Scholars and Alumni Celebrate Retiring Trinity Liaison
The Trinity College Posse community surprised Karla Spurlock-Evans, dean of multicultural affairs and senior diversity officer at Trinity, with a celebratory gathering to honor her work with students and her impact on the campus.
Karla, who retired this spring after 19 years of service at the school, has also been the Posse liaison for the entirety of Posse’s 17-year history at Trinity. As liaison, she has worked closely with Posse staff and Scholars from both New York and Chicago.
“Her passion and commitment to students has been second to none.”
“Planting and nurturing Posse at Trinity has truly been one of the most satisfying aspects of my work,” she says.
Scholars describe Karla as an inspiring woman of color and a maternal figure who provided a “home away from home” to students. She speaks with pride about their contribution to the Trinity community, too.
“Posse Scholars have made the college a more vibrant, engaged and exciting campus,” Karla says.
As a testament to her impact, several Posse alumni came to share their gratitude for Karla’s support. Juan Hernandez, a member of the first Trinity Posse from Chicago, along with his fiancée, Rosangelica Rodriguez, a Posse Trinity alumna from New York, were among the guests.
“Her passion and commitment to the students at Trinity College has been second to none,” says Juan of Karla. “Because of what she did for me personally, I decided to go into higher education to try to emulate what I learned. I practice what she preached.”
Juan is now director for the Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of New Haven. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history followed by a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in education policy, both from Trinity. He is pursuing his doctorate in education at the University of Hartford and serves on the Hartford’s Board of Education.
As the students pleaded for Karla to stay on at the college, she reassured them that she’s not going far. She says she will remain active and connected as a member of the Hartford community following her retirement.
