Meet Our Staff

Dr. Charlene Brown-McKenzie

Director, Center for Multicultural Equity & Access
Executive Director, Institute for College Preparation

When she was an undergraduate student at Georgetown, Ms. Brown-McKenzie was deeply engaged in several service programs such as CMEA’s Peer Mentors and programs within the Center for Social Justice. A sociology major, she went on to earn a Master in Social Work degree at Columbia University before returning to the Hilltop to work in CMEA’s Pre-College Programs. In 2004, she became executive director of the Institute for College Preparation (ICP) and focused on college and career readiness for students and families in the District of Columbia. She was named director of CMEA in 2014, assuming full responsibility for day-to-day operations of the Center. And as an alumna, she also has a keen interest in expanding CMEA’s connections with generations of Hoyas. In addition to focusing on the access and success of students within secondary, post secondary and graduate education, her goal is to also foster their growth as responsible world citizens. Charlene has developed and led numerous students and staff to Latin America and Africa.

Daelyn Moon

Assistant Director of Academic Success

Daelyn Moon supports the Community Scholars Program. Although new to the team, she is familiar with the program having served as the resident director in the summer of 2018. Much of her professional experience has been rooted in the promotion of social justice, equity, and access for historically marginalized students. Thus far, Daelyn has worked in student activities, academic advising, student leadership, multicultural affairs and more across the country. Having navigated post-secondary education as a first-generation college student, Daelyn’s mission is to create a ripple effect of empowerment for college students and help them reach their fullest potential as they prepare for next steps in their personal and professional lives. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science and Spanish from Loyola Marymount University and earned her Master of Education in higher education at Loyola University Chicago. Outside of work, Daelyn enjoys walking in nature, dancing salsa and bachata, game nights with friends, and listening to podcasts! 

Dr. Jennifer Crewalk

Associate Director for Undocumented Student Services, Center for Multicultural Equity & Access
Director of Group Initiatives, Division of Student Affairs

Jennifer Crewalk joined the CMEA in February 2020. Dr. Crewalk has 14 years of experience advocating for and working with undocumented and first-generation college students. Jenn is of Costa Rican, Hungarian and Irish heritage and the second oldest of 8 siblings. Her values of family, holistic health and community resilience ground her advocacy and inspire her racial and social justice work. Dr. Crewalk has put herself through school, earning a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from George Mason University and an Executive Certificate in DEI at Georgetown University. Outside of work and somatics, Jenn refuels through yoga and hiking, plants, dinner parties, and playing with her beloved nephews and nieces.

Nikki Johnson

Assistant Director for School Partnership & Community Engagement for Pre-College Programs

Nikki joined CMEA in June 2008 and serves as the Program Coordinator for School Partnership & Community Engagement. She oversees the recruitment, programming and academic support for the middle school students to ensure they will move on to high school and college. She is a true Washingtonian, attending elementary, middle and high school in the area. Nikki graduated from the Catholic University of America with a Bachelor of Arts in history. Being from the DC area has made Nikki very passionate about giving back to her community and the work she does for ICP. She has spoken with residents at the local House of Ruth and led discussion sessions with teenage moms. Outside of work, Nikki is very compensative and loves cheering on her favorite football and basketball team.

Anthony Bierria-Anderson

Assistant Director / Institute for College Preparation

Anthony originates from Freeport, NY. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations while playing football at Utica University, before diving into the world of coaching for three impactful years. It was during this time that he realized his passion for empowering students to reach their full potential. Motivated by this passion, he pursued a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Instruction, further honing his skills in creating inclusive learning environments. Transitioning from coaching, Anthony discovered a new avenue for impact in admissions and academic advising. His tenure at Howard University saw him play pivotal roles in guiding prospective students through the admissions process and supporting current students in their academic journeys. Outside of work, he enjoys weightlifting, listening to music and indulging his love for culinary exploration, particularly seeking out the best pho spots in the area.

