ANA PUENTE FLORES, COHORT 1

Ana Puente Flores is a student and activist from Mexico City. Her activism evolves around immigrant rights, and women of color feminist movements. At City College, she majors in Political Science and is the Secretary of the CCNY Dream Team. Her experience as an interpreter in court for the Unaccompanied Minors Immigration Docket enabled her to see her place in the legal field. After law school, she plans to become an attorney and represent families at risk of deportation. Ana's path is also centered around the issue of sexual violence. She works for the Politics of Sexual Violence Initiative, at CCNY, where she has been able to research femicide narratives in Mexico City and develop the new academic program for WoC scholar-activists Beyond Identity. Ana would ultimately like to go back to Mexico City and represent low-income women with domestic violence cases in court. She also plans to merge her work and research in immigration and femicide to become a policy-maker in Mexico.

KHADIJA ADULA, COHORT 1

My name is Khadija Adula. I’m a senior and biology major at the City College of New York. I moved to the Bronx from France 18 years ago and have been a New Yorker since. I am a proud Malian although I have spent most of life in the states. I enjoy story telling in various forms whether it be spoken word, plays, structural or physical art. I’m a lover of knowledge; I look forward to traveling extensively in the future. Most importantly, I’m a big sister to six amazing beings. I value this role because it allows me to be the guide for them that I didn’t have.

I am interested in helping improve healthcare, education, and the like for communities of color. I have always had the desire to make an impact in underserved communities through medicine. At this time, I don’t know where my path will take me. I’ll be satisfied as long as am able to make a difference in the lives of others.  

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JANESSA WAITERS, COHORT 1

My identities include: Queer. Woman of color. Mother. Lover. Healer. Carrot cake aficionado. Teacher. Poet. Expert grilled cheese maker. I have a slightly Irrational fear of squirrels. Babies, pregnant people and public displays of affection make me smile. I choose to not survive in victim-hood but to thrive. I have been stressed,depressed oppressed,possessed,thankfully never had anything repossessed and still I rise. I have seen a few more birthdays than my fellow CCNY classmates, having a summer birthday as a kid was the worst. My professional aspirations will always include positions to empower children, empower women empower people of color,empower Queer and Transgender people. Inviting people to see the power they already possess is magical.