Welcome to our four newest trustees!
Oldfields is thrilled to welcome these four accomplished alumnae, Jennevee Frias Crespo ’01, Jamila Hubbard ’11, Dominique Young Mejia ’04, and Rayven Vinson ’10 to our Board of Trustees. From financial services and educational leadership to policy analysis and legal expertise, from New York to the Baltimore-Washington corridor, these four women bring a broad range of welcome skills and perspectives. In addition, they will enable our Board to truly reflect the multi-cultural composition of our student body. We are grateful for the additional voices from people of color in our School’s leadership. Jennevee and Rayven were among those who wrote an open letter in June, calling the School out for racist acts and outlining steps Oldfields needed to take to address systemic racism in our community. That letter was the impetus for the creation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan. Our alumnae of color, along with their allies, cared enough about the Oldfields community to bring to light the racism and inequality that has, and still does, exist on our campus. Additionally, a newly created DEI Board Committee will address all aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it pertains to Oldfields and each of its constituents, including trustees. This committee’s charter includes increasing efforts to diversify the staff, faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees to ensure proper representation and advocacy for ALL students. We look forward to working closely with our newest board members and want to share their answers to two very important questions with our community in the short interviews that follow.
Jennevee Frias Crespo ’01
Franklin Square, NY
Financial Services
Why did you decide to accept the appointment to the Oldfields Board?
I didn’t expect to end up on the Board as a result of my advocating anti-racism at Oldfields this summer. As I’ve often said, I trace so much of where I am today to my time at Oldfields. It changed the trajectory of my life, but I paid a price for that—I endured horrific acts of racism and microaggressions. And now, I always weigh the two sides of the scale when I think about Oldfields. I love Oldfields. However, the duality of Black and People of Color (POC) students’ experiences at Oldfields did not end with me 20 years ago. It’s still happening. I joined the Board to make sure that it ends.
What do you hope to accomplish in this role?
First, I want Black and POC students to feel safe at Oldfields. The journey for Black and POC young women is beyond difficult and heavy. It only gets more difficult as you go through life. Oldfields should be the place where you feel the most safe, heard, and valued. Second, these problems (racism and other forms of oppression) are not unique to Oldfields. I want to make sure Oldfields is acting and operating on the right side of history moving forward. These old institutions have been going about their business, and alumnae are saying “enough is enough.”
“Oldfields should be the place where you feel the most safe, heard, and valued.”
Dominique Young Mejia ’04
Bronx, NY
Educational Leadership
Why did you decide to accept the appointment to the
Oldfields Board?
My sister is a current Oldfields student—a Black girl on campus—and I want to ensure that Oldfields is an amazing place for her, for students like her, for alumnae that didn’t have this representation at the board level (like myself), and for future students who look like me. Ultimately, I love Oldfields. I had a great experience as a student. I want to see the School evolve in ways that will make it even better for future generations.
What do you hope to accomplish in this role?
I want the work that I do to ensure that Oldfields is a space that is safe, equitable, and inclusive of women just like me. I want to make sure that Oldfields is doing right by all of its students, and I am here in service to all of its students. However, I have to ensure that the representation is there specifically for Black girls and Black women like me. I will work to make sure that these students' voices are heard, respected, validated, and valued, and that any past harm done to these students is acknowledged, validated, and repaired. I want to make it so that students of color look back fondly on their Oldfields experiences without a duality…students should feel as though they've had a positive experience and are devoid of trauma. I want the campus to be a place where tough conversations are had and where everyone is respecting and accepting of everyone else.
“I want the work that I do to ensure that Oldfields is a space that is safe, equitable, and inclusive of women just like me.”
Jamila Hubbard ’11
Washington, DC
Law Fellow
Why did you decide to accept the appointment to the Oldfields Board?
I wanted to be more involved. After attending the gatherings in DC, I wasn’t seeing any diversity or women of color at the events. I want to have more representation in Oldfields spaces. My experiences post-Oldfields made me want to join the Board, and I believe giving time is just as valuable as financial philanthropy for an institution. It is time for young people and women of color to be on the Board.
What do you hope to accomplish in this role?
This is a loaded question—stay tuned! There are a lot of things I want to accomplish, and I hope all will come to fruition.
“I want to have more representation in Oldfields spaces.”
Rayven Vinson ’10
Glen Burnie, MD
Policy Analyst
Why did you decide to accept the appointment to the Oldfields Board?
I was committed to working with the School to follow through on the expectations and demands of the open letter shared this summer outlining actions that the School needed to take. My appointment to the Board expedited my ability to enact action and change around making Oldfields equitable and inclusive for all students. I also just love Oldfields. I’m the alumna that has been back to campus almost every year since I graduated and continue to give my time to the School. For example, I spoke to the Class of 2018 at the 100 Nights ’til Graduation dinner.
What do you hope to accomplish in this role?
In addition to enabling action and change at Oldfields, I want to extend and establish a relationship between the Board and the students. The Board seemed removed and distant to me as a student, and if you are making decisions that impact the lives of the students, you should have a relationship and understanding of their experiences. I want to help Oldfields move into the future. As we focus on DEI, we need to bring disabled students, queer students, and economically disadvantaged students with us.