Charlie Lewin-Smith

Assistant Director of Student Success and Multicultural Programming

Charlie Lewin-Smith (he/him/his) served as Program Coordinator for CMEA prior to being an Assistant Director. He joined CMEA after completing a Master of Arts in Higher Education – Diversity & Social Justice at the University of Michigan. He is a community oriented leader who emphasizes meeting people where they are, and using communal and cultural knowledge to find resolutions. While in Ann Arbor, he worked at the Center for Engineering Diversity and Outreach and the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs. In these positions he gained valuable experience in student and organization advising, event planning, feedback analysis, workshop curriculum building, and more. He attended Loyola University Maryland for his undergraduate degree in Public Relations and Information Systems. He was closely associated with the multicultural center at Loyola University Maryland and was a student activist and community organizer. He is originally from Rockville, MD and identifies as Asian American. 

Outside of his work, he loves cooking, rugby, and his pet fish. 

Sofia Alsua

Program Coordinator

Sofia Alsua (She/Her/Hers) is a recent graduate from the Engaged and Public Humanities Master’s program, where she focused on transforming higher education structures to be more equitable and sustainable environments for the community. She attended the University of New Haven where she got her Master’s in Arts in Public Relations. She is an instructor with the Institute for College Preparation program and a part of the Restorative Georgetown task force.  

Outside of work, you can find her pretending she’s good at pickleball, trying new sushi spots in DC, and training her dog, Goose, to be a therapy dog who comes to campus. 

Elizabeth Velez

Senior Academic Advisor, Pre-College Programs

English Professor Velez, an Alabama native, has been a mainstay of the Community Scholars Program for more than two decades. She retired from that position a year ago and currently works with the ICP program as faculty adviser.  She continues to teach in the English Department and in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

Jina Park

Graduate Assistant

Jina (she/her) is an international graduate student from South Korea in the Applied Intelligence program. She got her B.A. in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economics and Asia from the George Washington University. She worked as a reporter in DC before she started her Master’s program.

Outside of work, her interests include semiconductors, AI safety, and photography, and she often spends the day befriending the DC area squirrels with her husband. She also enjoys trying out recipes from the NYT Cooking app.

Blake Herrera

Graduate Assistant

Blake Herrera (they/them) is an honors graduate of UT Austin, where they studied history and anthropology, focusing on socio-political movements in regions such as Russia and the Americas. Blake is a full-time, first-year student in the Security Studies Program (SSP) with an International Security concentration. Their research interests include peacekeeping, sub-state violence, and North Africa. In addition to working at the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, Blake also works in the SSP as an HBCU Summer Institute Fellow and serves on the SSP Student Council as the SSP Representative to the Social Events Committee.

In their free time, Blake enjoys crocheting, jigsaw puzzles, and the NYT Spelling Bee.

Uyên Bùi

Graduate Assistant

Uyên (she/they) is a rising second-year student in the MA in Language and Communications program in the Linguistics department. Uyên is from Hanoi, Vietnam and has studied and lived on both coasts of mainland U.S. Throughout their various moves, Uyên saw how language brings community together, and how community in turn influences language usage. Her time in an intentional community in Boston further illuminated the transformative value of an inclusive community. Their current research interests include discourse analysis, raciolinguistics, intercultural communication, language socialization, language learning, as well as how language informs and empowers identity development. 
 
In her free time, Uyên can be found reading, knitting (and/ or grumbling about said knitting), attempting to learn a new language, making elaborate art, or cuddling up with Parmesan, their grumpy calico.

Jackson Shiell

Graduate Assistant

Jackson (He/They) is a rising second year pursuing a master of public policy at the McCourt School of Public Policy. Originally from Redlands, California, he spent the last few years at home before starting at Georgetown. They have worked in a variety of fields, doing everything from policy research abroad to educational work and moving boxes at their hometown museum. When their time at Georgetown comes to an end, Jackson wants to work towards securing and solidifying rights and protections for queer and trans people across the country.

Outside of work and school he enjoys spending as much time as possible listening to music, writing, cooking, or running tabletop games for friends.