Our Team

Center for Women and Gender Equity Staff


Holly Jasinski, MS

Headshot of Holly Jasinski, MS -Director of the Center for Women & Gender Equity

Director

Holly Jasinski, MS (she/her/hers) works as the Director of the Center for Women & Gender Equity. With a background in over twenty years of experience in nonprofit leadership and community advocacy, she has been at the forefront of social justice work throughout her career. Holly's journey includes serving in leadership positions at Resilience: Advocates for Ending Violence for more than a decade, along with various roles in national and local organizations in Lansing and Chicago.

With a master's degree in Human Development and Family Studies and a strong background in talent management, Holly's tireless efforts reflect her dedication to creating inclusive spaces, building strong teams, and inspiring others to work together to address complex social issues. Her unwavering commitment to lifelong learning and creating positive change sets her apart as a compassionate leader.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Holly is a registered yoga teacher specializing in addressing compassion fatigue. She has a passion for raising awareness about the intersection of secondary trauma, social justice, and radical self-care.

Make an appointment with Holly HERE

Full-Time Position: Director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity 
Office Address: 1201 Kirkhof Center 
Phone: (616) 331-2748
Email: [email protected]

Lariesha Lee, LLMSW

Photo of Assistant Director Lariesha Lee

Assistant Director

Lariesha Lee (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director educating, supporting, and empowering students to lead their authentic lives, helping the campus and community with gender justice and intersectionality. Lariesha coordinates programs in the Center such as NIARA,  GVSU's student-parent advocacy, the annual Girls of Color Summit, and Replenish Basic Need Centers, and on campus food justice and basic needs initiatives.  

Lariesha received her Associate of Arts degree from Grand Rapids Community College, transferred to Grand Valley State University, and completed both Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from Grand Valley State University. She has received extensive leadership, advocacy, and community organizational training from the Urban Core Collective's Transformational Leaders Program. She is a volunteer mentor at the Women's Resource Center. As a Mentor, she provides one-on-one counseling and encouragement while helping mentees reach their goals and overcome barriers using community resources. 

Lariesha is passionate about impacting the 49507 community, uplifting and alleviating oppression with purposeful work and thorough research to tell the authentic narratives of ALL identities. Her goal is to allow those she serves to lead her practice allowing them autonomy, empowerment,  and reclaiming their lives. She uses multicultural inclusive techniques outside Western mental health and healing norms. Lariesha's personal and professional interests are disparities in minority women and LGBTQ+ health and infant mortality,  gender justice, decolonization of systems, criminal justice reform, promotion of mental health in communities of color, and racial equity in all areas of daily life. 

Make an appointment with Lariesha HERE

Full-Time Position: Assistant Director 
Office Address: 1201 Kirkhof Center 
Phone: (616) 331-2748 
Email: [email protected]

 

Darrhonda Scott-Jones, BSBA

Darrhonda Scott-Jones

Administrative Assistant

Darrhonda received her B.S. in Business Administration from Ferris State University and has worked in the Center for Women and Gender Equity since 2004. In her role as the Administrative Assistant, she oversees all the daily functions of the Center for Women and Gender Equity and supervises the student staff. She also serves as the assistant to the director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity and works closely with the CWGE staff on various programs and projects. One of the things that Darrhonda loves most about her job is working with such an amazing staff and experiencing the compassion that they have for the work they all do for the students.

Make an appointment with Darrhonda HERE

Full-Time Position: Administrative Assistant
Office Address: 1201 Kirkhof Center 
Phone: (616) 331-2748
Email: [email protected]

 

Kaylee J. Wolff, M. Ed.

Kaylee Wolff

Victim Advocate

Kaylee Wolff has worked in advocacy-based roles for the majority of her career. She began this journey when she volunteered as a victim advocate at the YWCA during her graduate program at Grand Valley State University. She then worked in housing and residential life at Michigan Tech University, where she later became a prevention educator to prevent intimate partner violence and teach bystander intervention. Later when she moved to New York, she served as a Child Victim Advocate. After moving back to Michigan, Kaylee worked at Muskegon Community College serving Michigan Reconnect students, and Veterans. Now Kaylee is the Victim Advocate at GVSU, where she works with GVSU students who are survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, stalking and human trafficking. Outside of work, she is a mom of one and she enjoys spending time with family, friends and Sophia, her Boston Terrier.

Make an appointment with Kaylee HERE

Full-Time Position: Victim Advocate
Office Address: 1201 Kirkhof Center 
Phone: (616) 331-2742
Email: [email protected] 

 


Graduate Assistants

Alyssa Beil

Alyssa Beil

Center for Women & Gender Equity Graduate Assistant

Alyssa Beil (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in the school of social work, passionate about social justice, advocacy, and community. Alyssa coordinates Replenish, the on-campus basic needs resource center, and assists with programming at the Center for Women and Gender Equity. 

Alyssa received her bachelor's degree in Communication and Public Advocacy from Ferris State University. She has a professional background in community organizing and food justice efforts at the food bank level. In her four years working in the food assistance sector, she supported food pantries throughout West Michigan, providing resources and training with a focus on an equitable, client-centered approach. 

As a social work student and graduate assistant, Alyssa strives to make a long-term impact by supporting clients from the beginning to end of their journey. She hopes to create a space that provides a welcoming, dignified approach to basic needs services and empowers students to be their best selves.

 

 




Page last modified June 28, 2024