FUN FACTS.
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I am an expert gift wrapper
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I love all citrus fruits; conversely, I do not like melons of any kind
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Regrettably, I am allergic to flowers and live Christmas trees
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I have to have a book when I travel, and sometimes I bring extras as backups
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My favorite month is October, and I love all things pumpkins
bio.
As a first-generation college graduate and thought leader in higher education, La'Tonya
"LT" Rease Miles, Ph.D. has been instrumental in establishing successful programs for
first-gen students at both UCLA and Loyola Marymount University. In her many
leadership roles, including as a co-founder of My Tribe Media and a co-founder of ADEii
Health, she advises institutions on first-gen student experiences. She regularly
champions initiatives for non-traditional adult learners and contributes to scholarly
discourse on first-gen experiences. Her influence extends to the digital sphere where she
has co-founded several online communities, including a national Facebook group that
empowers first-generation students.
She earned a Ph.D. in American literature from UCLA; and her research interests include
the hidden curriculum in higher education, narratives about the first-generation college
experience, and the representation of first-generation students in popular culture. Her
memoir Smart Girl (2025) focuses on her first-gen origin story and her love for popular
culture; and she is the co-editor of a forthcoming book about the Black first-generation
experience (Emerald Publishing) and a separate book project on the representation of
the first-generation college experience in mass media and popular culture (My Tribe
Media).
Further, LT is passionate about NBA basketball, college football, “Friday Night Lights,"
and "The Flash.”
INSPIRATIONS.
