ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Happy Holidays & Best Wishes 
for the New Year!

Annual September Fundraiser - Counting Down to 30 Years of SisterMentors.

On Thursday, September 18, 2025 the Annual Virtual SisterMentors Fundraiser was held guided by the theme “HOPE: Powered by the People. Counting Down to 30 Years of Bold Dreams and Fierce Sisterhood!”  

 

This fundraiser was the first time where we offered our guests three time slots throughout the day to support our event! There were 260 attendees, joining from across the United States and abroad. While we did not meet our Challenge Gift, we are working to raise the funds by the end of the year. Thank you to all those who supported the event, invited guests, and contributed through donations and pledges.

Come to our upcoming events!

 

On Sunday, January 11, 2026 Dr. Fatimah Pierce, a SisterMentors Alumna, will host a virtual session, “Unlocking Now & Owning What’s Next: A Conversation About Change, Growth, and the Courage to Move Forward.” A new year and other life shifts can leave even the most accomplished and successful women (like us) feeling unsure, stretched thin, or uncertain about our next move. This will be a space to reconnect with ourselves and make sense of the transitions we’re living through. Together, we will explore how to release the things that keep us stuck, navigate change with steadiness, and reimagine what is possible in our careers and our personal lives. You will walk away with an action plan and a renewed sense of possibility for what comes next.

Alumnae Spotlight

Margie Obeng, M.A.

I am currently a Functional Lead at Groundswell, where I enjoy deepening my experience in training, project management, and supporting our federal client. My background includes a B.S. in Education and Public Policy from Penn State (2015) and an M.A. in Intercultural and International Communication from American University (2022), both of which strengthen the way I collaborate, communicate, and lead. I began my journey with SisterMentors in 7th grade, and have been a part of this community for nearly two decades. My mentor, Dr. Fanta Aw, has played a major role in my education journey. In this stage of my career, I am excited about expanding my technical knowledge and continuing to sharpen my software and systems skills. Looking ahead, I plan to pursue additional project management certifications, including a Scrum Master certification, to further elevate my impact. I am also passionate about creating pathways for young girls of color to explore non-technical roles in tech and hope to find more ways to mentor and give back. Overall, I am focused on growing as a well-rounded professional while contributing to a more inclusive tech ecosystem.

Dr. Tisha Lewis Ellison

I credit SisterMentors for playing a critical role in helping me earn my Ph.D. in 2009. When I joined the program I was at a low point in my dissertation journey but my cohort of sisters and the many writing retreats I attended with SisterMentors were pivotal to getting me over the finish line.

 

I am at a pivotal stage in my career as my scholarship, leadership, and commitments to Black families’ and youths’ digital and STEAM literacies continue to gain national recognition. My research advances conversations in literacy, equity, and multimodality, and I am currently undergoing the review process for promotion to full professor. I am also authoring my third book, and first solo-authored monograph, Black Families’ Digital Literacies..., under contract with Harvard Education Press.  

 

Parallel to my academic work, my business, Perfect Peace Puzzles, which I launched to cope with the loss of my parents, is expanding as a community-centered space for joy, connection, and well-being. This brand offers standard and custom puzzles that promote mindfulness, restoration, and self-care, and is expanding through new collections, partnerships, and initiatives centered on wellness and relaxation.

 

Looking ahead, I plan to broaden my research impact through new publications while scaling Perfect Peace Puzzles into a nationally recognized lifestyle and wellness brand.  

It was so good to see you!  

Life & Estate Planning Educational Session 
with Raina Bonds, Esq.

On Sunday, October 26, 2025, we hosted a special virtual session, Life & Estate Planning with Raina Bonds, Esq. She walked us through the basics of life and estate planning to ensure we are equipped with the knowledge to have financially fulfilling lives and protect our assets for the future of our families and generations to come.

SisterMentors Holiday Party

On Saturday, December 6, 2025, SisterMentors celebrated the start of the holiday season with donors, supporters, mentors and mentees in a lively interactive virtual event. Speakers included three SisterMentors’ young women in high school and one of our doctoral candidates.

Trivia: How well do you know your SisterMentors?

See how well you know your SisterMentors by answering the following questions! See how many you are able to answer! Which ones were easy and which ones were more challenging. Put your brilliant brain power to the test with this fun trivia. Good luck! 
Answers are at the end of this newsletter.

Do you have ideas for us?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Give us your ideas, exciting life updates, or just general questions using the link below. We’ll aim to provide answers or feedback in upcoming newsletters and events.

Subscribe to the 
SisterMentors podcast!

We are recruiting!

Do you know of any women of color (Black, Latina, Asian, Muslim, Indigenous) working on a doctorate? Would they like to be part of a community of sister scholars helping each other to make progress on earning their degree? Would they also like to be a role model and mentor for a young girl of color? Do they live in the Washington, D.C. area? If so, SisterMentors is for them.
 

Ask interested women to email Dr. Shireen Lewis at director@sistermentors.org.

*Answers to Trivia: How Well Do You Know Your SisterMentors?: