In Their Own Words

In this episode, Micherlange Francois-Hemsley, a UC Irvine Senior Majoring in African American Studies and minoring in Criminology, discusses her educational experiences as a homeschooled student, the skills she gained during the summer program, her excitement about working on the OCS documentary film, and her goal to continue bridging multidisciplinary interests. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

In this episode, Dashia Wright, U.C. Irvine senior and Psychological Sciences major, reflects on the lack of unconditional support for students. We talk about her childhood educational experiences and she shares the ways The OCS Project provided a much longed-for psychologically and emotionally supportive space to learn. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

Chinaenye Ibeanusi is a UC Irvine Junior majoring in Anthropology and minoring in African American Studies. In this episode, Chinaenye discusses her K-12 and UC Irvine educational experiences and the challenges of finding spaces that support and empower Black students. She also reflects on her OCS Project summer experience and the ways in which community was forged. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

Alex Fakayode is a UC Irvine Senior and Drama major. In this episode, Alex talks about the joys and challenges of the summer program, her eclectic childhood education, the power of art in education, finding her voice, and finding community during her work with The OCS Project. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

Haleigh Marcello is a University of California at Irvine Ph.D. student whose research and writing focuses on the histories of gender and sexuality in the 20th century. In this episode, Marcello reflects on her educational experience, her work with the OCS Project summer program as a graduate fellow and mentor, and her strong belief in the principle Each One Teach One and explores how to incorporate OCS lessons into educational spaces. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

Evelynn Cuautle ‘21 is a first-generation recent UC Irvine graduate with a BA in Public Health Policy and Chicano/Chicana Studies. Cuautle talks about her educational experiences in Tustin, California, how her various identities have influenced her perspectives, and how her work with The OCS Project as a 2021 summer intern reinforced her belief that there must be more intentionality in education design. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788

The OCS Project Director, Angela D. LeBlanc-Ernest, describes the history of the Project and vision for the podcast.

Trinity Hunt-McGuinness ‘22, UC Irvine Senior, Gender and Sexuality Studies Major, and African-American Studies minor, reflects on her experiences as a Summer 2021 Fellow with the Black Panther Oakland Community School Community Archives, Activism and Storytelling Research Cluster. The cluster is a partnership between The OCS Project and the UC Irvine Humanities Center. Watch the Video Version of the podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9197788