieving everything they set their minds to accomplish.

My name is Markenya Broughton. I currently work as a special education teacher in a special day class for the San Francisco School District in my fourth year. My goal is to obtain my Doctorate in leadership from SF State within the next three years, with my Doctorate I plan to help teach educators and families how to advocate properly and understand the services that their child has access to. two things that I am proud of are that I put myself through SF State while mothering three children and working full time. Also, my oldest is on her way to college following in the path to educate yourself. One fact about me is I never give up.

Stephanie Chenard has been in the community college system for more than 20 years. She began as a student at Diablo Valley College taking classes between full time work, until transferring Mills College. There she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in both English Literature and Philosophy and then continued to work for several years in the business and legal arenas before completing a Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School.

Stephanie spent several years as a Sustainable Business and Educational Consultant who works with various businesses and educational institutions implementing sustainable solutions and programs. Stephanie has also written curriculum and taught at several learning institutions such as City College of San Francisco, Heald College, Casa Loma College, U.C. Berkeley Extension and Presidio Graduate School. She was faculty and a Department Chair at many of these schools.

Stephanie also spent several years in the public sector as a government analyst, managing contracts and grants, including grant making, and program building. In this role, she worked for the Mental Health Services Act, where she managed contracts for Community Service Agencies focused on community-based behavioral health programs, housing for adults with Serious Mental Illness, and Workforce, Education, and Training. She moved into Homelessness and Housing, before she finally ended up at the San Francisco Fire Department as a civilian grant writer and contract Manager.

Stephanie remained in the classroom at different colleges, teaching during this time, until February of 2020, when she moved back into education full-time in the role she now serves in as the Director of Contract Education, Adult Education, and Extension Programs at City College of San Francisco.

When she’s not in the classroom, or in the office, Stephanie is busy being active in driving equity initiatives in local school programs, and social causes around improving food systems as well as local AIDS organizations. She frequently spends her weekends writing short stories, embarking on quests with her son, finding new camping adventures, or cooking inventive meals for family and friends.

Reginald Constant is the Public Services Librarian at Laney College in Oakland, California. He holds an MLS from the CUNY Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College and a master’s degree in Adult Education from San Francisco State University. His research interests are the digital divide, online learning, and community college students of color.

As an educator of 15 years, Christina’s practice is deeply rooted in the belief that students deserve a transformative, culturally relevant educational experience. She is committed to empowering youth to shape their own futures and positively impact the world. With an M.A. in African-American Studies, B.A. in Sociology and Black Studies, Christina has a diverse background in education, having worked as a Special Education instructional aide, Intervention Coordinator, and an Educational Equity and Family Engagement Coordinator. Her roles have also included serving as the Equity Lead at the Restorative Equity Partnership and currently as the Acting Program Manager of Social Justice Pathways and African American Studies Adjunct Faculty at Contra Costa College. The next chapter of her journey in education is to obtain a doctorate in Educational Leadership, which will not only afford her the opportunity for personal growth, but the chance to become a better advocate of marginalized students.

A native of Los Angeles County, Christina enjoys spending her free time visiting Southern California, engaging in DIY interior design projects, and going on family vacations with her daughter and husband.

Fernando is an assistant principal at Galileo High School. Fernando loves Sci-Fi and the occasional hike. Also a big fan of Depeche Mode and the Mexican band Caifanes. His all time favorite author is Borges and the short story anthology Ficciones or Fictions. In the doctoral program, Fernando hopes to expand his understanding of the issues currently affecting public education and become a better advocate for students and their families. He enjoys the cohort model and is excited to learn alongside the rest of the doctoral scholars.

Darleen Franklin is a trailblazer who dedicates her time to advocacy and community service. Since 2006, she has been the lab manager for the microbiology teaching lab courses at San Francisco State University (SF State). Her invaluable contributions to SF State's strategic growth and success were recognized with the 2024 Distinguished Staff Award. Her impact spans campus committees, improving teaching and research settings, and the campus community for students, faculty, and staff.  Darleen has served as a PERC (Promoting Equity & Relationships amongst Colleagues) fellow, implementing restorative justice practices that address harms within the SF State community that fall short of Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation thresholds.

