2022 Cohort

Jaime Morales

Jaime (pronounced Hi-meh) Morales is a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut specializing in sport management. His research interests are in Latinidades and sports with a particular interest in bicultural Latina/e/o/x sporting identities and critically examining sports-based youth development initiatives within Latina/e/o/x communities. Jaime earned two master's degrees at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and an undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. Jaime is a proud son of a Tejana migrant farmworker and a Mexicano inmigrante.

Ayaa Elgoharry

Ayaa earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut as a double major in English, and Human Development and Family Studies. She also earned an M.S. degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Rochester. During her graduate journey, she worked with Refugee and Asylum Students, International Students, Greek and Residential Life, Athletics, Multicultural Student Affairs, and Academic Advising for Undergraduate STEM Majors. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Ayaa worked as an academic advisor for graduate/undergraduate Computer Science and Data Science students at Indiana University. She was nominated to serve on the campus-wide Indiana University Staff Council, where she worked with a team to implement effective policies and practices to support staff and faculty members on campus. Ayaa’s research interests include collegiate and professional athletics, higher education, and social justice.

Yasmin Elgoharry

Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, Yasmin grew up on the East Coast. Yasmin is a first-generation scholar, who graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a B.A. in Communication and  Journalism. Yasmin has also earned an M.S. degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Rochester. During her graduate journey, Yasmin worked with TRIO programs, Undergraduate and Business Graduate Admissions, Greek and Residential Life, Multicultural Student Affairs, and directly with international students. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D. at UConn, Yasmin worked at Indiana University-Bloomington (IU) as a full-time Career Coach, Adjunct Faculty, and a Faculty Advisor for the National Association of Black Journalists IU chapter. During her time at IU, she served on the campus-wide DEI Career Services committee, and as the Co-chair for the Hire Big10+ Consortium Leadership & Development Knowledge Community. Yasmin is committed to initiatives that focus on equity, inclusion, and social justice throughout college and the local community. Yasmin’s research interests include but are not limited to international comparative education; (anti)blackness in contemporary North Africa; de/anti/postcolonial theories in education; academic freedoms and censorship.

Daisy Torres

Daisy Torres is currently the Director of Services for Multilingual Learners, Dual, and World Languages for Hartford Public Schools and overseas programming and services in one of the largest school districts in Connecticut. Under the leadership of Ms. Torres and her team, over 400 students in Hartford have been awarded the Seal of Biliteracy. She is also leading efforts in the recruitment and retention of 14 teachers from Puerto Rico as part of an innovative Paso a Paso program to diversify talent. She is a Bilingual (English & Spanish) educator with over 20 years of urban school experience at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Prior to Hartford, Ms. Torres was the Director of Bilingual, ESOL, World Language & Parent Engagement for New London Public Schools where she created New London’s first-ever Parent University, launched Latinos in Action, a college and career readiness program for middle school students, and lead program development and design for the district’s magnet Dual Language and International Studies K-12 pathway.

In December 2019, Ms. Torres published her first bilingual (Spanish & English) children's book with 1010 publishing entitled "I'll See You On The Bridge," a heartfelt story about a young boy, the beautiful relationship with his dog, and pet loss. Ms. Torres was awarded the Outstanding Educator Leadership Award with the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS) in 2018 and was the 2022 Curriculum Associates/ALAS $10,000 scholarship recipient that will be used to complete her doctoral studies. From Southern Connecticut State University she has earned her Master of Arts Degree in TESOL/Multicultural and Bilingual Education, her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish. She earned a Sixth Year Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education at the University of Connecticut with a focus on the lack of Latino/a/x women in executive leadership roles in K-12 education.

2021 Cohort

Sandra Silva-Enos

Hometown:

I was born in Lima, Peru, but grew up in both New London, Connecticut, and Waterford, Connecticut.

Which academic program are you in?

I am currently in EDCI [the Department of Curriculum and Instruction] focusing on Bilingual and Bicultural education.

Why did you seek to join the Holmes Program at UConn’s Neag School?

I sought to join the Holmes program because I believe in the power of mentorship and peer support. I think there is something so powerful in community support and mentorship, and as a student of color it is not always easy to find that community in the higher education world. The Holmes Program makes that world more of a reality. 

Where were you previous to joining the program?

Prior to joining the program, I was working on a research project focused on sociocultural competence in the dual language classroom. I was and am working with a fabulous research team who are dedicated to the importance of critical consciousness and equity for our linguistically and culturally diverse students.

What do you hope to learn/gain through your experience in the Holmes Program?

Through this experience I hope to gain a network of support and be able to provide support, mentorship, and encouragement to others. I hope to fuel and continue my strength, motivation and determination through interactions with mentors, who look like me and have similar life experiences, who have found their place in the world of academia.

Kenya M. Overton

Kenya Overton is a current doctoral candidate in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Having earned her BA and MS in Mathematics from Westfield State College and the University of Mississippi respectively, and 6th Year in Ed Leadership from UConn, Kenya is passionate about ensuring that racialized groups have access to a high-quality mathematics education. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D. in Secondary Mathematics Education, Kenya devoted nearly 20 years in public education as an administrator, teacher, and mentor in schools across the country, including states like; Connecticut, Tennessee, New York, and Massachusetts. She has also taught mathematics at the Community College and University levels. Her research interests include: organizational structures, policies, and practices in secondary schools that promote Black math success, developing equity-minded math educators, and empowering students in math through Hip-Hop pedagogy.

Anamaria Arteaga

Anamaria is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in School Psychology at the University of Connecticut under the advising and mentorship of Dr. Lisa Sanetti. Originally from Rhode Island, she grew up in a bilingual home. Her parents, originally from Colombia, South America, spoke both Spanish and English at home and emphasized the importance of maintaining her heritage language and culture throughout her life since she was young. In addition to her coursework, she is pursuing a graduate certificate in educating bilingual learners so that she can assist educators with knowledge in consultation to best support multilingual students. She is currently a graduate assistant with Community Outreach. She primarily works with first and second-year students in the Human Rights and Action Learning Community as the service-learning course instructor. Before enrolling at UConn, she worked in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), providing services to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other related disabilities. Currently, she is gaining experience as a practicum student in an alternative high school setting for students with varying special needs. In addition to her broad research interests in implementation science, applied behavior analysis, and consultation, she is specifically interested in researching best practices in supporting the implementation of social, emotional, and behavioral interventions by instructional assistants in alternative high school programs across the school and community settings.

Clarisa Rodrigues

Hometown:

Monroe, Connecticut

Which academic program are you in?

Educational Psychology, Special Education doctoral program

Why did you seek to join the Holmes Program at UConn’s Neag School?

Where were you previous to joining the program?

What do you hope to learn/gain through your experience in the Holmes Program?

Dominique Battle-Lawson

Hometown:

Washington, D.C., raised in Silver Spring, Maryland

Which academic program are you in?

Ph.D. in Reading Education

Why did you seek to join the Holmes Program at UConn’s Neag School?

Where were you previous to joining the program?

What do you hope to learn/gain through your experience in the Holmes Program?