It was during class discussions while taking a course at ���鵺��̳ with Dr. Jacquelynne Boivin, that Brienna Notaro, ’24, recognized that despite defining herself as anti-racist, she actually did harbor some biases.   

“I’m always working toward bettering myself, so it hurt and, to be honest, was a little embarrassing,” Brienna said.   

Dr. Boivin, professor of elementary and early childhood education, assured her there was nothing to be embarrassed about as it was clear Brienna was determined to become more aware, including how art is taught in most classrooms and the glaring lack of diversity.   

“I’m studying secondary education and studio arts,” Brienna said. “And we talked a lot about art, and I started to realize that I wasn’t being taught about many artists of color.”  

That’s when Dr. Boivin encouraged her to develop a project on the topic and apply for ���鵺��̳’s Adrian Tinsley Program (ATP) for Undergraduate Research and Creative Work Summer Grants.  

“I’ve always had a passion for education and social change and wanted to be an advocate for people, so I came up with this project to design an art and art history curriculum for middle and high school students that includes a more diverse groups of artists,” Brienna said.     

Her project was greenlit for the ATP program and this summer the rising senior has been researching and creating a website geared toward anti-racist education to help art teachers diversify their classrooms.   

The website consists of a homepage that connects to other pages filled with resources. Digital artwork is included, as well as literature, lesson plans, templates, and ideas for museum work.   

She also highlights the work of black, LGBTQ+, and disabled artists.  

“It is all easily accessible, the language casual. I wanted it to be approachable to make it easy for teachers to feel comfortable integrating this work into their classrooms,” Brienna said.   

She hopes her efforts will bring about positive change.   

“There are a lot of really interesting artists out there who have never gotten the spotlight, artists we have never learned about and it’s so important that they are recognized as part of our history,” Brienna said.   

By participating in the ATP program, Brienna has not only fine-tuned her lesson-planning skills, but also gained insight as to the type of teacher she hopes to be when eventually stepping into the classroom to teach her own students after graduating from ���鵺��̳ next spring.  

“I’ve gained information to be a better teacher for students of all backgrounds and am learning to be culturally responsive,” she said. “This has been an awesome opportunity to explore and work on something I’m so passionate about.”  

Do you have a ���鵺��̳ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

I’ve always had a passion for education and social change and wanted to be an advocate for people, so I came up with this project to design an art and art history curriculum for middle and high school students that includes a more diverse groups of artists.

It was her senior year at ���鵺��̳, and she needed to complete five classes to graduate. However, the stress of balancing a busy schedule was becoming too much, causing Hanice Andrade, ’22, to question whether she could handle it all.  

“I was really about to give up on everything,” Andrade said.  

That’s when Executive Director of Student Success and Equity Interventions Cecilia DeOliveira stepped in and introduced Andrade to ���鵺��̳’s student navigator program, operated out of the office of Student Success and Diversity.  

Funded through an anonymous grant intended to promote ���鵺��̳’s efforts to close equity gaps, the program is in place to support students who can benefit from additional support.  

“The role of the student navigator is to listen to our students, to learn from them what obstacles and barriers are keeping them from succeeding at ���鵺��̳,” DeOliveira said.   

After sitting down and talking with Andrade, together they came up with solutions to better manage her hectic schedule. 

“It made me feel warm inside, that someone actually cared about my well-being, my mental health. She took the time to listen to my problems and help me find resources,” Andrade said.  

That extra layer of support inspired her to continue with her studies. After graduating last year with a degree in anthropology, Andrade is now applying to schools to pursue a master’s degree.  

“The student navigator program really focuses on you,” she said. “It helped me not only find the resources I needed but they pushed me in a positive way. 

“Particularly for students of color, to have this resource is huge. They stretch out their hands for us, they see us...they helped me find success on a path I was struggling with.” 

Iris Lapaix, ’15, returned to her alma mater two years ago to work as a student navigator. She said helping students find solutions to roadblocks has been rewarding. 

“Being able to tell a student, ‘You’re all set,’ means we collectively did all we could to ensure the barrier is no longer stopping them from progressing in their ���鵺��̳ journey,” Lapaix said.  

Fellow alumna, Ellie Cooper, ’22, was hired last July to also work as a student navigator. Being a recent graduate, she is familiar with some of the obstacles current students face.  

“When you come to college, you often don’t know where to start. It can be intimidating,” she said. “We serve as a direct contact person to help point them in the right direction. We are a listening ear for students, making sure that they are heard. Students need to genuinely feel they have a support person.” 

It’s important to note that student navigators do not replace supports already in place at ���鵺��̳, but rather show students all of the opportunities that are available, said Sabrina Gentlewarrior, vice president of student success and diversity. 

“Student navigators provide warm handoffs to campus-wide experts, they help students find and identify the office or person that is best positioned to meet their needs,” Gentlewarrior said.  

And while many of the students who receive support are directed to student navigators by faculty or staff, students are always welcome to stop by the office, located in Boyden Hall, Room 211.  

“Any barrier, be it big or small, that may make you feel like you have no idea how to keep going, allow a student navigator to help you navigate through it,” Lapaix said.  

Do you have a ���鵺��̳ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu 

Any barrier, be it big or small, that may make you feel like you have no idea how to keep going, allow a student navigator to help you navigate through it.