Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Olivia Free '22, a sociology/anthropology and Spanish double major with a concentration in medicine and the liberal arts, is committed to doing work that examines pressing social issues in order to collaboratively find solutions that will promote the health and wellbeing of all people in our society. Free is a first generation college student, Bonner Scholar, volunteer at the Adult Learning Center, and student worker at the Wellness Center.

Ansley Hardeman, 20, a junior from Athens, Georgia. Ansley is a Psychology major with minors in both Business and Philosophy. Ansley is a committed student athlete on the Wofford Women's Tennis Team as well as an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha where she holds a position on the Programs Council as Intramural Chair. In the future, she plans to utilize her campus involvement and relationships to engineer and implement positivity and impactful change throughout Wofford and the community.

Megan Holderness ’22 is a junior from Charleston, SC, double majoring in Government and Spanish and minoring in Philosophy. At Wofford, she is a member of Reformed University Fellowship, the Pre-Law Society, and Sigma Delta Pi. In addition, she has served as a Wofford Ambassador and a member of Orientation Staff on the Student Success Team, as well as an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha where she has been elected Director of Sisterhood, Vice President II: New Member Coordinator, and now President. She has also completed a Pre-Law internship with the College and hopes to study abroad in Spain during her time. In her capacity as a student researcher for the JEDI Committee, she plans to aid the College in shaping its future in a positive direction. Her goal is to not only help formulate this plan but also put it into action. After Wofford, she hopes to pursue law school after which this active work in the community can continue.

Sandra López’21 is a Finance major and Business Minor from Woodruff, South Carolina. Her involvement on campus involves the Gateway Scholars, OLAS, and Wofford Women of Color. As a Bonner Scholar she volunteered throughout the Spartanburg Community at Access Health, Carver Middle School, Arcadia Elementary, VITA Tax Clinic and Farmers Market. The research that she has done with Dr. Barbas Rhoden and Dr. Dinkins has helped her to become deeply committed to engaging in collaborative action with others to create long-term social change to address issues of inequality, especially with regard to BIPOC and immigrants. For Sandra, in order for Wofford to thrive in the coming years, justice & equity should be at the forefront of the discussion. Her goal with the JEDI team is to make Wofford a more inclusive and safe community for current and future students.

Hector Ortiz is a junior at Wofford College. He is planning on majoring in Biology, Philosophy, and Spanish with a concentration in Medicine and Liberal Arts. Ortiz has been very involved with community-based learning and community research. Ortiz has partnered with a few faculty members to study Latinx communities in SC and Spartanburg regarding reproductive and mental health. One thing that Ortiz is very passionate about is social justice and equity. Through research, Ortiz believes that we can learn from different experiences to better the community, even at Wofford.

Broderick M. Reid Jr., a native of Georgetown, SC, is a senior at Wofford College, majoring in Philosophy. In addition to serving as a JEDI student worker, Broderick has dedicated a lot of his time to be involved on campus. He served as the Student Media Specialist for The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (2019-2020), Vice President of Wofford Men of Color (2019-2020), and the Pledge Master for Alpha Phi Omega (2019-2020). He is currently serving on the Campus Union Assembly as a Senior Delegate and a member of AMS, Black Student Alliance, E.K. Hardin Pre Law Society, WMOC, College Democrats, and many other organizations here on campus. He also is a facilitator for National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), whose mission is to build hopeful environments that welcome diversity and inclusion.

Alongside his involvement on campus, he also volunteers around the Spartanburg Community at Miracle Hill and Cleveland Academy, where he helps lead King’s Club, an organization dedicated to teaching young men how to maneuver through society.

After graduating, Broderick will be attending Wake Forest’s Business School pursuing a Master of Science in Management.

Julie Rodrick is a first-year from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Julie is involved in the Launch Entrepreneurship Program as well as Kappa Alpha Theta at Wofford. As a Spartanburg native, Julie’s pursuit of equity and diversity stems from wanting to improve her hometown and to create a just system that steers both the Wofford community and the larger Spartanburg community in a positive and inclusive direction.

Sam Smith, class of 2023, is a Spanish and government double major. From Florence, South Carolina, he is passionate about American politics and government and uses this fascination to fuel his work with justice and equity. As a Spanish major, Smith had the opportunity to volunteer at after school programs with Arcadia Elementary. He is a member of the honor council and Kappa Alpha Order. In his work with the JEDI research team, Smith hopes to foster a better community at Wofford College and facilitate the steering committee's work.

Jay Stevens, a native of Spartanburg, SC, is a junior at Wofford College as a dual degree candidate with majors in Finance, Accounting, and Spanish. He serves as a research associate on the James-Atkins Fund, works in the Accounting Lab as a peer tutor, and is a member of RUF. In the summer of 2019, Jay participated in community-based research as a member of a team led by Dr. Dinkins and Dr. Barbas Rhoden analyzing kindergarten readiness data in two neighborhoods within Spartanburg, as well as researching how out-of-school time is spent by Latinx youth in the greater Spartanburg area. Jay’s interest in justice and equity stems from his desire to positively impact his hometown community and work towards providing a more equitable system for current and future students and community members to come.

I am a senior from Goose Creek, SC, double majoring in Biology and Psychology with a Neuroscience concentration, Pre-Med. I am an active member of Delta Delta Delta, in which I have served as VP Finance, VP Chapter Development, and a small group leader. I am also the president of Club Volleyball, a member of Campus Outreach, a member of Beta Beta Beta, a Biology and Chemistry tutor, a media relations intern for the athletics department, and am currently serving as the VP Operations of Panhellenic. I have been an iCAN mentor and am committed to serving as a good role model to those around me. As a student researcher for the JEDI Committee, I am interested in helping Wofford continue to move in the right direction, making justice and equity a priority now and for years to come. Once I graduate, I will be attending medical school and hope to continue to push for equity in my future profession as a physician.

Jeffrey Woodward is a junior at Wofford College where he studies biology and is on the pre-medicine track. After In the spring of 2020, he was in intern for the Palmetto Council of the Boy Scouts of America. As an intern, Jeffrey worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Gaffney, SC teaching elementary school students a variety of scout skills. This experience inspired Jeffrey to seek other opportunities to improve local communities. As a JEDI student researcher, Jeffrey will continue to help his community grow into a place where all are welcomed.