Meet Our Scholars

Born to a low-income father from Ghana and raised in the conservative suburbs of rural Illinois, Andrew’s early years were marked by discrimination—both institutional and interpersonal—at the intersection of his diverse identities. Coming to terms with his pansexuality throughout middle and high school in the midst of economic and familial upheaval, the harassment and marginalization that he faced early on motivated him to fight for others with similar experiences. Once Andrew started at Stanford University in 2014, he worked extensively in advocacy, direct service, and academic projects around mental health, LGBTQIA+ issues, and social justice. At The Bridge, a student-run mental health counseling clinic, Andrew worked with LGBTQIA+ campus community centers to develop mental health and cultural competency trainings for student staff, along with coordinating the work of 70 counselors. At Stanford, Andrew also performed with 'The Freeks,” a queer theater and drag troupe, and conducted research on prison programming and the collateral consequences of punishment. After graduating from Stanford in 2018 with a B.A. in Public Policy, Andrew began at Arnold Ventures as a Criminal Justice Fellow. At Arnold, Andrew focused on promoting research and policy, ensuring that marginalized folks have access to defense counsel in criminal courts. In 2019, Andrew started at Yale Law School, continuing to focus his efforts on public service. At Yale, Andrew works on movements for LGBTQIA+ and social justice as a committed member of the Black Law Students Association and OutLaws. Following law school, Andrew hopes to use impact litigation to help end the mass criminalization of queer, black, and brown bodies, and help build movements for LGBTQIA+, economic, and racial justice in the criminal justice reform space.