Announcing 38 Humanities EXCEL Fellows
We are very excited to announce the 2024-25 cohort of Humanities EXCEL fellows. The Humanities EXCEL (Experiential Career Exploration and Learning) program places undergraduate students in paid off-campus positions with community organizations, offering them the opportunity to learn about career paths outside the university that build on their humanities expertise while gaining practical experience and professional training.
Joining the EXCEL cohort this year are 38 fellows partnering with 27 different community organizations in Santa Cruz. From working on exhibitions at the Museum of Art and History (MAH) to drafting and curating editorial content for Lookout Santa Cruz and conducting policy research for Housing Santa Cruz County, these positions allow students to apply the knowledge they’ve gained in their courses to make a difference and meaningfully participate in their communities.
EXCEL is part of Dean Jasmine Alinder’s Employing Humanities initiative, which aims to make stronger, more explicit links between what students do in their coursework and what they’ll do when they graduate. EXCEL builds on the success of The Humanities Institute’s Undergraduate Public Fellows program and along with Humanities EXPLORE (Experiential Learning Opportunities in Research) creates experiential learning opportunities for every interested student majoring or minoring in the Humanities at UCSC. Through the EXCEL program, students gain hands-on experience in professional settings outside of academia, reflect on the humanistic lens they bring to their work, and nurture transferable, career-ready skills that prepare them to be socially just leaders in professional and community-engaged settings.
Each EXCEL fellow dedicates 10-20 hours a week to their position. Throughout the program, fellows also complete tasks such as goal-setting and self-assessment, develop an effective resume and cover letter that draws from their fellowship experience to support their career aspirations and share their work at an end-of-year experiential learning showcase.
Congratulations to all of the 2024-25 EXCEL Fellows! Look out for more information about the fellows and their projects as we share profiles and stories, program updates, and other exciting news throughout the year. Follow @ucschumanities and @ucscthi to stay connected and learn more about upcoming opportunities.
Black Surf Santa Cruz
Kash Mejia (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), Social Media & Community Engagement Intern
Boys & Girls Club Santa Cruz County
Lesly Nicasio (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), Resource Development Coordinator
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Fatima Sanchez (Linguistics Major), Community Engagement Intern
The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
Ava Macdonald (Literature Major), Community Engagement Intern
Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County
Mayah Moore (Psychology Major, Philosophy Minor), Digital Marketing & Operations Intern
Foolscap Press
Madeline Bautista Maurer (Literature and Environmental Studies Major), Fellow
KSQD Community Radio
Maury Burnett-Cavoto (Philosophy Major), Reporter/Producer
Leadership Santa Cruz
Haley Shuford (Literature Major), New Leadership Fellow
Lookout Santa Cruz
Isabel Cordova (Literature and Psychology Major), Community Engagement Fellow
Chimera Mohammadi, (Literature Major), Editorial Assistant, Audience Engagement
Eetai Shwartz (History and Philosophy Major), Education Fellow
Museum of Art & History (MAH)
Leo Colletta (History Major), Assistant Education Coordinator
Bronwyn Eyre (History and Spanish Studies Majors), Assistant Archives Coordinator, Exhibitions & Programs
Morgan Woodley (History of Art & Visual Culture Major, History Minor), Assistant Archives Coordinator, Exhibitions & Programs
Museum of Natural History
Max Ari’i (Anthropology Major and Literature Minor), Environmental Humanities Fellow
Open Campus
Liliana Barajas (Literature and Anthropology Major), Editorial Fellow
San Lorenzo Valley Museum
Jake Davison (History Major), Interpretations Fellow
Eva Overton (History Major, Language Studies Minor), Cataloguing Fellow
Santa Cruz Poetry Project
Arabella Edler (History or Art & Visual Culture and Literature major), Educational Programs Assistant
Mars Nored (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major, Black Studies Minor), Educational Programs Assistant
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Isa Anderson (Literature and Education, Justice & Democracy Major), People & Stories Fellow
Esmeralda Hurtado (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), People & Stories Fellow
Santa Cruz Works
Serena Ramirez (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Psychology Major, Politics Minor), Business & Communications Intern
Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Program
Mac Rogers (History of Art & Visual Culture Major, Literature Minor), Program Assistant
Save Our Shores
Jadyn Polk (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), Communications & Programs Intern
Second Harvest Food Bank
Riley Ramos (Literature and Psychology Major), Marketing & Development Assistant
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Heather Yee (Global & Community Health Major, History Minor), Storytelling Fellow
The American Prospect
Brock Hrehor (Philosophy Major), Editorial Intern
The Hive Poetry Collective
Paulina Garcia (Feminist Studies and Politics Major), Communications & Events Intern
The Sikh Foundation
Gurleen Kaur (Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Major), Intern
United Way of Santa Cruz County
Gabby Goss (Film & Digital Media Major, Spanish Studies Minor), Marketing & Development Intern
Janelle Harvey (Literature Major), Community Impact Intern
Alanah Martinez (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Feminist Studies Major), Community Impact Intern
Women in Leadership for Diverse Representation (WILDR) Santa Cruz
Jamie Penilla (History Major), Communications & Community Development Intern
Your Future Is Our Business
Kyle Johnson (Literature and Anthropology Major) , Program Coordinator
Emily Moua (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Education, Democracy, and Justice Major), Program Coordinator
The Humanities EXCEL Program is made possible through support from The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division. The Humanities EXCEL program is part of a group of experiential learning opportunities for humanities students. To read about Humanities EXPLORE (Experiential Learning Opportunities in Research) fellows, click here.