
Meet the 2023 Cohort of the Unum Academy
The Unum Academy aims to foster the personal and professional development of college students in the South who have an interest in addressing policies, practices, and structures that create inequity. Academy members develop a fundamental understanding of core concepts related to equity work, meet other young people with similar passions, and learn about ways that they can advance equity in any sector, industry, or field of study.
The program is designed around a traditional academic calendar, with the fall and spring semesters dedicated to virtual sessions for learning, skill-building, and networking. During the summer, Academy members complete a paid internship with an organization in their local community that works to address issues related to inequity and disparity. Unum Academy is open to college students of all levels of experience who are attending academic institutions in one of the thirteen southern states.

Telina Boyles
West Virginia University Potomac State College
Keyser, West Virginia

Jewel Cross
Talladega College
Talladega, Alabama

Journey Davis
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia

Ashlyn Fox
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Ashley Gordon
Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee

Diamond Green
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Roxanne James
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, Florida

Gabriel Mosley
Francis Marion University
Florence, North Carolina

Kayla Nguyen
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Janiah Noel
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky

Aarinii Parms-Green
Xavier University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Simone Russell
Wesleyan College
Macon, Georgia

Sedrick Thomas
Prairie View and A&M University
Prairie View, Texas

Genea Washington
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi

Ava Wilkes
Washington and Lee University
Lexington City, Virginia