ALANA Services Staff

Hi! I am Sade Chee-Wah, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of the ALANA Staff in my role as the Academic and Career Enrichment Graduate Assistant. For my undergraduate academic journey, I attended Loyola, where I proudly earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 2023. Currently, I'm actively engaged in Loyola's 5-year Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program, pursuing my passion for education. ALANA Services holds a special place in my heart, as it played a significant role in my undergraduate years at Loyola. Now, it is my privilege to give back and contribute as a valued member of this incredible organization. For fun I enjoy listening to music,  journaling, and simply enjoying quality time with my friends and family.

Hi, my name is Jared and I am a graduate at Hiram College and a current graduate student at Loyola’s Master's program for Clinical and Professional Counseling. At Hiram, I majored in psychology and minored in entrepreneurship in addition to fulfilling the role of setter and libero on the inaugural Men’s Varsity Volleyball Team. I hope to develop my skills as a counselor to provide mental health support and counseling for minority populations like the LGBT community. In my spare time I love to play volleyball, read, write, and spend time with friends.

Hi! My name is Shelby Meristil and I am the Mentorship and Assessment Graduate Assistant for ALANA services this year. I recently graduated from St. John's University in Queens with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and a minor in Sociology. During my time at Saint John's, I was a Resident Assistant, a mentor, and highly involved in student leadership. I am currently enrolled in Loyola's Clinical Counseling program in hopes of becoming a therapist to provide mental support to minority communities, such as black men. I'm eager to begin my work with ALANA this year and help students with their academic endeavors, specifically through mentorship. In my free time, I like to spend time with friends, go to the gym, and listen to music.

My name is Jainaya Rice, and I am the Program Assistant for ALANA Services. I am a proud Baltimore, Maryland Native and am honored to be working in my local community! I received a Bachelors of Science degree and studied Theatre and Media Performance at Stevenson University. As the Program Assistant for ALANA Services, I have the pleasure of assisting Raven Williams (our Director), as well as any staff in the office for administrative needs/clerical support. I also supervise the ALANA and OSE student assistants, help coordinate major ALANA events, and manage the budget for our department. Outside of the office, I do professional photography as well as acting in films/theatre. For fun, I love to try new restaurants, listen to music, and spend quality time with my loved ones. I am very excited for my journey here at Loyola and hope to make an impact in the best way with my time here.

My name is Jason Summers and I am the Assistant Director of ALANA Services! I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I received my Bachelors of Arts degree of Sociology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2014. Having found my passion for working in Student Affairs, after graduating undergrad, I began my Master of Education with an emphasis of Adult and Higher Education program, finishing in May 2016. I have gained the majority of my Higher Education experience working in Residence Life and Housing, DEI offices, and Human Resources. As the Assistant Director of ALANA Services, I am tasked with coordinating and evaluating the Multicultural Awareness Program, overseeing the coordination of the ALANA Mentoring Program, providing intentional outreach and advising to ALANA cultural identity groups, serving as an advocate for issue affecting the personal, social, and academic development of ALANA students, along with a host of other things. Outside of my day to day professional life, I enjoying discovering new places to eat in Baltimore, playing on a kickball team, binging watching multiple shows via all my subscriptions, and spending time with my family and friends.

My name is Dennis Velez, and I am the Associate Director for ALANA Services. I am a proud Connecticut native (though my parents were both born in Puerto Rico). I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Iona College, and received my Master of Arts degree in Sociology with a concentration in diversity and inequality from Fordham University. As Associate Director, I oversee the Ignatius Scholars Program, help oversee the academic enrichment programs, work on retention programs such as MAN2MAN, and provide general support services for ALANA students. When I'm not serving as a Higher Education professional, you can find me on the dance floor (I love dance fitness), checking out a cool restaurant (eating is a hobby), spending time with my family back home in Connecticut (I have two nieces and three nephews I'm obsessed with!) or keeping up with my favorite reality television shows (guilty habit). Go Greyhounds!

I am Raven Williams, Director of ALANA Services and a native of Saginaw, Michigan.  My work in higher education has been focused on student retention, academic advising and intervention, staff and student training and development, cultural competency, and diversity/equity/inclusion awareness.  As the Director of ALANA Services, I oversee the retention and support services for students of color and other underrepresented students, as well as supervision of the ALANA staff.  I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Eastern Michigan University and my Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from Saginaw Valley State University.  My next academic goal is to begin working on my doctoral degree.  In my spare time, I love anything related to music, church, sports, traveling, shopping, and exploring new restaurants.  The one thing people will learn about me quickly is that I’m a social butterfly and I love connecting with people.  Most importantly, I love working with students!