While walking to class, another student, a white male, called her a spic. This bias incident during her freshman year in college motivated Eva’s interest in diversity, and inspired her commitment to issues related diversity and leadership. As a first generation college student, and a Latina on a predominantly white college campus,her path towards understanding began as a journey to understand how her identity affected others and in turn how they affected her.

Eva approaches diversity education from the position that everyone believes diversity is important. She knows no one wants to be labeled a racist, a sexist, or a homophobe however, racism, sexism, and homophobia continues to exist within our society. Diversity education is necessary because most people lack the social awareness of how pervasive their actions and inactions perpetuate prejudices and discrimination. An individual’s actions and institution’s policies reflect our personal and institutional beliefs. Eva approaches her work with the intention of creating opportunities for participants to affirm their own diversity values through critical thinking and skill building.

Eva Vega is an accomplished diversity trainer, public speaker, and former New York City comedian with more than 12 years of professional experience creating and developing policies and services in support of diversity while working in the areas of international student advising, multicultural student affairs, and gender and sexuality issues. Eva offers over a decade of experience connecting with students from middle school through college age where she has had countless opportunities to engage and motivate students to live up to their responsibility on diversity issues, thus inspiring old belief systems to be replaced with new ideas that foster an interest in building safe school communities. Her work with adult groups redefine a context for diversity in the workplace while helping professionals to contribute as leaders invested in work spaces that practice respect for all people.

Eva earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Africana Studies from the prestigious Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey and earned a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the internationally renowned New School for Social Research in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Eva is casual yet edgy, critical and scholarly. Fusing elements of humor, she engages the most difficult topics through a personal lens and invites others to do the same. Eva motivates and inspires student-leaders, staff, and faculty to take the next step while nurturing safe, interactive learning environments.

Eva currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.