Dr. Lenhardt wins PACME Staff Award

“I am here today because I have the best team on earth, and they share the same goal to make access to higher education more equitable.” – Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D.

From left: Viviana Pham, SOE graduate ambassador, MAP team lead; Cheyanne Brown, SOE lead ambassador; Mary Riddick, director of development, College of Humanities and Sciences; Jenna Lenhardt, SOE recruitment specialist; David Naff, associate director of MERC; Jasmyne Burrell, SOE lead ambassador. (Tom Kojcsich, University Marketing)
From left: Viviana Pham, SOE graduate ambassador, MAP team lead; Cheyanne Brown, SOE lead ambassador; Mary Riddick, director of development, College of Humanities and Sciences; Jenna Lenhardt, SOE recruitment specialist; David Naff, associate director of MERC; Jasmyne Burrell, SOE lead ambassador. (Tom Kojcsich, University Marketing)

Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D., recruitment specialist in the VCU School of Education’s Office of Enrollment Management, was a recipient of a staff award at the 2022 Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment (PACME) awards ceremony on April 26.

Lenhardt was among several of those honored at the event for their meaningful impact on the VCU and local communities. The PACME awards serve to recognize outstanding individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to promoting civility, building community, establishing cross-cultural initiatives, advocating equity, and nurturing a welcoming and inclusively excellent environment.

In her remarks, Lenhardt shared a story about her Great Aunt Parvaneh Bahar, or Pari as her family calls her, who came to the U.S. with her Iranian diplomat husband from her second arranged marriage. Lenhardt said that even though Pari’s husband told her that she didn’t need to go to college, Pari didn’t agree.

“Behind his back, while raising two young children, Pari completed an English Language program and an undergraduate degree,” Lenhardt said. “Pari did not ask for permission. She did not wait for the perfect opportunity or for when the timing was right. She spent her life helping other women speak their truth and uplift their communities.”

Lenhardt’s research centers around equitable access to educational spaces and opportunities. She currently leads the VCU Multilingual Ambassador Program, one of only five projects selected for REAL Challenge Grant funding as part of the 2021 REAL Grants Initiative. The ambassador program aims to connect multilingual students at VCU with multilingual students in Region 1 K-12 schools in central Virginia.

Lenhardt credited the School of Education, as well as her team of students in the Office of Enrollment Management, for making the award possible.

“I am here today because the leadership, faculty and staff in the School of Education believed in me and gave me space to dream,” she said. “I am here today because I have the best team on earth, and they share the same goal to make access to higher education more equitable.”

Read the article from University Public Affairs