Dr. Jenelle Pitt remembers sitting with her classmates one day in high school as everyone shared news about which colleges they had applied or been accepted to. She was in AP English at the time, and she proudly announced she had been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley. But just as her moment of pride began, she said, one of her peers responded, “Oh, they are just trying to fill their quota.”

That moment stuck with Pitt, whose parents were born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, a southern island in the Caribbean. Pitt and her brother were born in Toronto, Canada before the family moved to Los Angeles when she was 3 years old.

Today, Pitt is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation at Fresno State. She has dedicated her career and personal time to advocating for people “on the outside.”

Visit the Kremen School of Education and Human Development blog to read more.

(Editor's note: Campus News accepts nominations for faculty and staff profiles. These stories allow the campus community to learn about the many colleagues who contribute to the success of Fresno State. If you know someone with an interesting story — a passion for helping the community or a cause, a remarkable life journey, or there is just something fascinating about them to share — please email campusnews@csufresno.edu.)