Michelle Kalu

Supported planning and execution of FY2025–2026 exhibits and created research bibliographies, and coordinated logistics for fall public programs to increase program readiness.

Planned and led a 12-student trip exploring African diasporic connections in the Washington, D.C. area, liaised with community organizations, designed and taught a quarter-long service-learning course, and managed a $20,000 budget.

Supported archival research for Dr. Rachel Jean-Baptiste by sorting colonial dossiers in French and English, creating a categorization system for translations, and researching pre-revolutionary Haitian documents.

Held leadership roles including President of the African Students Association and Executive Director of a dance team, planning 15+ community events and managing a $150,000 programming budget to support campus cultural celebrations.

Oversaw outreach and collaborations with campus community centers, coordinated events for first-generation and low-income students, used Instagram for promotion, and planned the 2024 graduation ceremony.

Produced literature reviews and reports on social accountability, analyzed Ghana City Monitors Project data, and authored policy memos on human rights and gender-based advocacy initiatives.

Performed data entry and guided historical research on civil rights primary sources, maintaining the document database and filing system for project continuity.

Researched non-profit revenue trends for Notable Narratives, created donor profiles and engagement strategies, and presented findings in a four-minute stakeholder presentation.

Conducted Excel data entry from Senegalese liberation registers, assisted in creating a public-facing website for archival access, and collaborated with teachers to develop curriculum based on research.

Planned community-building events, coordinated the Black Pop-Up Shop to showcase Black student entrepreneurship, and organized Black Graduation programming as Equity, Community, and Leadership Liaison.

Researched higher education policy supporting TRIO programs, prepared congressional letters and positions, led organization of the 2023 Congressional Fly-In, and attended Capitol Hill briefings.

Analyzed SBIRT notes for the CHECK Foster Care Clinic, researched links between future orientation and substance use among foster care adolescents, and presented findings at a capstone symposium.

Grade: 3.89

Activities and societies: LEDA Career Fellow; Stanford Arts Institute Arts + Justice Grantee; Department Trustee Leadership Awardee; First Generation Low Income Empowerment Awardee; experience with ArcGIS story mapping and archival research; student organization leadership in African Students Association, Shaku, and Nigerian Students Association.

Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in African & African American Studies and International Relations with a Creative Writing minor and Notation in Cultural Rhetorics, completing research and fellowships focused on arts, justice, and archival work.