Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Student Dawnielle Simmons Receives Diversity Award

Feb. 26, 2018 

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Dawnielle Simmons, Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student in the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University, received the WMU Office of Diversity and Inclusion Rising Star in Diversity Award on Feb. 23, 2018. This award recognizes a group or individual for enhancing the environment of inclusion at WMU and having made significant progress in this area.  The following citation accompanied the award. 

Dawnielle Simmons works for racial inclusion and diversity for the WMU campus, students of color and broadening awareness for non-marginalized students. As the graduate student representative on the College of Education and Human Development Inclusion and Diversity Committee, she continually provides a voice for students and ensures that she is inclusive of the various demographics of students. 

She is one of the creators of the Student Assembly for Racial Equity and Cultural Inclusion, a registered student organization at WMU. This fairly new organization was established just over a year ago by WMU student representatives of the IDC. The organization aims to address student concerns about racial equity.

Simmons helped create panels in a variety of places including first-year experience classrooms and Real Talk Diversity Series to discuss diversity, racial inclusion and white supremacy. SAREC panels help contribute to a "shared and inclusive understanding of diversity" by recruiting not only students of color but also white students who understand how white supremacy continues to play a role in marginalization of communities of color.

Simmons is currently working on moving the SAREC panels to be part of the FYE courses, therefore, creating sustainability to continue the program at WMU after she completes her doctoral degree.

In addition to SAREC, Simmons contributed a significant amount of work, time and energy for students of color who attended the NCORE 2017 conference in Texas.

She is a doctoral student at WMU who earned her master's degree in education from DePaul University and bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.