Jai-La Aponte
Area Coordinator | First-Year Experience
Education
- B.A., M.S., West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- A.A., Northampton Community College
Background
I serve as an Area Coordinator overseeing Belk Hall and the First-Year Experience. My goal is to provide a safe and welcoming residential environment for students to learn, grow, and explore during their educational journey.
More About Me
A proud NCC and WCU alum, I relocated to 51¹ÙÍø from Philadelphia with my cat Pisces. My love for student engagement began when I worked as an orientation leader at NCC, and the rest was history. I transferred to WCU as a junior and served as a Resident Assistant, Orientation Leader, and also had a leadership position where I facilitated a space for LGBTQ+ students of color. I decided to spend an additional two years at WCU to pursue a Master's in Higher Education Policy & Student Affairs, where I wrote and defended a thesis on inclusive and accessible sexual health education for college students. I am also a dancer, poet, writer, and iced coffee lover.