the story of janine…
from others.
“steadfast seeker of truth & justice”
i would highly recommend janine to anybody looking for a dedicated & passionate higher educational professional to work with their students. i had the pleasure to work with her during a fraternity & sorority life retreat. i was able to see first-hand how she connected with students, motivated them to be better, & helped them realize that their organizations are much bigger than they think.
- christine kopacz, university of georgia
the authenticity with which janine leads & develops others is inspiring. seeing her model realness in her leadership & instruction has empowered me to lead & teach in a way that is true to myself in the field of higher education & student affairs.
- kat waxstein, boston college
janine is a highly-skilled & experienced higher education professional. with experiences ranging from large public institutions to private highly selectives, janine is a steadfast seeker of truth & justice. her commitment to authenticity at every level is unmatched. whether with students, new professionals, or top tier administration, janine encourages us all to show up as our full selves.
- sam babb, duke university
independence
“janine is a breath of fresh air”
beyond phenomenal! listening to presentations & gaining knowledge from janine is a breath of fresh air. not only does she create a safe space in the room, but she is willing to have the tough conversations & keep it 100. she affirms who you are on a deeper level, gives you permission to be yourself & celebrates every part & experience you bring to the table.
by attending her presentations, i’ve found my voice at my institution & demanded changes for not only myself but others. janine has been an amazing mentor & a professional i’m honored to know.
- therésa mckire, university of north carolina- chapel hill
janine has worked tirelessly in predominately white spaces to educate not only her peers, but also students on a wide array of diversity & inclusion topics. her approach is both real & authentic, relating easily to students, but also educative, to not push students away. she uses appropriate cultural references for students to connect with, making the conversation easier!
- dr. byron green, university of south florida
janine is a masterful educator, especially as it relates to diversity, inclusion & equity. i had the pleasure of experiencing her alternative service break to new orleans, louisiana, in 2015. as a student who was learning the definitions & applications of terms like “privilege” & “inclusivity” for the first time, the learning environment created by janine & her team was one i will never forget. i highly recommend bringing her on for any kind of diversity education experience you are curating, or just to learn more about the subject, as she does not disappoint.
- jasmine cannon, the george washington university
“authentic, direct & compassionate”
janine is truly committed to providing safe, equitable & diverse learning & living spaces for all the students, staff & peers she supervises. in my experience with janine, i found her style of mentorship to be authentic, direct & compassionate.
along with her vibrant personality, she carries a profound amount of knowledge of residential life that facililitates team building & success.
-morine cebert, duke university
i met janine when i was a non-traditional, mid-career student affairs professional pursuing a graduate degree. being a graduate student with cohort mates closer to the age of my children than myself presented some social challenges, however an even greater one was finding mentorship & guidance in my program & graduate assistantship. i am grateful janine filled that role. as she herself was a working parent while completing her doctorate, i felt connected by our shared experience of being parents while pursuing an advanced degree. i know her to be a no-nonsense, highly competent, accessible & compassionate professional. in short, she “gets it & gives it to you straight”. she is someone i trust, respect & admire. i would give janine my highest recommendation & endorsement.
- luis player delgado, mentor & advisor
i was fortunate to work and collaborate with janine during my time at the university of west georgia, as a graduate hall director. as an inspiring residence life professional, janine was able to help me become clear on the type of community i wanted to envision & develop strategies through relational leadership & a commitment to staff accountability helped transition my community into one of the most engaged living areas on campus.
- coretta l. king, northwestern university
“excellent practitioner who remains consistent on her path”
janine is a phenomenal mentor & advocate for students. she is fearless & always says what needs to be said to help people get what they need.
i am blessed to have dr. weaver-douglas as a mentor & friend for several years, as she has been instrumental to my growth as a professional & as a person.
-jesse perez-simmons, duke university
janine is a great leader & coach! she’s led us in the establishment of an inclusive environment where students in residence life felt that they belonged- making all of our unique personalities valued for the success of community. because of her servant-leader practices, we strive to make the most of our potential. i’d recommend janine as a strategist & consultant if you are hoping for positive team transformation.
- alec virgil, speaker & teacher
it’s hard to believe, but i have had the privilege of knowing janine as an academic & professional mentor for over 10 years. from my undergraduate days as an RA in her residential area at valdosta state, to a graduate student during our time at nc state, & now as a colleague in the field of student affairs. this has allowed me the unique opportunity to see janine in different positions & institutions, but also to see her as the amazing individual & excellent practitioner who remains consistent on her path. i have witnessed her pursuit to ensuring that anything falling under her purview is a diverse & equitable environment where all voices & experiences are valued. i am one of many examples of her mission to develop leaders; her commitment to challenging & supporting undergraduate & graduate students & professionals; as well as celebrating their growth academically, personally & professionally. even more impressive, she achieves all of this while remaining authentically janine & encouraging others to be their authentic selves as well!
