2016-2017 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows
Georgina Aguilar
University of California, Santa Barbara
My name is Georgina Aguilar and I am a secondyear sociology major at the University of California, Santa
Barbara. I am part of the Promise Scholars Program and
currently serve as the President for a student-run
organization called Promise Scholars at UCSB. In addition,
I am a student staff member for the Educational
Opportunity Program at UCSB, which primarily serves
first-generation and income-eligible students. I am
passionate about being involved both in and out of the
university and strive to give back to students belonging to
underrepresented communities like myself.
Anna Brogan
Bluefield State College
Hi everyone, I’m Anna Brogan! I am a small-town
girl who was born and raised in Princeton, West Virginia,
and I am a nursing student at Bluefield State College,
which is in a neighboring town. I come from extremely
humble beginnings: I was raised by a single mom and my
grandmother who both did everything in their power to
give me a “normal” childhood. I am now completely
supported by myself and work two jobs to do so! I work for a family-owned coal
mining company and gun shop, and I clean houses as my second source of
income. I love to work and am very blessed to enjoy all that I do have amazing
bosses/clients.
People are my greatest passion, which is probably why I am pursuing a
degree in nursing. I love to volunteer at my church, Lifeline Church, as well as
teach bible studies and simply connect with people from all different walks of life.
I have never met a stranger and can truly say that God has instilled in me a desire
to show all people as much kindness and love as I possibly can. I love the
outdoors and am a huge tomboy, although my mere 5’3” stature would probably
not seem like it. I bow and rifle hunt, love to hike, ride four wheelers, and literally
do anything that involves me getting to be outside. Global hunting is a huge deal
in my family, and ironically we are also huge conservationists. We eat or donate
what we kill and hunt legally, often with guides. Along with the outdoors comes
my love of travelling. I get my wings up and wheels off the runway as often as
possible and love exploring all that this world has to offer. Lastly, I am a fitness
enthusiast. I am not into aesthetics as much as I am connecting my mind and body
in what works best for keeping me healthy and active. I danced for fourteen years
and spent six of those years in a local dance company where I competed and
soaked up every ounce of glitter the spotlight could offer. After high school was
over and my dancing days had ended, I began work out separately and quickly fell
in love with CrossFit, which is what I use to work out all my nursing school
anxiety now!
I have always enjoyed taking care of people and now get to do that not
only in my future career but at home as well. I live with my seventy-seven-yearold grandma and am her primary care giver, although she’s very fiery and probably
keeps me on my toes more than I do her! She is my biggest inspiration for my
career choice. I plan to get my BSN to take care of her and my future family to the
best of my ability. I will continue my education through WVU online after
graduating from Bluefield State to obtain my MSN and my DNP, which will make
me a practicing nurse practitioner! My goals are very ambitious and seem to be
laid out perfectly but I have a deep-rooted faith in God, and I pray that my future
remains in His will and on His timing.
I am so honored to have been chosen as an FDGF Scholar and know that
this is going to be such a blessing in all our lives. I cannot wait to meet you all and
experience London while learning new things and making memories that will last
us a lifetime!
Brennan Edwards
Lincoln University of Missouri
Brennan Edwards, a preengineering major at Lincoln University of
Missouri, seeks to become an
Environmental Engineer upon graduation
from college. He is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and a graduate from North Central
High School, where he finished his high school career as an alumni of ACE
Mentor, the Center for Leadership Development (CLD), the Minority Engineering
Program of Indianapolis (MEPI), and the 100 Black Men Beautillion Militaire 2015.
The summer after graduation, he was able to work as an Environmental Health
and Safety intern for SUEZ Environment, where he gained valuable experience in
waste water and environmental engineering. Edwards plans to use his position as
an Environmental Engineer combined with becoming fluent in Chinese to assist in
the reduction of pollution in China. He marks his acceptance into the Frederick
Douglass Global Fellowship as the beginning of a bright future.
Trey Hawkins
Howard University
Trey Rashad Hawkins is a sophomore
from Birmingham, Alabama majoring in
Applied Mathematics & Pre-Medical Studies
at Howard University. Being that he has
high aspirations to one day enter the
medical field, Trey seizes every opportunity
that will further support his path to that
destination. Just last summer, Trey
shadowed doctors at the Columbia University Medical Center and studied
accelerated pre-medical courses through the College of Physicians & Surgeons.
Trey conducts undergraduate research in the Department of Physics &
Astronomy at his school, where he is testing off-the-shelf satellite components
that may be used for low-cost NASA missions. In addition, he’s currently working
on an abstract for his upcoming research project in Cape Town, South Africa,
sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Outside of his
rigorous coursework, Trey is also an avid lover of the arts. He jointly studies
classical flute performance and hopes to one day become a part-time orchestral
musician.
