Cohort 2
Winter 2022
LaShaune Johnson is a public health professor, breast cancer survivor/advocate, and culturally responsive evaluator.
Interview with LaShaune
March 2023
What communities do you work with in your daily life and how are you applying your learnings from the Certified Listener Poet course with them?
In my role as Director of the Creighton University at Highlander space, I work with historically marginalized populations; so often, they have not been given an opportunity to tell their stories in their own voices. In my work we regularly partner with the communities for events that let them write, draw, and talk about their lived experiences.
What's something that's inspiring your writing these days?
Lately, I have been really inspired by the spoken word poets here in the Midwest, and by the powerful narratives I have been hearing from women of color talking about their experiences with exploring self-care and rest.
What one thing has stuck with you most from your Certified Listener Poet experience?
What has stuck with me most is the power that the arts have to bring really different people together–in a vulnerable, sometimes chaotic, resilient, amusing and life-affirming way.
Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
As a program evaluator, I often integrate the arts into my work, and it's been so much fun. I have a weird obsession with the art of Caravaggio and am hoping to go to Italy this summer to see some of his work!
Gray Davidson Carroll is a transfemme writer, educator, public health researcher, and (self-proclaimed) hot chocolate connoisseur.
Avni Vyas is a poet and professor living in Florida. She is the author of Little God (Burrow Press, 2021)
Dawn M. Schocken is the Director for the Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation.
Salaam Green is the Founder of Literary Healing Arts, a Consultant, and Artist in Residence.
Zina Mercil is the Director of Coach Development, a counselor, and body psychotherapist.
LaShaune Johnson is a public health professor, breast cancer survivor/advocate, and culturally responsive evaluator.
Sailaja Devaguptapu is a published poet, writer and researcher, wellness facilitator, designing and developing courses on Health Humanities.
Kelsey D. Mahaffey is a non-profit leader working to educate and engage communities in the All of Us Research Program from the National Institutes of Health.