Besenia Rodriguez '00

Current Roles: Parent, Advisor, Mentor, Teacher

Concentration: Afro-American Studies and Education

GISP: US Latino Literature

During her time at Brown, Besenia took part in a Semester of Urban Education, which she said shaped the rest of her time at Brown and her life beyond graduation. “Being surrounded by students from other colleges and universities and by professionals from a range of backgrounds crystallized the uniqueness of Brown and the ways of challenging and examining the world that are cultivated here.”

The resource that Besenia found the most impactful at Brown was the Third World Center (TWC), now called the Brown Center for Students of Color. “The TWC was an important space for me - and its programming was transformative and sustaining. The fight for ethnic studies as a concentration was underway, as was the fight for need blind admissions. Seeing students take such ownership over their education and the institution was inspiring and helped shape my view of what education should be.”

The connections Besenia made with faculty were an integral part of her Brown experience. “The ability to conduct research with a faculty member of color, and to get to know and be mentored by her was life altering.”