In 2021, she collaborated on the Biology Department’s BioSLAM project, which transformed the undergraduate science learning experience in a remote setting, focusing on equity and inclusion. In 2024, she served as the chair for the Antiracism sub-committee for student recruitment in the College of Science & Engineering and co-chaired the SF State of Women Summit in 2018 and the SHE LEADS 2023 conference.

Her work extends beyond the university, impacting the broader San Francisco Bay Area. As a microbiologist, she was the catalyst scientist who led the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system to replace cloth seats with wipeable materials, enhancing public health. Darleen was also one of the founding members of the City College of San Francisco Parent Exchange Program (PEP), which supports college students with children. In roles like Hospitality Chair and Co-Chair of the Science Fair Review Board in the Greene Scholars STEM Program, she inspires the next generation of African-ancestry students in the Bay Area.

Outside of her professional commitments, Darleen takes pride in supporting her husband, a judo coach, and their two sons at judo tournaments. She cherishes the time spent with her family and is proud to be a US Navy Veteran Mom.

Alex Guiriba serves as the interim vice president of student services at College of San Mateo (CSM). He has nearly two decades of experience as an educator and is a tenured faculty member at CSM where he counseled, taught, and coordinated programs.  Alex helped co-found the Katipunan Filipinx Learning Community at CSM in 2019 and established the college’s student ambassador program in 2007. Alex has worked in classified staff and adjunct faculty roles at CSM and his leadership experience also includes administrative experience as an associate dean and dean at City College of San Francisco (CCSF).  

Alex holds an associate of arts from College of San Mateo, a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s in counseling from San Jose State University. His research interests include how California Community Colleges can better support Filipinx males and address barriers to their educational and career goals. Alex was born in San Francisco and grew up in San Mateo County. He is a father, husband, brother, and proud son of Filipinx immigrants. Beyond his work and academics, Alex is a golfer, car enthusiast, and is a diehard fan of the Warriors, 49ers, Giants, and California Golden Bears.

Shuleen Chau Martin (she/her) is a Physics Professor and current Physical Sciences Department Chair at Diablo Valley College (DVC) in Pleasant Hill, Ca. Before teaching at DVC, Shuleen held various careers. She worked as a clinical dietitian in hospitals and in public health research, she studied astrophysics, and most recently was as a long term substitute teacher, primarily in high school science courses. She is a passionate educator, committed to helping students navigate the road to STEM careers and reflecting on her own journey as a woman of AAPI, European American and Native American heritage, she is dedicated to bringing equity to STEM fields.

Shuleen holds a B.S in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics and an M.S. in Physics from San Francisco State University.

Shuleen lives in Pleasant Hill, CA with her husband, her children and their cat, reptiles, chickens and bees. In her spare time she enjoys reading and gardening.

Currently serving as the Head of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Almaden Country Day School in San Jose, Jane is a K-8 educator and leader with over twenty years of experience.

Growing up in the Midwest and on the East Coast, she was passionate about the arts. Jane believes that all children should have the opportunity to explore music, theater, and dance and that these experiences are essential for their personal and creative development. 

Jane received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology from Iowa State University and her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from San Jose State University. As a certified Positive Discipline Classroom Educator, Jane is passionate about empowering young learners. She believes that “mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn,” and instills this growth mindset in her teachers and students. 

Jane’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging drives her to create school communities where every student, family, and colleague feels valued and empowered. In particular, Service Learning has been a passion project for Jane. She believes that creating positive change that includes student voice and project choice results in meaningful learning opportunities and contributions to the community.

As she embarks on her journey in the Ed.D. program at San Francisco State University, Jane is eager to engage in original and meaningful research that will have a powerful impact on education and contribute to the development of future educational leaders. A lifelong learner, she remains dedicated to inspiring and empowering her students and colleagues alike.

Demont (He, Him) Is an Oakland Native. He has been a Student Affairs Professional for the past 15 year. Currently Demont works as The Director of Campus Recreation at San Francisco State. Demont has served at several CSU and UC schools within California.

