RC Staff
Demetrius Colvin (he/him)
Director of the Resource Center
As the director of the RC, my role is to maintain a centralized location on campus that recognizes and celebrates diverse and underrepresented identities and create meaningful avenues for both privileged and marginalized individuals and groups to learn together about privilege and intersectionality and actively contribute to equity on campus. Prior to Wesleyan, I worked at Macalester College, where I was the assistant director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Multicultural Life. I also previously worked as the coordinator of the Multicultural Resource Center at Amherst College. I earned my BA in international studies from Case Western and also my M.Ed. in counseling from the University of Maryland College Park. I am also an affiliate faculty member in the College of Education Studies at Wesleyan and the instructor of the course EDST 221: Decolonizing Education, where Freirean approaches to dialogue are used to help students learn about the sociopolitical realties of the educational systems within which they have been educated. If you have an idea or need that you think The Resource Center may be able to address please contact me or one of my staff members! My email is dcolvin@wesleyan.edu.
Kiara Ruesta-Cayetano (she/ella)
Assistant Director of the Resource Center
My role as the Assistant Director of the Resource Center is to support community programming for First Generation & Low-Income students, LGBTQIA students, Students of Color, and Women. Before Wesleyan, I worked at the University of Connecticut as the Program Specialist in the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center. At UConn, I also graduated with a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs. I earned my BA in Sociology and a double minor in Latino Studies and Human Development & Family Studies. I love watching anime, listening to different styles of music, and hanging out with my three cats. If you ever need or want to connect with me, feel free to reach out through my email at kruesta@wesleyan.edu.
-
As Gender and Sexuality interns at The Resource Center, we advocate for students who identify as queer, questioning, lesbian, transgender, gay, asexual, intersex, aromantic, bisexual, multisexual, multiromantic, abstinent, gender variant, and/or non-binary. We work alongside the Wesleyan community to promote intersectional feminism, womanism, and to fight for gender rights. Within our position, we spread awareness surrounding wellness, diversity, and sexual and reproductive health, as well as sex and body positivity. Gender and Sexuality Interns strive to promote civil, political, and social rights (particularly: assault and violence prevention, accommodations, and accessibility). We invite all students to collaborate with us in our work to spread awareness and uplift marginalized voices.
2023-2024 Interns: Sara Ben Abdallah, Liv Drazen, Aurora Guecia, Emmett Levy, Oluchi Chukwuemeka
-
As Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality interns at The Resource Center, our job is to reach out to Wesleyan student groups and provide support in creating and promoting events for students of color and facilitating discussions on race, ethnicity, and nationality. As a recently established position, we hold the authority to shape this job as we see relevant to most effectively advocate for change on campus and within institutional structures.
2023-2024 Interns: Meera Nemali, Sarah Huang, Alise Mackey, Maryam Badr
-
Socioeconomic Status and Disability interns work to coordinate events, offer outlets and opportunities, and facilitate dialogues for students who belong to or advocate for socioeconomic status and disability identities. We seek to form a coalition and secure representation for students who are first-generation, students who are low-income, and students who experience mental and/or physical disabilities. Our goal is to promote mental and physical health, wellness, diversity, and awareness on campus as well as at a community level.
2023-2024 Interns: Zain Punjwani, Rey Alvarez, Harmony Hoogs, Tenzin Jamdol
-
As Spirituality and Sustainability Interns, we aim to foster a more cohesive, collaborative and inclusive community for students involved in spirituality and sustainability on campus. Through conducting meetings, programs, and workshops in collaboration with both student organizations and the administration, we seek to highlight the intersections between environmentalism, spirituality, and social justice. We hope to not only support student organizations through providing materials and personal resources, but also to be a transformative force for sustainable and spiritual innovations on campus.
2023-2024 Interns: Angelina Panarello, Hyacinth Tauriac, Shekinah Mba, Calire Scott
-
As Office Assistants we staff the Resource Center’s office hours and are available to assist Resource Center interns and other students with projects related to the center’s mission. We collaborate with other staff members to create events and initiatives supporting students with marginalized identities on campus. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment in the center and be a resource for any visitors! At least one office assistant is always working in the Resource Center during all hours of operation- come find us if you have questions about the center or want to collaborate on a project!
2023-2024 Office Assistants: Shihyun William Lee, CJ, Neo Fleurimond, Guillermo Arellano, Danae Williams, Natalie Williams
-
Office Manager is responsible for making sure the Resource Center runs smoothly and is always staffed and stocked. They run the Resource Center lending library, compostable materials program, clothing swap program, space reservations, and all the inventory needs of the center.
2023-2024 Office Manager: Katelyn McCall
-
Marketing Assistants are in charge of translating great ideas and initiatives into legible and effective marketing and communication strategies through web, print, and social media. We create marketing materials for the center and work collaboratively with the Resource Center interns to ensure that all sociocultural/affinity/social justice related programs are properly represented and advertised on campus.
2023-2024 Marketing Assistants: Sophie Taubman, Aya Abdalla, Kathy Liang, Arlette Aguilera, Kiarah Young
Please reach out to any of us if you have any questions, concerns or simply want to talk! It makes our day.