This fellowship will offer an aspect that Trey doesn’t typically get from his
classroom setting: the opportunity to learn how to effectively communicate
interculturally and become a stronger leader. Trey plans to use these skills to one
day break down the doctor-patient wall in underserved communities and build
strong relationships and a foundation of trust with all of his patients.
Chinwendu Maduegbunam
Fayetteville State University
Chinwendu “Chi-Chi” Maduegbunam is a
sophomore attending Fayetteville State University.
She is majoring in psychology and minoring in
biology with hopes to attend medical school
afterwards. Chi-Chi was born in Boston,
Massachusetts to Osita Maduegbunam, a Nigerian chief, and her mother, Nigeria
Johnson. With few opportunities in a crime-filled area, her parents decided to
uproot their family and move to Charlotte, North Carolina. In Charlotte, Chi-Chi
was presented with numerous opportunities, especially at her high school,
Providence High School. There, she participated in a vast amount of
extracurricular activities such as the community service club, multicultural club,
and, most importantly, women’s basketball. Her involvement in basketball allowed
her to join the Charlotte Lady Monarchs, a travel team allowing for college
exposure.
With a high GPA and good SAT scores, Chi-Chi was accepted into
Fayetteville State University with an academic and athletic scholarship. The
university’s highest academic scholarship, the Chancellor scholarship, allowed her
to receive benefits of becoming a global scholar. A global scholar must meet
certain requirements to allow a well-rounded person to develop, such as
maintaining a high GPA and participating in community service events. Along with
other students, they receive information about study abroad programs such as
the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.
Chi-Chi’s success did not end at high school but rather continued to excel
early in her college career. She maintains a 4.0 GPA, while being a studentathlete. She was also named Miss Hackley Honors Hall her freshman year. She
made the Chancellor’s list for three consecutive semesters, received the Academic
Excellence Award, and was inducted into the National Freshman Honor Society,
Phi Eta Sigma.
Chi-Chi plans to continue her success with the Frederick Douglass Global
Fellowship to gain necessary skills to fulfill her future goals. She wants to
positively impact the people around her by becoming a pediatrician or pediatric
psychiatrist. Later on in her career, she wants to develop a charitable organization
in Nigeria to give medicine, clothes, food, and other necessities to impoverished
areas.
Vincent Owoseni
Paul Quinn College
Vincent Owoseni is a Junior and
Presidential Scholar at Paul Quinn College,
majoring in Business Management. He is the son
of two Nigerian natives and the oldest of five
children. Originally hailing from Brooklyn, New
York, he is known for his commitment to servant
leadership through entrepreneurial approaches
and his consistent high achievements.
Vincent graduated as valedictorian of the first graduating class of his high
school. Shortly afterwards, he became the CEO of a motivational clothing
company called Appetite For Distinction. The motto of his brand is “cultivating a
society of purpose-driven young individuals.” Upon enrollment at Paul Quinn
College on a full scholarship, Vincent sought leadership opportunities
immediately. He was selected as a member of the Duke Immerse program, a
semester-long research initiative in which eight Paul Quinn College students and
seven Duke University students studied the relationship between social inequality
and environmental outcomes. Currently, Vincent serves as the Executive Director
of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative on campus. Pioneered by President Obama,
this initiative is dedicated to addressing the persistent opportunity gaps faced by
young men of color to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.
Additionally, Owoseni is the Polemarch (President) of the Lambda Lambda
Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a social organization predicated on
the principle of achievement. He is also a recipient of the Envestnet Institute on
Campus scholarship, sponsored by the Money Management Institute. This
program is geared towards students who are pursuing a career in wealth
management and offers rigorous online courses to educate recipients on the core
principles of financial advising. Vincent has managed to accomplish this all while
maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
Vincent seeks the opportunity to study abroad as an avenue to increase his
global cultural competency. In addition to gaining social exposure, he believes that
our world is a global economy and sees business as a creative, problem-solving
tool that knows no geographical boundaries. Studying abroad will transform him
both personally and professionally and will reveal more opportunities for him to
leave places better than he found them.
Meghan Sowersby
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Hello! My name is Meghan Sowersby and I
am currently a sophomore at the nation’s first
historically Black institution of higher education,
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. I am a proud
Communication Arts Major/Spanish Minor. During
my college career, I have been focused on learning
as much as possible about global communication,
international relations, and civic responsibility. I am
honored and thrilled to have been chosen as a
Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, and I cannot wait
to travel to London this upcoming summer and begin studying with our cohort.
Outside of classwork, I thoroughly enjoy both reading and writing, exercising,
discovering new cool music, and watching all types of movie genres.
Again, thank you Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions and the
Council on International Educational Exchange for this opportunity! I am highly
anticipating meeting the rest of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows and
embarking on this amazing journey!
