MARSHALL INSTITUTE Blog

With questions by Acting Dean of Student Affairs, Victoria Kerba Miller

Mentha Hynes-Wilson just completed a year as the director of student life for Whitman College, Princeton University’s newest residential college. Functioning as the chief student services officer for the college, she serves an essential role in the strategic and assessment plans of programs and policies which extend learning beyond the classroom and maximize student opportunities for personal development.

Hynes-Wilson previously served as the associate dean of multicultural affairs and student affairs at Smith College. Her profound commitment to educational equity led her to design and implement highly-successful initiatives to make Smith a more diverse and welcoming community for people of all backgrounds.

Active in a number of educational and civic endeavors, she holds professional memberships in associations including the American Association of University Women, American College Personnel Association, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. She earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento and a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

What do you consider your hometown and tell us a quick story from living there?

Well, I was born and raised in the cozy waterside town of Vallejo, California, the headquarters of the first State Capitol – albeit for merely a few weeks - and a prominent naval shipyard.

I remember the close-knit friends who encircled me all through my childhood. Jeff. Gino. Michelle. Gregory. Dali. Kimi. Patricia and Sylvia. We were restless dreamers hoping to carry out our parent’s aspiration of a brighter future; my own family members were among the mass movement of Black Americans migrating from the Southern region of the United States to the Northern states for economic and social reasons.

During a grade school exercise on the subject of America’s melting pot, our teacher instructed us to prepare an oral presentation connecting our respective family traditions and food. One by one my little social group stood to share narratives of sacred hoops, June dinners, quinceañeros and much more while parent volunteers served lumpia, corn soup, chicken and rice, fried plantain, and sweet potato pie.

So even before I could put a name, diversity, to it, I could sense that there were interrelated concerns and interests and challenges among these varied “minority” groups.

What two or three activities outside of work are you most proud of or enjoy the most?

My husband and I share an enthusiasm for community involvement and are active members of two prominent civic organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

I’ve participated in numerous efforts beyond those associated with the sorority, the more recent examples include canvassing the Springfield community to encourage residents to get out and VOTE NOW, reading to elementary school students in conjunction with the Read Aloud Program, and providing transportation for elders needing assistance with personal errands.

I believe I have a responsibility to lend a helping hand to those in need and intend to volunteer within the greater San Diego community.

What about Thurgood Marshall College are you excited about as you begin working here?

Without a doubt, I’m looking forward to being apart of a spirited community that has demonstrated an unshakable commitment to the principles of academic excellence, leadership and service.

How does a student maximize his/her college experience?

Students learn not just by reading texts and engaging in classroom discussions but by extending learning outside of the parameters of structed instruction. It is the broadest mix of ideas, opinions and outlooks that contribute so greatly to creative learning. I believe linking classroom theory to real world application results in a well-rounded individual.

If you were not in student affairs what job(s) would you have?

I’d probably be a race car driver. I enjoy motoring along the highways and connect with Nikki Giovanni when she exclaims in the poem Beep Beep, “the power within my toe delights me.”

Tell us the title of the soundtrack of your life.

Oh dear. I’m partial to “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige but I’d have to say “Golden” by Jill Scott strikes a chord with me too!