21 Under 21 Series: Verenisse Ponce-Soria
Hometown: Pikeville, North Carolina
Major: Public Policy major; concentration in Education Policy, Minor in Education
Verenisse Ponce-Soria is both a Johsnton and Gold Leaf Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was recently accepted to graduate school and will be pursuing my Ph.D. in Education Policy and Social Context so that she can gain the tools and knowledge needed to conduct strong and equitable research on programs and policies that help cultivate Southern Latinx youth. Among of the things she’s been involved with on campus, she additionally serves as Hermandad, Alumni Relations, and Recruitment Chair for Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Incorporated.
-Hermandad, Alumni Relations, and Recruitment Chair for Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Incorporated.
What is your proudest accomplishment at Carolina?
I think my proudest accomplishment at Carolina has been the way I connect Education research with practice and policy. I think it was really difficult for me to sit in classrooms and learn about injustices within my field and feeling like there's nothing I could do about them. I don't think I ever imagined the way I would be transforming lives at this point in my career. The research I've done is being tangibly used to improve programming at LatinxEd, it's being used to train future educators, and it's being used to transform and amplify the way we think and speak about Education for Southern Latinxs. But when I tangibly envision my greatest accomplishment, it doesn't look a paper or title next to my name, it looks like the smiles of the kids I help serve. It sounds like the laughter and shared joy in my community. It tastes like proudly rolling my r's when speaking with students. Joy is a radical act, and my biggest accomplishment is creating and experiencing it with my community.
What does your work on campus and beyond mean to you? Why is it worthwhile or rewarding for you?
The work I do for the kids we serve is meaningful to me because I see myself in those kids. I see my parents, sisters, and cousins in the face of each child. I see the child struggling to embrace the pieces and assets of their identities that the school system wants them to leave at the door. Doing this work, means I get to leave this world a little better than I found it, even if it's only by impacting the life of a single child.
Who is a woman of color who inspires you and why?
It's so hard to choose just one, but I think Adilene Ramirez. My sorority Chapter Intake Coordinator for Phi Fall 19. Adie has faced more than anyone should have to face in a lifetime, and yet she continues to work and love without fear and relentlessly. She is on a constant journey of self-discovery and personal improvement so that she can better herself and help her community. She has a strong voice and she's not afraid to use it. Even more, she is welcoming and one of the most empathetic leaders I know.
