consulting & speaking
LT has shared her expertise with large crowds and small groups, in-person and remote settings nationwide.
Learn how she can work with your team.
LT is available for booking through the CatalystFIRST initiative of the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success, which facilitates partnerships between higher education experts like LT and institutions nationwide.
To request LT's services and learn more about CatalystFIRST, including their booking process, costs, and FAQ, visit their website.
speaking.
LT is available for guest speaking opportunities, from conference speeches to student-facing events and more. She tailors her talks to highlight key themes and topics that impact first-gens today.
Notable talking points include:
Digital Technology & Social Media
This presentation explores digital strategies to foster community and
engagement with first-gen undergrad and graduate students and alumni. LT discusses how to leverage social media to increase visibility and promote counter-storytelling.
representations of first-gens in pop culture
This is an interactive presentation about popular culture as a vehicle for exploring first-generation college students. LT utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to highlight the power of representation from the student perspective.
black first-gen college students
This presentation is a call to action regarding the dearth of scholarship and praxis that specifically address Black first-generation students. LT draws upon personal and professional experiences in conveying the Black First-Gen experience.
emerging trends in first-gen studies
How has the higher-ed landscape changed over the last decade regarding
first-gen college students? This presentation shares an overview of contemporary scholarship, practices, as well as fiction and popular culture. Ideal for the enrichment of existing programming.
"Faculty and staff are experts on their students, but I come in to provide a vocabulary, ask tough questions and, ideally, get them to identify which strengths-based approaches will suit them based on the mission and culture of the group."
-- La'Tonya Rease Miles
consulting.
LT typically consults with organizations and institutions who want to build new programs or are seeking fresh ideas to reboot an existing initiative. Most times, clients reach out about customizing first-generation student support, her specialty focus.
Critical to her collaborative approach is the active participation of stakeholders. She will sit with the leadership team and learn about primary goals and student constituents, gathering a sense of the landscape, before offering general data and program frameworks. Together, LT and her partners discuss realistic outcomes for the organization or institution.
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
Notably, LT advised El Camino College, a two-year public community college in Los Angeles County, about supporting their Black first-generation student population. Specifically, they sought to address and improve the sense of belonging, enrollment, and retention of Black first-gen students at El Camino.
First, LT met with a small team of faculty and administrators and discussed their goals and objectives, sharing research about the student population in the process. Then, LT facilitated a larger discussion with a group of campus stakeholders, answering their questions and gathering perspective. Finally, LT was invited back to facilitate a conversation between 40+ faculty, staff, and student representatives.
From here, LT developed a concrete plan to serve the students in mind, which led to:
• the establishment of Black Alumni services
• faculty-driven research group about Black first-gens
• the dedication of ongoing resources and events catered to population
As a result, El Camino is now a leading institution in regards to serving Black first-generation students.
client highlight:
