CHEER ADVISORS
Advisor Bios
Ms Ding Yi
Yi Ding (Ding) is an educator and community leader with over a decade of experience in empowering marginalized students. As a Certified PBS Media Literacy Educator and Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), Ding translates her information science and organizational development expertise into education and nonprofit sectors advancing educational equity and diversity. As an immigrant of color, she is also dedicated to leading civic engagement projects which have appeared in media outlets including Los Angeles Times, Vox, Foreign Policy, and MIT Technology Review.
Ashley Talley is a senior majoring in Communication Studies at California State University, Northridge. She transferred from Antelope Valley College where she graduated with an Associate of Arts in Communication Studies, an Associate of Arts in Sociology, and an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences. As a woman of color, Ashley strives to break through glass ceilings and cultural barriers. She has worked with the Los Angeles County: Workforce Development Aging and Community Services, teaching computer and cell phone training and developing and implementing programs and events for senior citizens. Currently, Ashley is a Leadership Intern for the Africana-Asian Collaboratory for Inclusive Excellence Project (AACIEP), where she works to provide a space for dialogue through inquiry and historical relevance and provide guest lecturers who promote cultural solidarity within the Africana-Asian communities. She volunteers for CSUN Mentor Collective where she mentors first-time freshman and transfer students at California State University, Northridge. Ashley serves as the Vice President of the CSUN Communication Association, the Vice President of the Black Leadership Council, and Student Leader of the Black Student Success Council. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Ashley has experience teaching public speaking and this is where she connected with CHEER. As the Communication Project Manager of CHEER, Ashley aims to do outreach within the community, research, plan and implement programs and workshops for students, and build meaningful connections.
Jesse Rodgers is a Filipinx-American settler from the colony commonly known as Vancouver, BC, now based in Pasadena on the land of the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation. They recently graduated from California State University, Northridge with their bachelor’s in Communication Studies. There they served as the Administrator for the Communication Association, and as an Orientation Leader and TAKE Performer for New Student Orientation. They transferred from Pasadena City College, where they earned their associate’s degree, worked as a tutor in the Speech Department, and competed on the Speech and Debate Team. Jesse’s focus is Performance and Cultural Studies, and they are particularly interested in cultural hybridity; the lasting emotional, social, and political effects of imperialization and colonization; and the ethics of cultural production and consumption. Jesse is working with CSUN’s Africana-Asian Collaboratory for Inclusive Excellence Project, enriching the community with events that promote and support solidarity and fellowship among African- and Asian-Americans. They are a Communication Project Manager at CHEER, where they hope to continue their work in building spaces for togetherness, growth, and learning through art and communication.
Cerina Hill is a senior at California State University, Northridge, where she is completing a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies. First and foremost, they are a proud community member who believes in cultivating spaces of healing, joy, and love. Hill is passionate about addressing equity gaps in education, housing, and health for underserved communities. She is a first generation, transfer student who wants to empower others with similar experiences. Her organizing work is based in Los Angeles where she is an active member of several existing organizations. An experienced leader, Cerina has led mutual aid projects throughout the Southern California region and has served as a community representative and panelist on several APIDA related projects. As the current President of CSUN’s Communication Association, she oversees the direction and facilitation of programming for students in the department; for academic, professional, and social events. Serving on the Mentor Collective Team, Cerina mentors incoming students at the University. Additionally, Cerina serves on the Africana-Asian Collaboratory for Inclusive Excellence Project team, as a Leadership Intern. Hill concurrently works with CHEER, Community for Holistic Education and Empowerment of Civic Responsibility, as a Communication Project Manager. Hill’s unique lived cultural experiences include that she is naturalized citizen that was born in Quezon City, Manilla. She grew up in a biracial home with her father being Black and mother being a naturalized Filipina citizen. As an international and transracial adoptee, she believes that community love is a critical part of healing the impacts of trauma and colonization. Her experiences have informed her internal racial struggles and continue to impact their journey as a young Asian American woman of color. Hill's research interests include in the role that communication plays within power structures, educational institutions, the adoption diaspora and the nuances within intercultural communication. With hopes to further study the experiences of Asian American Faculty in Higher Education, her passion lies at the intersection of culture, identity, and community. Cerina believes that it is her duty to leverage the privilege and positionality of higher education to advocate for disenfranchised populations. Hill has spent time studying Education, Sustainability and Project Management, and Peace and Conflict Studies on her exchange at Uppsala University, in Sweden. She is honored to join CHEER’s wonderful team as they work to co create a vibrant space of learning and community.