Alumni of Color Volunteers

Salman Safir '16

Salman Safir (he/him) is the chair of the Alumni of Color Steering Committee. At Swarthmore, Salman majored in Educational Studies and Psychology while at Swarthmore. During his time at Swarthmore, he interned with the Interfaith Center and Intercultural Center, while also serving in the leadership of the Muslim Students Association. Additionally, he enjoyed working in the Admissions Office as both a Tour Guide and Fellow. Following Swarthmore, Salman worked as a Dean’s Fellow at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Following his time in Singapore, he completed an MA in religious studies with a graduate certificate in health care administration and policy at The University of Chicago. Salman is now pursuing a doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. Salman enjoys spending his time following the Green Bay Packers, dreaming of Renato’s Pizza, and promoting his band G.O.A.T., which was formed at an undisclosed time, in an undisclosed location, and with undisclosed (lack of) talent during his tenure at Swarthmore. He holds immense gratitude to the professors and staff at Swarthmore for their dedication and generosity that has led him to a better life and future.

Angela Meng '12 

Angela graduated with high honors in economics and sociology/anthropology. At Swarthmore, she was a Philip Evans Scholar and president of Swarthmore Asian Organization. After college, she worked for Cornerstone Research, an economic consulting firm in New York, and in customer analytics at Anthropologie in Philadelphia. She then returned to school for her MBA at Wharton School of Business. Since graduating from Wharton in 2018, she has been an associate marketing manager at General Mills on the cereal innovation team. She lives in Minneapolis and is married to James Mao '12. Angela enjoys reading, consuming pop culture, and watching sitcoms. She is also passionate about increasing the visibility of alumni of color in the Swarthmore community through initiatives and partnerships with the alumni office, student body, and college administration.

Anna Mello '08

Anna is Brazilian-American and grew up between Washington Heights and her family's farm in Brazil. At Swarthmore, she majored in biology, minored in education, and was an active member of Multi. After graduating, Anna was a middle and high school science teacher in Costa Rica. She earned her master's in ecology from the Federal University of Santa Catarina and a postgraduate specialization in special education in Florianópolis, Brazil. She then taught middle school for five years at the International School of Florianópolis. Anna is currently a Class 5 Science teacher at the all-girls Chapin School in New York City. She advises students and works on sustainability efforts. Anna enjoys learning new languages, reading, traveling abroad, cooking, painting, and cuddling with her dog. 

Louis Lainé '16

Louis majored in political science and minored in philosophy at Swarthmore where he was a Philip Evans Scholar, a Richard Rubin Scholar, and a Harry S. Truman Scholar for New Jersey. At Swat, he co-founded Race To Action, an organization committed to curtailing race-based social ills, intersectional inequities, and issues of identity. He also served as a youth courts coordinator and a behavioral economics research fellow for the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. He now serves as the program director of the Vox Institute at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark where he advises schools on how to foster educational communities committed to developing student voices. Louis is a proud immigrant from Port-au-Prince, Haïti. Louis also enjoys writing, (occasionally) rapping and writing poetry.

Luis Rodriguez '09

Luis Rodriguez '09, a native of Brooklyn, New York, earned his B.A. in economics with a double minor in mathematics and Spanish literature. During his time at Swarthmore, Luis served as president of Enlace and Intercultural Center intern and was a regular member of COLORS and ABLLE. Luis earned a Ph.D. in K-12 Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Vanderbilt University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Education Leadership at New York University.