Kamarea Valentine is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology and cognitive science, with minors in social justice and Spanish. They're also getting a head start on their graduate degree by taking part in the Mandel School's 3+2 Social Work program—giving them the unique chance to earn a top-ranked master’s-level degree in just five years.
This week, Valentine won first prize for their Spring 2025 Intersections: Undergraduate Research Presentation under the Social Sciences category: "'So You Think You Know Struggle?' A Literary Analysis on the Roles of Racial Identity and Race-Related Stress in Black American Activism."
Read on to discover more about Valentine.
Why did you choose to study social work and/or nonprofit management?
The values I have cultivated over the years encapsulate who I strive to be and who I wish to be known as by others. I found it only fitting that I attempt to honor these aspects of myself in every way possible and choose a path that I aligned the most with. When I stumbled upon the 3+2 program for social work my sophomore year of undergrad, I felt for the first time that I found a means to not only protect these values but also protect others through them. I chose social work because I felt it could be a space where instead of lovelessness and profit, love, compassion and community were at the center.
Why did you choose CWRU/the Mandel School?
The financial constraints I have faced as a low-income, first-generation college student put me in a particularly narrower path of pursuing my aspirations than those of my peers. I always knew I wanted to pursue higher education, but finding the means and resources to do so has been particularly challenging. The 3+2 program here at the Mandel School provided an accessible and intellectually challenging space for me to continue my studies. I wished to be in a space where I could strive to be the best version of myself with the acknowledgement and support of those with similar lived experiences.
What is your favorite thing about CWRU/the Mandel School?
I would say the people and dialogue. I have met some of the kindest and most compassionate people here. They have shown me characteristics I strive to see in myself and have encouraged me to keep on the path I wish to stray from at times. I have also had the privilege to engage with others in open and honest dialogue about plight and hardship. I find the most value in the spaces where I can acknowledge things others wish not to see and be myself in ways others believe I should not be.
Describe any extracurricular activities you're involved with on- or off-campus, or any interests, activities or passions.
My passion in life is love and liberation and I try to actualize this passion in everything I do, especially in community-based organizing. While I haven't had the capacity to be as engaged as I usually am (graduate school is unsurprisingly very hard), I am an organizer. During undergrad, I was vice president of the Black Student Union here at CWRU and co-founded the Western Reserve Abolitionist Project, an organization geared toward educating community members at CWRU and in the greater Cleveland area on the prison-industrial complex and alternatives to carceral punishment. I also organized with CWRU SJP and collaborated with them on passing Resolution 31-15 as a representative of the BSU. All three organizations do very impactful work that centers the people and their aspirations, so I'll do a shameless plug and encourage anyone reading to get involved with them in some capacity.
What's something you'd share with an incoming student who is starting (a graduate or professional program) at CWRU?
Always try to show up as your most authentic self in every space you enter. We're often taught to shroud ourselves behind societal expectations and notions of who we should be, particularly marginalized people in spaces embedded in whiteness. It takes courage to be yourself in spaces that denies and punishes undeniable aspects of yourself. I've challenged myself to build this courage and have chosen to always try and be my most honest and authentic self in every space I enter. No matter the very real or hypothetical repercussions that may follow, I've found that life is more joyful and filled with more love when we are who we wish to be.