Our Team

MA, Spiritual & Pastoral Care - Pastoral Counseling, Loyola University Maryland
BA, Social Work, Providence College

Hi, I am Sarah Choi and I am thrilled to serve as the Academic Success and Leadership Development Graduate Assistant for the Thrive Center this year. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Clinical Neuroscience at Virginia Tech with minors in Medicine and Society and Visual Arts and Society. During my time at Virginia Tech, I led two organizations, Synapse at Virginia Tech and Active Minds at Virginia Tech, and served as a teaching assistant and Crisis Counselor. I am currently enrolled in Loyola's Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) program in hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist to provide holistic mental support to minority communities and older adults. In my free time, I enjoy making art, reading, and spending time with friends. I look forward to working with the Loyola community and support students in their leadership journey.

Hi! My name is Shelby Meristil and I am the Mentorship and Assessment Graduate Assistant for the Thrive Center 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 the Thrive Center 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 the Thrive Center. 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 the Thrive Center, 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 Thrive Center and OSE student assistants, help coordinate major 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 the Thrive Center! 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 the Thrive Center, I am tasked with coordinating and evaluating the Multicultural Awareness Program, overseeing the coordination of the AMP 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 the Thrive Center. 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 Thrive Center 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, Co-Director of the Thrive Center 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 Co-Director of the Thrive Center, I oversee the retention and support services for students of color and other underrepresented students, as well as supervision of the Thive Center 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!