Empowerment

Elizabeth Hall

Elizabeth Hall has strived to pick up Underground Scholars from the ground working logistics and connecting with formerly incarcerated and system impacted students to start and build a community on campus. She is part of the first cohort of Underground Scholars and has led the way for cohorts after her by mentoring, training, and working together with new students that are part of Underground Scholars. From booking rooms in OASIS to have a space for group meetings, de-stress sessions, to building collaboration with the Collegiate Recovery Program on campus and scheduling tabling events on-campus to invite students to join our community of formerly incarcerated students.

Robyn Bolden

Robyn has always had this chip on her shoulder to just do more than what she sets for herself. Being black in UC San Diego, she tells me that the support she has is not enough compared to some of her peers. While she does acknowledge her support with TRIO SSSP and Hope Scholars, Robyn thinks that more students deserve support and is currently in the process of bringing Umoja Community to UC San Diego because it was a big help for her over at Mesa College.

Malik Gilbert

Malik embodies determination and resilience. In his early highschool years, he felt destined to fail. Halfway through highschool, he had a 1.8 GPA with little options. He’s had to bounce around from couches of friends and had some difficulties with receiveing food assistance. Yet, through grit and wholehearted persistence, he’s been able to get through every semester at UCSD.