This year’s Students and Alumni of Color (SAOC) Fall Mentorship Retreat was a huge success! At the all-day event, current SPIA students were able to talk with alumni about what it means to be a BIPOC policy student at Princeton University, as well as throughout their impressive careers at a variety of institutions. A painting activity led by Pinot's Palette provided an informal space for creating new connections. Before dinner at the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding, the group gave back to the local community, assembling personal hygiene kits for guests of Elijah's Promise in New Brunswick. We cannot extend enough gratitude to alumni Jessica Colon, MPA; Shasti Conrad; LaSean K.; Vic Marsh, Ph.D.; and Rose Holandez McGinnis for traveling from all over the U.S. to spend the day. As well as to SAOC co-chairs (Guillermo Herrera Nimmagadda, Amina Johari, and Nausheen Rajan) and their peers for all of their hard work putting the event together. We also thank Dean Amaney Jamal, Executive Vice Dean Miguel Centeno, Laura De Olden (Graduate Student Life and Diversity Initiatives), Barbara Hampton (Office of Career Development and Alumni Relations), and Ariel Matos (Graduate Admissions Office) for being a part of the day!

Post originally featured on Princeton SPIA's LinkedIn page.

(Image credits: Johairo (Jo) Lopez and Laura De Olden, Ph.D.)