Presidential Fellows
Established to introduce early career individuals to opportunities within higher education with a commitment to providing these opportunities to those who otherwise might not have entered higher education administration.
Presidential fellows are full-time paid positions, with benefits, in a specific department on campus. Fellows meet regularly together, attend lunches to connect with senior leaders and informational meetings that aim to provide a better understanding of the various areas within higher education. This experience coupled with career workshops will enable participants to successfully launch from this program into graduate school or other professional opportunities.
The goal in establishing this fellows program is to help broaden interest in and access to higher education administration and provide a rich opportunity for talented early career individuals to launch their career.
Current Presidential Fellows
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Pedro Dutra
Presidential Fellow in Advancement
Pedro Dutra (he/him) is originally from São Paulo, Brazil and Washington, D.C. and graduated from Wesleyan University in 2023 with a major in Economics and a minor in Data Analysis. He is currently the Presidential Fellow in Advancement Business Intelligence, where he collaborates with his advancement colleagues to determine business intelligence data and philanthropic indicators. He hopes to continue his career as a data analyst, where he can help people and businesses grow by making informed decisions through data. During his time as a Wesleyan student, Pedro worked as an International Student Orientation Leader and a Portuguese Course Assistant. In his free time, Pedro spends much of his time following sports and at Wesleyan he took part in intramural soccer, basketball, and softball. After an amazing four years at Wesleyan, Pedro is ecstatic with the opportunity to begin his career at the school that offered him so many fantastic opportunities and memories. -
Sara Eismont
Presidential Fellow in Student Affairs
Sara Eismont (they/she) grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Wesleyan University in 2018 with a major in Sociology and a minor in Data Analysis. They are incredibly excited to be serving as the Presidential Fellow in Student Academic Resources, where they will be focusing on Accessibility Services. They care deeply about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work, and are very passionate about promoting accessibility through an intersectional framework. While a student at Wesleyan, Sara immersed themselves in classes focused on the construction of identity, as well as how individuals and communities interact with the institutions around them. Outside of the classroom, they were involved in educational access work both on and off campus, serving as an Academic Peer Advisor and working with organizations such as Let’s Get Ready. Since graduating, they have worked in admission and residential life at an independent school in Westchester, NY. In their free time, they can be found spending time with their two cats (Georgia and CJ), crafting, and watching all things reality television. -
Anya Kisicki
Presidential Fellow in University Communications
Anya Kisicki (they/them) graduated from Wesleyan University in 2022 with a degree in the College of Letters and a minor in Film Studies. They hail from Phoenix, Arizona originally, but have made Connecticut their home since arriving at Wesleyan in 2018. During their time as an undergraduate, Anya worked as an academic peer advisor, designed the lighting for several student film productions, served as the Sailing Team’s Social Captain, and whipped up countless tasty coffee drinks at the bookstore café. Their undergraduate thesis, Me/You, explores mother-daughter relationships within the patriarchal and white supremacist structure of institutionalized motherhood. Blending memoir, theory, and literary analysis, their thesis earned departmental highest honors in the College of Letters. After graduating, Anya taught middle school English Language Arts in New Haven at Elm City College Prep Middle. As a fellow in University Communications, they have taken point on the Democracy in Action Initiative, producing media that explores the role that Higher Education plays in fostering democracy. Anya hopes to continue their work at the intersection of Education and Media in the future.