UCLA-HBCU Initiative​
Summer Training for Excellence in Education Research
Summer 2023
2023 SUMMER COHORT
Seth Duncan
Seth Duncan is a Senior Elementary Education Student at North Carolina Central University. His passion for Education began while working as a Summer Camp Counselor at a YMCA in Charlotte North Carolina. He strives to impact his community and bring effective solutions to educational issues that underrepresented community face. Seth hopes to learn more and achieve his goals in Education, so that he can be an asset to the world around him.
Kemryn Lawrence
Kemryn Janall-Louise Lawrence, is an Alumni of the Illustrious Clark Atlanta University, where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Kemryn is Currently in the Masters of Public Administration program with a concentration in NonProfit Leadership and Management at Clark Atlanta University. Kemryn is an active student at CAU where she serves as the 35th SGA Graduate President, and White House Representative for the US White House initiative on HBCU’s. Kemryn is also the founder of ProjectHBCU (Helping Beautiful Children Unite), a Nonprofit devoted to breaking the K-12 School to Prison Pipeline; through helping students learn about HBCU’s and become college ready. Her interest in K-12 reform stems from her goal of helping students pursue higher education beyond a bachelor's degree at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Upon completion of her Graduate studies, Kemryn plans to apply to a University of California School to further her education and progress towards a career in Education reform. Kemryn’s life goals are to be the University President of Clark Atlanta University, become a member of the Board of Education for the HBCU Initiative, and eventually start an HBCU in Africa to develop a Pan-African pipeline sending HBCU students to African and African students to study at HBCU’s in America.
Samantha Saint-Pierre
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11"
Samantha Saint-Pierre is a Psychology Scholar, and alumni of Valencia College in Orlando Florida, where she achieved her associate of arts in general education, and the esteemed Bethune-Cookman University where she received her Bachelor’s of Science. In her time at Bethune she served in multiple student leadership positions such as the 2022-2023 Miss Senior elect of the royal court, and the event coordinator for the Freshman Year Experience Mentoring Program and African Student Association. She is a proud member of Phenomenal Woman in Higher Education Think Tank, Club Kreyol and the NAACP. While being a full time student, Samantha also worked as a substitute teacher for Campbell Middle School, where she was hired as a permanent substitute and taught Chorus. Samantha is very passionate about mental health, and has implemented programs on campus as Miss Senior to check in on and support her class and their well being, and also interns at Campbell Middle School under the 6th grade counselor, aiding in the development of 6th grade students and their daily struggles. Samantha enjoys shopping, being active in her church community, and being a helping hand when needed. She hails from the beautiful garden state of Union, New Jersey. Her plans in life include receiving her PhD in higher education so that she may create and implement mental health programs in the K-12 school system.
Daikerra Sweat
Daikerra Sweat served as thee 98th President of the Student Government Association of Fisk University and as a member of the board of trustees. Hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, Daikerra is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology at Fisk University. Daikerra hopes to further her education and to get her masters all while focusing on mental health within the African American community. Before being named Student Government Association President in April 2020, Daikerra served as the Sophomore Class President and was responsible for the Sophomore class programming and events, along with her cabinet. Daikerra was also a Fisk University Student Ambassador, assisting prospective students and representing the university. She also was a role model in the residence halls as she was a residential assistant for three years. Daikerra also has been a 3 year participant in the Student Health Ambassadors - HBCU Wellness Program where she focused on HIV/AIDS Research. Daikerra continued networking and developing relationships throughout her work within the Career Planning and Development Office. Prior to joining Dell Technologies, Daikerra interned at HCA Healthcare in the Human Resources field. She was also a 2x participant in the HBCU Battle of the Brains, which was a 24-hour hackathon and helped win $85,000 for Fisk University. For fun, Daikerra enjoys photography and traveling.
Keara Watkins
Keara Watkins is a first-year, Spanish and literacy teacher from Waldorf, Maryland. In 2022, she graduated from Clark Atlanta University with Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and English. Keara has spent the last five years of her life exploring and sharing her passion for foreign language education by working as a Spanish tutor, virtually “studying abroad” to learn Mandarin Chinese, and founding her own university-chartered organization, the Language Explorers’ Club. Her undergraduate research focused on education as well, specifically on the question of how digital tools in the classroom boost or hinder academic performance. As a teacher now, Keara’s top priority is to cultivate spaces that invite and celebrate our diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Accordingly, her goal as a STEER scholar is to conduct research that will improve foreign language pedagogy and help her to advocate for foreign language studies in American public schools. Keara can be found in her free time studying linguistics, traveling the world, and befriending native speakers of her target languages. Her other hobbies include reading, writing, going for walks and runs, and studying fashion.
Fun fact about Keara: she has studied over six languages and uses four of them in her everyday life!