In 2013 Demont Co Founded Run The World Clothing. Run the world is a clothing line aid to educate, empower, and inspire through clothing & activations. 

Demont earned is B.A. in Sports, Entertainment Marketing from Cal Poly Pomona. During this Degree Demont got to conduct research marketing with local professional teams and enhance their fan experience. In addition, Demont got to research the social and economic impact with respect to the Super Bowl and the host city.  Demont went on to obtain his M.A. in Sports Management.  This allowed Demont to research the impact of Colligate recreation and student graduation rates.

As a doctoral student, Demont plans to research student career readiness post-graduation with respect to degree selection.

Max Portillo (he/him) is a bilingual Spanish-speaking Richmond, CA native who attended Contra Costa Community College and transferred to San Francisco State University, where he earned a BA in Psychology. Recently, Max graduated from SFSU with an MS in College Counseling. Max believes in transforming barriers into bridges for all communities and intercepting the school-to-prison pipeline through interventions rooted in educational opportunities and student engagement.

Currently, Max works as an Adjunct Counselor for the EOPS program at Contra Costa College, where he also teaches transferable counseling-related courses. He loves working with students one-on-one and in classroom settings, focusing on each individual holistically to support their academic, personal, and professional growth. Additionally, he serves as the Assistant Program Director for the Boys & Girls Club in Richmond, CA, allowing him to make a significant communal impact.

Growing up, Max faced numerous obstacles, making higher education seem like an unattainable dream. He strives to be a beacon of hope for his community and beyond, advocating for social equity and justice for all individuals. His experience working with diverse age groups, from elementary school to college students in low socioeconomic communities, has shaped his transformative perspective and commitment to creating positive change.

Now, Max embarks on a new chapter, continuing his education at San Francisco State University to pursue a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. This journey marks not the end, but the beginning of a mission to empower others to overcome their challenges and achieve their dreams.

Heather Mendelsohn Posner (she/her) has spent over 20 years in the field of early childhood education. She holds an MFA in Cinema and an MA in Education both from SFSU. Her work includes many years working in museums beginning with the Boston Children’s Museum where she discovered her love for working with young children. She spent seven years at the Bay Area Discovery Museum developing programs for children and families, as well as founding the first museum preschool in California.

Raised in an assimilated Jewish family her ethnic and cultural heritage led her to spend time working in synagogues and studying Jewish education and philosophy. This work has inspired her to incorporate Jewish values into her life’s mission to create a truly equitable and inclusive school. In 2020 Heather made the difficult decision to leave a position at the Oakland Museum of California to take over the preschool in her small East Bay town of Crockett. Since then Carquinez Garden School has grown to become one of the few progressive, nature based ECE programs in the region. Heather also works with the Center for Wellness and Nutrition (a program of the Public Health Institute) to build sustainable edible teaching gardens at preschools serving low-income families.

Her scholarly work is firmly rooted in educational philosophy, and she is deeply inspired by the work of Jerome Bruner. She is particularly focused on analyzing the philosophical systems in dominant ECE practice: Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio Emilia. With a keen interest in rhetoric Heather uses narrative inquiry, semiotics, heuristics/hermeneutics and critical theories to interpret and interrogate original texts in the canon of educational philosophy. Her dissertation aims to understand explicit and unarticulated socio-historic values of seminal works and how they inform contemporary teaching practice. She has presented in varied conferences on the topics of teacher research, nature based learning and the use of narrative in preschool classrooms.

When not studying or working Heather adores time with her beautiful son and husband, working in her “goth garden” and traveling the country with her friends to see her favorite musician: Ryan Adams. 

Bird Sellergren (they/them) is a non-profit founder, disability advocate, and coach for autistic adults and their loved ones. Their responsibilities include non-profit program design, donor engagement, facilitation, support, and education. At the core of their work is the autism community, where they support individuals of all ages in building self-advocacy skills and the confidence to live authentically. Additionally, Bird has extensive experience in art and design and holds a communications position with the Health Equity Institute and the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Hub at San Francisco State University.

Bird earned a B.A. in Landscape Architecture from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in Anthropology from San Francisco State University, specializing in autistic culture, history, and stigma. As an Ed.D. student at SFSU, they intend to research the potential for culturally responsive pedagogy in autism-specific sex education.

