Coverdell Fellows Students
Alumni
Biannca Fisher
Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2017
Biannca is a proud native of Detroit. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bennett College with a BA in Special Education. After graduation, she completed a term of service in the Peace Corps as a Special Education and Youth Literacy Advisor in Jamaica. After Peace Corps, she served in AmeriCorps for a year in Philadelphia at College Possible as a High School Coach helping low-income scholars navigate the college admissions process and SAT prep. She has worked extensively with academically gifted and academically challenged scholars and is proud of the significant achievements of her scholars. Biannca's desire for sustainable, results-oriented community building led her to the field of Social Work. As a Coverdell Fellow in the School of Social Work's Community-Based Initiative program, she hopes to gain more practical skills to become an effective community organizer. Knowing that there is no comparison to the transformative power of a superior education, she is currently working on forming an educational non-profit. After earning her MSW, this 21st century global-minded champion will leverage her knowledge and resources via technology to provide 24/7 access to exceptional educational opportunities to underrepresented students in underserved communities.
Mikayla Bowen
Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2016
Mikayla Bowen spent most of her life in Michigan, which is perhaps the very reason she desired to see more of the world. Mikayla attended Michigan State University for her undergraduate studies, specializing in Social Sciences and Secondary Education. Education is what drew her to social justice issues, as she saw how schools perpetuate systems of oppression. After two years of teaching in the United States, she knew it was time for a change and joined the Peace Corps. She served as an education volunteer in South Africa. While her primary focus was teaching English to grade 6 and 7 learners, her favorite moments occurred outside the classroom. Her proudest accomplishment was applying for a Let Girls Learn grant, through which she was able to host a workshop on challenging gender norms. The workshop brought together stakeholders from diverse organizations, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Department of Basic Education, and rural schools, clinics, and non-profit organizations. She also cherished the time she spent teaching literacy to grade 1 students and simply enjoying being welcomed as a true member of her host family and community. Mikayla's experiences in South Africa have taught her cultural humility and have inspired her to pursue community organizing in her career as a social worker.
Sarah Cullen
Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2017
Sarah grew up in Seattle, Washington and graduated from Western Washington University in 2012 with a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and French. She served in the Peace Corps in Benin,West Africa from 2013-2015 as a rural community health volunteer. There she focused on maternal and child health as well as education advancement at the local middle school. One of her biggest projects was fundraising to expand the school and add four more classrooms. She most recently worked for Seattle Public Health, meeting with families who participated in a food assistance program. She worked with them on nutrition education, child development and access to resources. As a Coverdell Fellow in the Community Based Initiative she wants to work with the people of Detroit in pursuing social change and economic sustainability. She has a passion for working with children, youth and families as well as immigrant and refugee populations. She also hopes to work internationally again to gain further knowledge into how social workers in America can be more effective in the fight for social justice.
Tahrima Khanom
Coverdell Fellow Student Admitted 2017
Tahrima is a first-generation American who immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh at the age of 5. She grew up in the vibrant city of Hamtramck, MI and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and served in Uganda for 2 years as a Literacy Specialist. Her proudest achievements in the Peace Corps include co-directing a national conference on corporal punishment and gender-based violence; serving as a facilitator and a lead curriculum development team member at the annual Youth Technical Training Camp; and developing a series of sexual/reproductive health and reusable menstrual pad workshops for teenage girls. Tahrima continued her efforts against gender-based violence domestically and currently works with teenage girls in the foster care system who have suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. As a Coverdell Fellow in the Community-Based Initiative Program with a concentration in Management of Human Services, Tahrima hopes to hone her leadership and community organization skills.