Katherine Tran
University of Texas at San Antonio
Katherine Tran, born in Vietnam and raised in
Houston, TX, is a Peer Mentor with First to Go and
Graduate, which matches first-generation students
with a first-generation peer mentor and a firstgeneration faculty coach. She is a third-year student at
the University of Texas at San Antonio and is pursuing
a degree in Management with a concentration in
International Management. Katherine is very involved
on campus with different organizations; she is the
President of First to Go and Graduate, the Panhellenic
Delegate for Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and a Student Member of Phi Sigma Pi
National Honor Fraternity. After graduating, Katherine plans on going to graduate
school to pursue a degree in Higher Education in order to work in education
overseas, with her ultimate goal being to become a recruiter for a Fortune 500
company.
Mayra “Kahori” Vidana Sanchez
University of Texas at El Paso
Mayra “Kahori” Vidana Sanchez serves as an
official ambassador of the University of Texas in El
Paso (UTEP) at various events and conferences,
where she portrays academic and professional
leadership to her community and university. Being
an officer of the University Honors Council student
body, which officially represents the Honors
Program of her school, Kahori is in charge of
reminding members to remain focused on
academics without forgetting to maintain a
balanced and healthy social and athletic life. Kahori
manages this by organizing dance classes, facilitating social gatherings, and
monitoring athletic integration.
Although she was born in El Paso, Texas, Kahori spent most of her
childhood in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. When she was around 12, she moved to
El Paso to assimilate into the United States for academic purposes. Technically a
U.S citizen, Kahori came to the United States knowing little-to-no English, thus
making it difficult yet not impossible for her to adapt. To do so, she carried a
pocket dictionary to fully absorb the language and culture, and she practiced
English by reading and writing every day. Attending school in Mexico, and being
denied schooling numerous times if she arrived late, Kahori quickly learned that
education was not easily accessible in her home country, yet she felt it was an
obligation she still had to fulfill. Thus, when arriving to the United States, she took
joy in learning the measures and accommodations that she encountered, allowing
her to fully absorb and grow from this academic and later professional privilege.
Being bilingual, Kahori was able to work at the Office of International
Programs at UTEP as a Front Desk Assistant, and she was able to develop
professionalism on a deeper level that required face-to-face interactions with
students and community members. Kahori was also joyful to develop a good work
ethic by working at McDonald’s, a job that she is proud to be part of. There, she
learned how to manage her money and save enough to buy herself her first car.
As a seventeen-year-old, Kahori was proud to say she worked hard to reward
herself with a mode of transportation for later productive use.
As an alumna Junior Army ROTC cadet, Kahori is proud to carry and depict
the values of the United States’ service—integrity, respect, and duty—in her
everyday life. As a sergeant and first lieutenant in her early years in the United
States, Kahori was able to illustrate and teach these values by sharpening cadets
for numerous tasks through disciplinary actions. It was due to these practices and
her education at home that she was able to exhibit confidence and enthusiasm
about her leadership ethics as captain of soccer and ROTC Physical Fitness teams.
Kahori is currently a sophomore studying to become a math educator, and
she works as a collegiate mentor at Horizon High School located in Horizon City,
Texas. She happily assists students with motivational and academic guidance to
pursue higher education. Kahori’s greatest determination is to give others the
accessibility to educational excellence, because to her, education is essential for
progress for a global society. Kahori’s personal narrative was recently featured in
The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/11/crossingthe-border-for-school/506342/
Peire Wilson
LaGuardia Community College
Peire Wilson is a Pop Culture Analyst
with Source3, an intellectual property firm
located in New York City. His work is
centered on copyrights, intellectual property
law, and arts education. He is a native of
Virginia, where he studied classical and
theatrical voice. In 2006, he attended Norfolk
State University, where he pursued a
Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. In 2010,
he relocated to Florida, where he began his work in civil service. There, Peire
worked with the organization Urban Professional Leaders in Florida Tampa,
providing professional, educational, and cultural development to African American
and Latino LGBT youth.
After five years, Peire relocated to New York City to pursue a degree and
career in intellectual property law. In 2016, he joined the organization Broadway
Serves to address the social climate of the time. Joining forces with Columbia Law
School, Peire and the organization launched Broadway for Black Lives Matter.
This collective became a public forum for community activists, politicians, art
leaders, and educators to discuss solutions regarding political reform, police
brutality, and social responsibility for artists.
Peire currently attends LaGuardia Community College where he combines
his expertise and leadership skills to serve as a tutor and peer mentor for
incoming freshmen with remedial math needs. He will receive an associate degree
in applied science in the field of paralegal studies in spring of 2017. He is the
inaugural scholar intern at the Museum of Modern Art, where he provides
copyrights and permissions for incoming exhibitions and creates marketing
strategies to get more New York college students involved in art history. In the
fall of 2017, he will continue his schooling at New York University Steinhardt,
where he plans to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Music Business. In 2016, Peire was
selected as an inaugural Frederick Douglass Global Fellow to study abroad in
London during summer 2017. His platform is to bring awareness of study abroad
and intercultural studies opportunities to students of color.