Bird has a track record as a change-maker through opportunities in the non-profit sector designing and implementing social support for autistic adults, media appearances about their work and research, neurodiversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and disability accessibility consulting. They have the potential to increasingly impact educational curricula and policy.

Outside of their professional pursuits, Bird is a watercolor painter, a Buddhist, a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and a dog parent. They spend much  time walking their dog, Lulu, in Golden Gate Park while listening to audiobooks.

Joniqua Smith brings over 12 years of experience in diverse educational settings, including preschools and elementary afterschool programs, where she has been dedicated to serving families from various backgrounds. Born and raised in San Francisco, Joniqua is passionate about giving back to her community and ensuring that children receive high-quality learning experiences through her leadership.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Child Development and a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from San Francisco State University. Currently, Joniqua serves as a Manager at a preschool Head Start program. Her leadership vision focuses on creating opportunities for children, families, and staff from diverse backgrounds, with a strong emphasis on empowerment, quality, inclusion, respect, and resilience.

As a first-generation college graduate and the oldest of nine children, Joniqua’s personal journey deeply informs her professional goals. Outside of work, she enjoys shopping, traveling, and trying new foods. Her two children are a significant source of motivation, inspiring her to build a lasting legacy through her work and the opportunities she creates for them and others.

Marvin was born and raised in Pomona, California. Growing up he undermined his abilities to succeed academically in an educational setting because of the vicious labels placed upon him as a Black male. He has overcome many hardships along his journey building him into the resilient individual he is today. Marvin dropped out of high school later returning to complete his General Educational Development Test (GED) at the Pomona Adult & Career Education. In 2008, he continued to pursue his education at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). He credits Mt. SAC for providing him with a foundation for success. Marvin graduated from the University of La Verne with a Bachelors of Science in Sociology and recently completed his Masters of Education in College Counseling Emphasis at the University of Redlands summer of 2023. 

Marvin has 15 years experience of working in the community and systems of education. He currently works at the College of Alameda as an Adjunct Counselor for the Rising Scholars Network. Marvin also is the CEO/Founder of Throne Vision Clothing, LLC. Previously, he provided mentorship, implemented and managed programs servings diverse groups of student populations for various nonprofit organizations in both Lynwood and Pomona Unified School Districts. Marvin has engaged in community activism organizing events and programs in efforts to uplift the youth through throughout the Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Furthermore, he worked closely with previously incarcerated youth from South Central, Los Angeles and adult inmates in the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) located in Norco, California and Luzira Prison located in Kampala, Uganda by volunteering for the Prison Education Project (PEP) and Reintegration Academy (RA).

Marvin has relocated to Northern California to expand his knowledge and expertise in education. He is compelled to join efforts with others to ensure equity among students in the community college system. Marvin has confidence SFSU Doctorate in Educational Leadership program will provide an intellectual and theoretical foundation to prepare him for the responsibilities of public leadership and service in administration.

Daniel Tostado was born and raised in the San Francisco Mission District. Being raised during the peak of gang violence, he unfortunately lost several friends due to gang violence. During high school, his priority was surviving, as a result, he struggled direly academically. It was only until Skyline College, particularly the Puente Program, that he realized that his experiences were a social problem rather than just a personal one. He soon became determined to become a change agent. As a Campus Ambassador, and President of the Latin American Student Club, Daniel began to impact youth immediately and received the Karl S. Pister Scholarship to attend the University of Santa Cruz, where he earned a joint major in Latin American Latino Studies and Literature. He then earned his Masters in Social Work from San Francisco State University.

Daniel Tostado has worked with youth in various capacities for the past twenty years. He has served as the Herman@s Program Coordinator at Skyline College, a Social Worker at San Mateo County Child Protective Services, a School Social Worker at San Francisco Unified School District, and is currently a School Social Worker for San Mateo Union High School District at Peninsula Continuation High School. He is also the Professional Development Coordinator for his site. 

