MoZone Peer Educators
MoZone is a social justice peer education program led by trained students who provide hands on training and facilitate interactive dialogues.
Meet the Peer Educators
Cynthia Akanaga ’25
Hey y'all, my name is Cynthia (she/her). I’m a class of 2025 and a Computer Science major. Born and raised in Nigeria, and currently living in Dallas, TX. I’m an adrenaline junkie, so I love rollercoasters, skydiving, etc. The combination of risk and fun is unbeatable. I love being a MoZone peer educator because it allows me to actively engage in discussions about making the campus more inclusive. The workshops and dialogues we facilitate create spaces for people from different backgrounds to share their lived experiences creating opportunities for learning new things and new ways to view ideas. Being part of this peer group gives me hope about our ability to overcome adversities and I also get to work with a group of amazing friends as well. Super excited to interact with you all!!
Juliette Auslander ‘26
Hi y’all! I’m Juliette (they/she) and I am so excited to be the fellow for Mozone! I grew up in Central Jersey, except for a few years in South Florida. I am a junior majoring in Ancient Studies. I love mythology and how the stories we tell each other reflect our values. I became interested in facilitating because I wanted to learn more about how collaborative social justice can be. My favorite part about Intergroup Dialogue is suspending your judgements and learning from others, especially those you thought you could never connect to. Outside of college, I can frequently be found doing deep dives about random history facts!
Luca Gorman ‘26
Hey! My name is Luca (he/him), I am from upstate New York, and I am a MoZone peer educator. I am a junior and I am majoring in biology, with a nexus in environmental education. I have a strong passion for social justice and I want to make sure everyone feels valued and included at Mount Holyoke while also having the tools to respectfully discuss difficult topics with each other, which is why I joined MoZone. I believe that everyone deserves a space to become educated and learn how to be an accomplice to other marginalized folks in our community, because no one is free until we are all free. Outside of school I enjoy reading, collecting cool sticks, spending time with my chosen family, propagating plants, and observing earthworms in the rain.
Mariama Diallo ’25
Hello everyone! My name is Mariama Diallo and I am a peer educator at MoZone. I am part of the class of 2025 and and I currently plan to major in film. I joined MoZone as a peer educator with the hopes to be a helping hand to others on campus as they begin or continue to navigate this ever changing academic environment. I love exploring new cuisines and cultures and my favorite sports are soccer and volleyball.
Anna Bobbitt ‘27
Hi everyone! My name is Anna Bobbitt (She/her). I am class of ‘27 and an architecture major. I am originally from Asheville, North Carolina. I joined MoZone as a peer educator because I really love the community here at Mount Holyoke. The people I have met so far here are so incredibly kind and intelligent and I want every single person on campus to be celebrated for their uniqueness, regardless of identity. I want to make the best of our opportunity to create a loving and welcoming community.
Liliana Stinon ‘27
Hello everyone! My name is Liliana Stinson (they/them) and I’m a MoZone peer educator. I'm in the class of 2027 and am an international relations and (likely) classical studies major! I’m originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, though I spent a lot of my early years living in Maine. I’ve been passionate about social justice work since high school, and I joined MoZone because I want to make sure all student spaces at Mount Holyoke are actively inclusive, and give everyone the tools they need to put thoughts and ideas into action. Outside of school I love running, crocheting, painting, and spending time with my friends outside :)
Sharmila Mustari Nandita ‘27
I'm Sharmila Mustari Nandita. I'm a Physics and Astronomy double major with a minor in CS. I am in the class of 2027. I am an international student from a very beautiful country named Bangladesh. I love reading books, doing skincare, and learning about new cultures. I am really excited for my role as a MoZone Peer Educator. I get the opportunity to connect with different thoughts, and perspectives of so many students, and get to share and connect with my own.
Ashley Mantanico ‘27
My name is Ashley Herrera Mantanico (she/they), and I serve as a Peer Educator at Mozone. I am a first-generation Guatemalan American currently pursuing a double major in Sociology and Critical Race Political Economy. My academic and personal interests include exploring diverse cultural histories, traveling to historical ancient sites, I am an avid music enthusiast and find joy in activities related to self-care <3!!! My decision to join Mozone stems from my deep commitment to facilitation and my desire to leverage my experiences as a Latina woman raised in a low-income environment. I am dedicated to representing my community and providing resources that support other BIPOC students on their professional and academic advancement. I appreciate the chance to be part of Mozone, where I can share my insights and connect with diverse viewpoints to assist all students on campus. I look forward to making a positive impact and participating in meaningful change.
“You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it, and responsible for changing it." — Grace Lee Boggs
Our Mission
To increase awareness of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion issues on campus by providing students with shared language and knowledge.
Our Purpose
To provide students with tools and knowledge about the available resources within Mount Holyoke and surrounding communities; create a shared understanding of difference and diversity of experience at MHC by providing a space where students can engage in difficult conversations about issues of diversity and social justice
Goals
To create and circulate social justice education curriculums, and other educational programmatic initiatives facilitated and coordinated by trained student leaders and educators by:
- delivering 2-3 hour modules/ workshops particular topics at the request of the various students, student organizations, offices and departments;
- sponsoring various educational programs (i.e., Allyship week, More Than An Ally Panel);
- supporting and assisting students in navigating peer to peer cross-cultural conversations;
- facilitating workshops during campus visit days and new student orientation;
- and, organizing awareness campaigns which support current social justice issues on campus, the surrounding, national, and global community.
Workshops
The MoZone Peer Education Program currently offers the following workshops:
- Foundations of Social Justice
- Gender and Sexuality
- Race and Racism
- Nationality and Nation of Origin
- Religion and Spirituality
These workshops can be presented to student organizations, residence halls floors, living learning communities, student leadership groups, peer education groups, class rooms, and more.
If you or your group would like to participate in one of the workshops listed above, please fill out the workshop request form.
Contact Us
Office of Community and Belonging
The Office of Community and Belonging provides programs that support social justice education, dialogue, celebration and identity development.
- community-belonging@mtholyoke.edu
- 205 Blanchard Hall
Latrina L. Denson
- Associate Dean of Students
- Executive Director of Community and Belonging