Vanessa Jimenez currently serves as a Retention Assistant for the Office of Mentoring, Retention, and Success Programs at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Vanessa graduated from TCNJ in 2019 with a B.A. in History & Secondary Education and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Inspired by the support provided by mentors, teachers, and counselors alike, Vanessa has made it her mission to pay back the help by paying it forward and providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.
As a first-generation Afro-Latina-American college student, she has grown to recognize the difference that great mentoring can have on a student’s success. Thus, in her current role at TCNJ, she supports students in the Pride Mentorship Program, designed specifically for campus Black and Latinx/e students. Previously, Vanessa worked as an Admissions Counselor at TCNJ, working primarily with underrepresented and multicultural communities and supervising the College Ambassadors Program.
Quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.