- tyris gillis, university of north carolina- charlotte
to be a person is to have a story to tell.
isak dinesen
“consistent focus on equitable structures, culturally relevant pedagogy, & mentorship”
janine is the reason i went into higher education. she was my mentor before i even understood what a professional mentor was. her authenticity & genuine respect for others helped shape me into the professional i am today.
- stormy sims, university of tennessee at chattanooga
it was such a life-changing experience working with janine, as she provided a vision & example of a strong, authentic, insightful, hilarious woman, during a time in my life when i was coming into my own sense of self as a graduate residence hall director. through her mentorship, janine showed me that i should be unapologetically myself &, in many ways, helped me to build a stronger sense of self while becoming more confident in my work as a student affairs practitioner. janine’s consistent focus on equitable structures, culturally relevant pedagogy, & mentorship demonstrate her commitment to ensuring that all students succeed. she keeps it real, & in doing so, helps bring light, joy & hilarity to this hectic world.
- dr. sara vogel, san diego state university
janine demonstrates expertise across a variety of areas, but one that stands out to me is her authenticity & care in supporting personal growth. as a result of our connection, i learned how to be strong, strategic & vulnerable- & how to navigate educational & professional settings with poise & purpose. any success i experience today- & i think about this a lot- so much of it can be attributed to my time with janine.
- cliff jones, the university of north carolina at chapel hill
“makes everyone feel supported & ready for growth”
janine is a professional that truly cares about the students that she supervises. a a first time resident assistant, i often felt out of my depth with the needs of my residents, but i could always depend on janine to guide me through my decision-making process.
it wasn’t until years later, when i became a higher education professional myself, that i realized how much of a positive impact that janine’s advice & example had on me as a student.
- amanda mcknight, university of south carolina
janine is a passionate & dedicated professional. she is a pleasure to work with. i have learned so much from simply having conversations with her! her values of relationship, hard work & growth shine through her work.
- madison valentine, east carolina university
janine has an unparalleled authenticity, to herself & in the way that she lifts her community. i met her when i was a young adult entering higher education & i can honestly say, i would not be the same person i am today without her mentorship. she has an incredible way of speaking to those who are different than her & challenging their beliefs to be more inclusive & open-minded. any opportunities she is given, she excels in & makes everyone feel supported & ready for growth. i’ve had the pleasure of sharing a variety of experiences with her, in many different environments, including an out of country service trip she led. janine is an intelligent, driven woman, who we could all benefit from sharing community with.
- breanna autry, durham public schools
knot of reconciliation
“leads with authenticity, vulnerability & focus”
janine is a passionate student affairs professional who takes care & consideration in supporting staff in ways that are specific to each staff member. when working with graduate students, janine is amazingly patient & developmental.
connecting theory to practice, janine allows students the autonomy to learn while simultaneously providing the safety net & encouragement to students to be successful.
- dr. byron green, university of south florida
janine was instrumental to my professional & personal development. while serving as my student organization advisor & residential director in college, she took it upon herself to step into the role of mentor for myself & many of my peers. janine leads with authenticity, vulnerability & focus. she uses her own lived experiences in the professional world to provide guidance on how to navigate tough, unknown territory. one of the things that i value most about janine is that she never backed down from an opportunity to make progress on topics that are difficult to unpack, such as diversity & inclusion, current events, & power dynamics of an organization. janine is one of the most memorable & treasured parts of my college career & i would highly recommend her to anyone.
- deondré jones, north carolina state university
i worked with janine as a campus partner & as a teaching assistant when i was in graduate school. she is intuitive, smart, hardworking & excellent at problem solving. she always meets students where they are & helps them realize their potential. she taught me so much! i learned how to manage a classroom, connect with students, & how to successfully navigate difficult situations. she is a remarkable person & an even better advocate. i’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work with & for her.
- melinda hofius, west georgia technical college
“in four letters, she is DOPE”
if you want, desire &/or need transformational truth & change, then janine is the complete trainer & developer. she is equipped with the integrity to do this work & the educational fortitude to take you to a level of change & awareness that you know you & your organization need to go. most people will acknowledge that the difference between great & greatness is “ness”. well, that “ness” is janine. my professional & personal life have been elevated with heightened awareness of self & she has served as one of the instrumental sparks for me to recognize my own reflection & reality that i need to do this work also. in four letters, she is DOPE. trust me, you will not be disappointed, but you will be holistically developed & transformationally elevated to be better.
- demarcus merritt, university of north carolina at greensboro
i first met janine at a fraternal leadership retreat & knew immediately that she does not accept the status quo. as a co-lead facilitator that weekend, she challenged students’ attitudes & behaviors, educated them with empathy & helped that fraternal community generate ways to become more relevant on their campus. because of her high quality work, i recruited janine to lead my campus’ fraternal leadership retreat the following year. she refined my curriculum, trained small group facilitators thoroughly, & pushed attendees further that they have been before. i simply cannot endorse janine enough.
- carson lance, fraternity/sorority advisor