The Program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
I graduated from Penn in 2017 from the College of Arts & Sciences. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minored in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Since graduating from Penn, I have worked in various Penn departments including Residential and Hospitality Services, Undergraduate Admissions, and most recently Alumni Relations in the Penn Alumni Interview Program. I am currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Education with a focus on Higher Education. My goal is to support underrepresented populations in their pursuit of Educational Attainment and Social Mobility.
As a first year student, I participated in the Pre-Freshman Program (PFP) and became a Peer Counselor for it as a sophomore. As I navigated Penn, I was motivated to involve myself in organizations that represented my identities. As a First Generation Afro-Latina. I found my community in Sigma Lambda Upsilon / Señoritas Latinas Unidas, Sorority, Inc., one of two Latinx Sororities on Campus. I was also involved in Grupo Quisqueyano (the Dominican and Haitian Student Association), West African Vibe (WAVe – An afrobeats dance troupe), La Vida (a Latinx Magazine publication), Vagina Monologues now known as the Penn Monologues, and as an RA in Harnwell College House. As a Philadelphian, I was also a Mayor’s Scholars.
All of these experiences in tandem with my academic pursuits led me to pursue Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work. Taking classes in the GSWS department allowed me to understand various systems of oppression . It allowed me explore the different waves of feminism, dive deeper in to queer studies, and understand how policies can be created to benefit the whole of society. While I am far the end of my academic journey, because of Penn, GSWS, and now GSE I have gained a critical lens and an appetite for social justice. I hope to one day make a tangible difference in education outcomes for the betterment of society.
carolperezquezada[at]gmail.com – Personal email
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-perez-quezada/ - LinkedIn