Janella D. Benson

Janella D. Benson is a PhD student in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is from the Eastside of Detroit, MI. She has over 10 years of experience working with students in secondary and postsecondary environments on easing their transition to and through postsecondary education. Janella holds an MA in Higher Education/Student Affairs from Eastern Michigan University, and a BA in Communication Studies and Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as a College Advisor within high schools in Detroit helping students prepare and navigate the college application process. She also worked with adjudicated youth on developing psychosocial and interpersonal skills that aided in their transition from a carceral setting through secondary attainment and postsecondary access. Finally, she worked in postsecondary transition programs supporting historically minoritized students navigating the transition into college through graduate education attainment. Her personal and professional experiences are deeply intertwined in her research. Janella’s dissertation explores Black women’s transition processes and the ways in which bridge programs influence their transition to and navigation through college during various socio-historical contexts.