Jessica Allen is a transfer student from City College of San Francisco double majoring in African-American Studies and Social Welfare. She first joined NAVCAL as a student fellow in Spring 2020 and hasn't missed a beat since. She is on an educational path that leads to a Juris Doctorate in Civil Rights law, with the specific intent to serve her communities. As a first-generation, transfer, student parent, Berkeley Hope Scholar & DSP student, Jessica's mission is to pioneer initiatives and policy changes for marginalized pregnant and parenting families. When she became a mother at fifteen, Jessica vowed to make an impact on reproductive health. Through this work, She has proudly supported over one-hundred births in her community and addressed chronic stress, social isolation, and emotional hardship within her practice. The path she intends to chart as a Civil Rights Attorney would be confronting the systemic and institutional disparities within the field of infant and maternal health. Her vision as a global leader includes modeling intersectional interventions, strategy, and advocacy that will lead to initiatives for maternal and infant health care reform.
Accolades:
- Research Assistant Intern at the Abundant Birth Project
- Educator, Doula and Family Advocate at Mamahood Revolution
- Mellon Mays Fellowship/Scholarship Recipient
- Public Service Center Peter E. Haas Leaders Fellowship Recipient
- VeVe Clark Institute Fellow
- Executive Board Member of the San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR)
- Early Childhood Education Specialist at Bright Horizons UCSF
- University Section Club Grant Recipient
- Orion Scholarship Grant Recipient
- Offered position as Orion Grant Selection Committee Board Member
- Zachary Cruz Memorial Scholarship Recipient
- Received 4 Letters of Rec from UC Berkeley Professors and Staff so far
