Shineika Fareus is an anti-racist educator, a community organizer, and a transformative leader. A youth organizer since 2014, Shineika has always valued the importance of having access to equitable education. She is a co-founder of Hearing Youth Voices who became involved with the organization at the age of 15 as a youth researcher working alongside a team of young people on the organizations first official “We Want to Graduate” Campaign. Shineika is committed to the liberation of Black folks that necessitates the destruction of capitalism and imperialism.

Through her organizing work as a Program Associate at the Center For Youth & Community Leadership In Education at Roger Williams University, her role as a Co-Director-in-Training at Hearing Youth Voices, and as the previous Board Member at a Better Way Foundation, she believes and fights for a world where we choose the well-being of people over profits. In 2021 Shineika graduated with both a BA in political science and sociology and MA in Organizational Leadership. During her time at Gordon College, as the Student Body President, she provided strong leadership and advocacy that contributed to Gordon College’s first Black Studies Minor.

Andriana Milner, or Dri for short, is a Central Connecticut State graduate (go Blue Devils!) where she studied hospitality and tourism. Since graduating, she has had the pleasure of working at local black owned restaurants and realizing that her passion has always been in public service. In the summer of 2020, Dri started her non-profit journey at Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA) where she worked with COVID-Black, teaching youth about mental health, self advocacy and community giving. In her down time, she enjoys reading, planning events and spending time with her family. Dri looks forward to continuing the success and message of the CT BBSU. Because if not us, then who?

Karissa Smith (she/her) is a social justice advocate and technical operations specialist. Before joining the CT BBSU, Karissa worked in education for 7 years in academics, athletics, recruitment, advising, operations and communications. This has given her a unique perspective of the inequities within our education system. It sparked a passion to fight for equitable policy that supports folx who identify as women, Black and Brown or LGBTQIA+. Being at the intersection of all three of those identities, this work spans both personally and professionally.

While working in the CT community college system, she created the Students of Color Alliance at Northwestern, was a Governing Board Member for the New England Association of College Admissions Counseling, and was on many DEI committees across the region. She believes educating our community gives them the power to create lasting change. Karissa holds a BA in Psychology, a MS in Sports Management and a Certificate in Data Science.