Dionna Jenkins, a master’s student in the Urban Education Policy (UEP) program was named the 2024 Ruth J. Simmons Urban Education Policy Scholar. This prestigious award, which includes a full-tuition scholarship, is awarded annually to the UEP student who most epitomizes the former Brown University president’s commitment to educational equity and social justice.

“To me, educational equity is a commitment to actualizing positive outcomes for students, schools, and communities, regardless of what it takes to get there,” Dionna said. “This process is challenging and inherently uncomfortable, but that is part of what real equity is. And it is only through building a greater tolerance for discomfort that real equity can materialize and have the effect we want and need it to have.”

Dionna’s childhood in New York City shaped her interest and passion for educational equity. She graduated in 2020 from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Language & Literature and a minor in Education. Since then, she worked as a college access advisor at College Visions, a Providence nonprofit organization that helps eliminate barriers to higher education for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

“Having grown up in NYC, I’ve known my whole life the unique duality that is inherent to urban life—cities are vibrant and teeming with opportunity, but at the same time are rife with profound inequality,” Dionna said. “It has always bothered me that both of these realities can exist simultaneously, especially when it comes to schooling, so I knew that I wanted to spend a large part of my life studying these inequalities, why they exist, and how we can go about trying to remedy them.”

When considering how to supplement her strong foundation of knowledge about education equity, Dionna decided to join the UEP program, drawn to its intentional design and internship program. She hopes to discover her leadership style during her time at Brown.

“We have finally reached a point in time where traditional one-size-fits-all leadership philosophies and practices are being challenged and people are being encouraged to employ approaches to leadership that are more in line with their innate strengths, as opposed to trying to embody what have long been perceived as the most ‘ideal’ leadership traits,” Dionna said. 

“Even with this cultural shift, I still find it a bit difficult to find my niche as a leader. Through my classes and connections with peers, I hope I will figure it all out.”
 

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