Kennia Delafe is an Assistant Director of Project Advance and administers the Earth System Science, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish courses.

Before joining SUPA in 2019, Kennia worked in Adult and Continuing Education for almost two decades. She focused on program and curriculum development and teaching vocational skills to immigrants and refugees worldwide through the Syracuse City School District and the West Side Learning Center. Kennia continues her passion for teaching and learning from students, working as a Spanish for Business instructor at the Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics department and as a Project Management for Educators instructor at the School of Education at Syracuse University.

Kennia is also a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Department at Syracuse University. She received a B.A. in Psychology and Education from Le Moyne College and an M.S. in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation from SU. Kennia’s research interests center on how non-traditional Latinx/a/o students navigate cultural nuances to succeed in higher education. She is currently working on a research project examining how women of color conceptualize students’ success in higher education. As part of this project, Kennia participated as a panelist at NASPA 2022 and will present at NASPA 2023.

Kennia’s experiences as a refugee, her education, and her work in concurrent enrollment have enhanced how she understands students’ access to higher education. Kennia is committed to evaluating processes and improving her practices to facilitate students’ and parents’ access to SUPA. She is also committed to cultivating healthy and strong relationships with partner school administrators and teachers.

Kennia’s love is her two teenage children, who challenge her to see the world through their eyes. She loves cooking, crocheting, sewing, and reading books. Kennia likes to take long walks to keep her connection with the earth, clear her mind, and relax.