Meet Our 2022-2023 Scholars!

Talia Chavis

Meet WomenNC Scholar Talia Chavis! Talia is a native of North Carolina and a third-year student at North Carolina Central University in the College of Health and Sciences. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Education. She has served in leadership positions in multiple organizations at her university. She has served on the University Honors Program Student Council as a Council-at-Large member during her second year in college and has been elected for a second term as the Junior Class Representative. Talia joined the Aspiring Eagles Academy coming into her freshman year and was elected to the Executive Board as the Community Service Chair during her second year, a role that she has continued into her third year. She also holds the position of being a Resident Assistant through the Department of Residential Life at North Carolina Central University and serves as the Undergraduate Advocate for the HBCUSTEMuLUS. Talia has also been involved in the Sisters of the Men’s Achievement Center since her second year of college and became a part of the inaugural cohort of the Life and Leadership Education Through Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program during her first year of undergraduate education. Upon the completion of her undergraduate studies, Talia will gain experience in Health Policy while earning her Master’s degree in either Healthcare Administration or Public Health with the intention of improving healthcare outcomes for underserved communities.

Shreya Kancharla

Shreya Kancharla is a third-year student at North Carolina State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences where she is pursuing a degree in Political Science (BA) and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. In her studies, Shreya is focusing on law and justice while also furthering her knowledge on political thought and research. Her interest in women’s and gender studies stems from her long-term interest in feminism and advocating for women and gender non-conforming people of all backgrounds. Shreya is involved in the student organization the Feminist Collective at NCSU where she connects with like-minded individuals who are passionate about feminist principals as well. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to law school to study to become a lawyer and legal advocate for underrepresented communities.

Allison Reilly

Allison Reilly is a third-year undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing a degree in Political Science with minors in Social and Economic Justice and Medicine, Literature, and Culture. Her multidisciplinary interests have given her the opportunity to explore intersections of criminal justice and abolition, health equity, and education policy. Passionate about political activism and community organizing, Allison has volunteered for her hometown’s Coalition for Equity and Inclusion; served as the Social Media Coordinator for a local school committee campaign; and been an active member of Community Justice, Abolition, and Anti-Racism—a student movement that finds home in UNC’s hub for social justice, the Campus Y. At UNC, Allison also co-captains Pleiades, the Women’s Club Ultimate team, and dances and choreographs as a member of the Carolina Vibe Dance Team.Most recently, Allison traveled to Wellington, New Zealand to intern at the Te Ngāpara Centre for Restorative Practice. Here, she pursued a research project that explored Victoria University of Wellington’s status as a “Restorative University,” with a particular focus on how indigenous Māori justice intersects with restorative practices in the university context. Allison is excited to apply her research findings to her project as a WomenNC Scholar this year, as she investigates restorative justice initiatives to reduce referrals to law enforcement and improve academic outcomes for Black and Brown girls in North Carolina schools.

Tessa Delgo

Tessa Delgo is a senior at Duke University studying Global Cultural Studies and Documentary Studies. Inspired by her upbringing in a single-parent household and her status as a first-generation college student, her WomenNC project focuses on finding ways to increase the graduation rates of single-mother students attending local community colleges. Outside of WomenNC, she can be found writing her senior thesis on Filipina representations in 90 Day Fiancé, editing for the arts & culture section of Duke’s student newspaper, and volunteering at the Community Empowerment Fund in Durham. After graduation, she eventually intends to go to graduate school, but in the meantime hopes to work at an arts/media-related nonprofit, combining her passions for the arts and social justice.

