Brian Pirapakaran is a Rutgers University alum obtaining his B.A. in Political Science. He is currently a 2nd year graduate student for the College of Student Affairs at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. He is passionate about pathways, mentorship, and support networks for most-marginalized student populations particularly first-generation, low-SES, LGBTQ+, Black, and Latinx students. His multicultural competence work ranges from his collaborative efforts in creating diversity trainings, researching and effectuating changes in hiring practices, and championing equity using his graduate Hall Director platform when supporting his students.

Deja L. Jones is a New Jersey native who currently lives in Newark. She is the founder and Director of Programming for Curate Your Life, a civic engagement organization that exposes teen girls to social justice issues via service-learning. Deja is also sociologist currently working towards her PhD in Transformative Social Change with a strong concentration on education equity for diverse populations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies from Rutgers University-Newark and an M.Ed in Teaching and Learning from Liberty University and has over 6 years of experience working in education. She’s held many positions such as youth development program coordinator, program director, classroom teacher, curriculum designer, lesson planner, grant manager, and program facilitator. Throughout the course of her years in education, she’s become focused on public policy and education equity for students of color, specifically those who identify as Black, Latinx, LGBT and gender-nonconforming and have been invited to facilitate trainings and workshops for educators and schools interested in tools and pedagogies that make for more diverse and inclusive learning environments. Deja is also the NJ ambassador for United State of Women, a national organization that mobilizes to promote gender equity. Her work has been featured on media companies such as Huffington Post, Madame Noire, HYCIDE Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Blavity, and Saint Heron.

Jonathan is a student affairs practitioner at Rider University who’s work primarily focuses on diversity and inclusion. His research interests include race, religion/spirituality, student development, assessment and post-colonial theory. In his free time, Jonathon enjoys learning how to make data more accessible with R, music production, crocheting and running.