Students and Alumni

Clarissa "Serenity" Francis is from Cleveland, OH. At a young age, Clarissa developed a passion for reproductive health and the psychology of people of African descent. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and minor in Psychology from Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in 2010. At BGSU,she became a health peer educator and offered presentations to her peers on various health topics including safer sex, stress management, and nutrition/fitness. 
Later, she relocated to Atlanta, GA to pursue a Master's degree in Africana Women's Studies at Clark Atlanta University (CAU). She centered her research on Africana women's sexual health and sexualities in the Caribbean and United States. At CAU, she worked along with the Student Health Center's health peer organization, Health Promoters Educating and Encouraging Responsible Students (HPEERS) to offer on campus programming and presentations focusing on health issues that affected the black community.

While working in this position, Clarissa has collaborated with numerous community partners, national organizations, and individuals who focuses on bringing awareness of the disproportionate rates of issues that affect the black community such as AID Atlanta, Advocates for Youth, S.C.L.C. W.O.M.E.N., and the Center for Black Women Wellness. Clarissa's most recent endeavors consist of becoming a licensed massage therapist. She plans to incorporate her academic, volunteer, and work experiences to develop initiatives to offer women of color a sexual healing through education, meditation, and liberation.