Lia Willcoxon

Lia Willcoxon is a current student at North Carolina State University. She is pursuing an accelerated bachelor's and master's program in Science, Technology, and Society and Global Health. She grew up living in Arizona, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Washington, which piqued her interests in the preservation and celebration of diversity within different communities. In 2020, she was studying in Aix-en-Provence, France during the outbreak of Covid-19, when it became transparent to her that the health needs of women required increased support in public policy and scientific research. In order to begin addressing the disparities in global health and women's health, she has worked as a research assistant at the institute of USFQ in Quito, Ecuador and at NCSU in North Carolina, volunteered for nonprofits and organizations seeking to support women including the Gambian Girl Power, all whilst creating a systemic academic literature review addressing "The Need of Public Health Support Structures for Rural College-Educated Women in North Carolina to Decrease Brain-Drain" with WomenNC. Lia hopes to further prepare primary care physicians and public health policymakers to address the health needs of women in her future work, and hopes to one day earn a PhD in Population Health Sciences.

Tia Thompson

Tia Thompson is from Ahoskie, NC. She is a fourth-year undergraduate student at North Carolina State University, where she is pursuing a degree in Business Administration and minoring in Social Work. She is a part of several organizations, including TRIO, Women in Business, Black Business Student Association, and Consult Your Community at NC State. She actively volunteers with the NC State Women's Center and Feed the Pack Food Pantry at NC State. Currently, she is involved with WomenNC, NC State Women's Basketball, and works as a Data Analyst with the National Alliance of Mental Illness in Wake County. After graduation, Tia plans to attend graduate school to obtain a Master of Public Administration.

Mia Miranda

Mia Miranda ‘23 is a double Psychology and English major at Duke University. She grew up in Miami, FL. At Duke, Mia has devoted most of her time to the advancement and empowerment of women. In her freshman year, she became a Baldwin Scholar, a title awarded to 18 freshman women each year to encourage women's leadership on campus. Following this, Mia worked with a graduate student to found a reading group for women on campus, serving primarily as a safe space for mainly women of color to foster a sense of community. She frequently writes horror short stories for The Muse, a feminist publication. In the Psychology and Global Health departments, Mia works with Dr. Eve Puffer in her lab on various clinical interventions for women and children in both the United States and Kenya. Her personal research interests are in the fields of clinical and forensic psychology, particularly with a focus on women. In the future, she wishes to explore the impact of gender violence (including sexual and initimate partner violence) and other trauma on the psychopathology of women and children. After graduation, she plans to work in psychology research and eventually pursue her PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Beyonnshea Lucas

Beyonnshea Lucas is a native of Wilson, North Carolina. She is an undergraduate student studying Psychology at North Carolina Central University. She is actively involved with many organizations on campus: Student Government Association, McNair Scholars Program, Nixon Thorpe Psychology Club, and much more. Beyonnshea’s future goals after graduation is to purse a PHD in Clinical Community Psychology. With her degree, she plans to serve minority communities. During her free time, Beyonnshea is a mentor to several freshman at North Carolina Central University with Aspiring Eagles Academy.

Kahlia Jones

Kahlia Jones is a senior at NC State University majoring in Science, Technology, and Society with a double minor in Biological Sciences and Health, Medicine, and Human Values. In her studies, Kahlia is focused on understanding and improving disparities in reproductive healthcare. After graduation, Kahlia intends to attend graduate school for health informatics to further her knowledge of the healthcare system and use empirical data to combat systemic reproductive injustice. Through advocacy, education, and action, Kahlia wants to ensure that the next generation has reliable and quality access to reproductive healthcare services and information.

Carolina Coch

Carolina Coch is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a double major in Economics and Public Policy. With support from her femtor Ana Perez, Carolina is researching the ways in which sustainable agricultural practices can improve the working conditions for migrant women in North Carolina's agriculture sector. Her research with WomenNC is primarily guided by her experiences working with the economic and social empowerment of Latinx communities in Chapel Hill and abroad. Carolina dedicates much of her time on UNC's campus to a community organization, the Community Empowerment Fund, working with community members experiencing housing, income, and food insecurity to close the racial wealth gap. After pursuing an internship in Guatemala with a technology startup, studying abroad in Spain, and her current position as an intern at the World Bank, Carolina hopes to pursue a career in international development.