As part of Black History Month and with sincere thanks to the Black Cultural Center for curating them, we are excited to share this year’s spotlights of Black alumni from Swarthmore.
This initiative to acknowledge and honor others who came before was imagined by SASA President, Augustella Makiese ’25, and spearheaded this year by BCC Research Intern, Melangell Oduor ’28, who meticulously researched the alumni selected to be profiled. You can also review the alumni profiles featured in 2023 and 2024.
Throughout the month, we will continue to add profiles to showcase the breadth and depth of these rich and impactful lives across a range of career paths:
2025 Alumni Spotlights
Vincent Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Swarthmore College. He is currently the Founding CEO of The Citizen Jones Companies, which encompasses Citizen Jones Travel, Citizen Jones Consulting (formerly Reinvent Communications), Proud Photobooth, and Ctzn Jns. His diverse career includes experience in philanthropy, non-profits, politics, government, communications, and travel. Grantmakers for Children, Youth &Families honored Vincent with their first ever “Emerging Leader in Philanthropy” award and the Inland Valley News with their “Excellence in Philanthropy” honor.
Rodney Morris is a graduate of Swarthmore College, where he earned degrees in English Literature and Political Science with a concentration in Black Studies. He is the co-founder of MyFitPod, a software company that supports fitness professionals in launching their businesses. Additionally, he established Workplace Culture Workout and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Hospice Care Partners in Dallas, Texas.
Read more about Rodney at https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/exper t-articles/8056/black-history-month-focus-on- black-fitness-professionals/
Rev. William Williams III earned his B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College, followed by a Post- Baccalaureate Certification in Pre-Medicine from Drexel College of Medicine and an M.Div from Drew University School of Theology. Previously, he served as the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Westfield. Currently, he holds the position of Gateway North District Superintendent at the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Rebeccah Bennet earned her Political Science degree from Swarthmore College and later completed a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Policy. She is the founder and principal of Emerging Wisdom LLC and its subsidiary, InPower Institute, where she and her team focus on professional development programs and social transformation initiatives. Additionally, Rebeccah’s expertise encompasses spiritual and physical well-being, community planning and development, transformative leadership, equity and inclusion, as well as the empowerment of women and girls.
Dr. NiYa Costley graduated from Swarthmore with a special major in education and psychology with a concentration in Black studies. Since 2005, she has been teaching in the Charles County Public Schools district. She earned her doctorate in gamification in STEM, driven by her lifelong interest in the field. This past spring, Dr. Costley was chosen by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short Term Program, where she will teach gamification in STEM instruction to secondary school students in the Philippines.
https://www.ccboe.com/about/public-info- media/details/~board/press-releases/post/ccps-teacher-set- to-teach-abroad-this-spring
Alison Carter earned a degree in Political Science and Black Studies from Swarthmore College. Following her graduation, she received a certificate in public administration from Suffolk University. Currently, she serves as the executive director of the Jeremiah Program’s Boston campus, where she coaches and mentors women to support BIPOC communities.
Dr. Kesia Constantine earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Swarthmore College. She received her doctorate from New York University in the Counseling Psychology Program in 2006. She currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at NYU and is a licensed counseling psychologist who operates a private practice in New York City.
Richard Favors holds a degree in Computer Science from Swarthmore College and a Master’s in Information and Communications Technology with a focus on Web Design and Development. His experience includes web development and software engineering roles at companies like DocCafe.com and Kratos Public Safety and Security Solutions, Inc. He is currently a Software Engineer at Visionable Global.
https://theorg.com/org/visionable/org-chart/richard-favors-ma-masc
Updated February 13, 2025 at 2:43pm EST
