New hires for Umoja and El Centro

On Aug. 19 Alexus Harrelle Deshazier was given the title of Coordinator for the Umoja Center on campus. Deshazier had previously been assigned the role as the Academic Advisor for Umoja.

“I think when it comes to coming up in higher education especially as someone whose first gen, low income, someone who is black I think that your personal experience is not separate from your academic and professional experience,” Deshazier said. “They are very related and it’s very hard to separate those two and it’s important for me to help create and facilitate an experience that is healthy and beneficial.”

Deshazier went into the applying process thinking what was best for the program and not because it could benefit her. Deshazier had always been interested in experiences in student lives.

“My attitude was if I’m the best person for the job then I should have it, but if someone else is then they should have it too because that’s what’s best for the students and for the program as a whole,” Deshazier said.

Marcos Hernandez was hired as El Centro’s Academic Advisor on July 1. Hernandez has worked in the English Department at Cal Poly Humboldt for five years now and is also the Faculty Advisor for the multilingual literary magazine on campus known as Toyon.

Hernandez’ role as Academic Advisor is to provide academic support to Latine students on campus. Hernandez can help with DARS planning, financial aid, registering for classes and getting connected to resources on campus.

“What I think really distinguishes those advisors from what we offer at El Centro is that it’s culturally responsive advising. Being a member of the Latine community I’m in a lot of ways more equipped to support our students based on shared experiences,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez hopes that El Centro can be a place for Latine students to feel comfortable and find community for those who may be feeling a cultural shock. Many Latine students who come to Humboldt often feel a disconnect from that community where shared cultural and life experiences were common.

“I know first hand what it’s like to move from an area that is predominantly brown, and it was quite a cultural shock to move up here to a place that’s not always as inviting and sometimes down right hostile to communities of color,” Hernandez said.

El Leñador requested an update regarding Umoja’s Academic Advisor and El Centro’s Coordinator roles but were given this information via email from Ravin Craig the Director Office of Student Life.

“We will have an open search for an Advisor for Umoja soon and a new Coordinator for El Centro hopefully by mid-september!” Craig said.