Daniel’s professional passion is to give hope to those who feel hopeless. As far as his personal life, he is an avid Bay Area sports fan and loves baseball. He has coached various baseball teams previously, from little league to high school, but now he’s looking forward to coaching his four children. 

Adolfo has worked in higher education for 20+ years. First as an Academic Counselor at SF State’s Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) for 10 years, simultaneously, he worked part-time at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) before getting a tenure track position at CCSF as an Academic Counselor in the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) before retiring in 2021 as chair of EOPS. Working in EOPS allowed him to work where my passion lied, working with disadvantaged, marginalized students, including English language learners, formerly incarceration folks, undocumented (AB 540) students and students coming from a low-income household. Two years after retiring as an Academic Counselor, Adolfo began teaching part-time at SF State in the Counseling Graduate program and Latina/o Studies major.

As a lifelong learner, Adolfo truly values education, something inherited from his family in Nicaragua, Central America. His grandfather, Dr. Adolfo Velasquez, was a physician in Nicaragua and his father was just shy of completing a pharmacy degree before he immigrated to the US (San Francisco.) Two years after graduating from Riordan High School in San Francisco and as a young parent, Adolfo earned an A.S in Electronic Engineering Technology not knowing where it would land, the Engineering Tech degree would serve him for 22 years, the last 18 in medical imaging at private company, Imatron Inc., building CT Scanners, a machine he would come to use later in life after being diagnosed with cancer. While working at Imatron, which offered tuition reimbursement, Adolfo earned an A.A at CCSF, a BA in Psychology with an Ethnic Studies (Raza Studies) minor and a M.S in Counseling at SF State. Adolfo was laid off from Imatron, along with 80% of the workers in spring 2004. Adolfo completed the final semester in the Counseling program and began working soon after at CCSF at the Advising Center.

Adolfo is a 13-year cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer) in February 2011. It was while he was in a GRE prep course at SF State, in preparation to apply for the Ed.D.  Educational Leadership program at SF State that the cancer symptoms appeared. Needless to say, applying to the Ed.D. program was derailed until now. Adolfo retired following his third major cancer related surgery (Brain surgery) in Aug 2019, removing a mass from his frontal lobe, metastasis from the original kidney cancer.   A year after retiring from CCSF Adolfo earned his latest A.A degree at CCSF, in Critical Middle Eastern – SWANA Studies degree. In 2022, after several CCSF faculty members lost their positions due to the Board of Trustee vote to lay-off faculty and staff workers, Adolfo decided to run in the San Francisco elections trying to win a seat as a CCSF Board of Trustee, though he did not win, he plans to run again in 2026. Adolfo is the father of three adult kids with five beautiful grandchildren. For fun, he enjoys listening to music (many genres), Cuban salsa dancing, working out at the UFC Boxing gym, yoga and being in nature.

Sharron SK Williams aka GariWomanPoet is a Garifuna woman, a poet, a lawyer and a teacher. She was born and raised in Belize, Central America. She is a member of the Garifuna ethnic group whose people are located in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Sharron has family from all four countries and was thus raised connected to all four. Her family later immigrated to New York City where she lived until 2001.

As an attorney she practiced plaintiff side asbestos litigation, bankruptcy and immigration law. She comes from a very long line of teachers and always felt that teaching should be a part of her legacy. She therefore put aside law practice and began teaching in 2017. She has taught from transitional kindergarten to 8th grade. Sharron’s goal is to ultimately become an education leader.

Besides being an attorney and educator, she is a writer and spoken word poet whose pen name is GariWomanPoet. Sharron has performed in many venues in the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Japan and her home country of Belize. She has published a number of poetry chapbooks and has two others in the works. She is an avid traveler whose goal is to visit as many countries as possible learning about and connecting with the many peoples of African descent globally. She is editor of an online newsletter, African Diaspora Reconnections–A Search for Afro Descended People. Sharron enjoys traveling to the Continent and loves learning about the numerous people and cultures that exist there. Sharron is fluent in English, Garifuna, Spanish and has working ability in Swahili and French.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Hunter College, City University of New York, law degree from Fordham University School of Law and her master’s degree from Holy Names University. Sharron has three adult children who all live on the East Coast.