JEREMIAH J. SIMS, PH.D.

​Jeremiah J. Sims may not have seen it all, but he’s seen enough to know what hunger feels like and the ways that violence transmogrifies dreams into nightmares. A first-generation college student, born in Oakland and raised in Richmond, CA, Jeremiah experienced racism, especially in the form of low education expectations, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. He was also system-impacted. Jeremiah grew up in the East Bay Area and saw fratricidal violence, firsthand, both in and outside of his home. Like many poor Black and Brown students, he faced trying circumstances but was able to eventually excel academically. He credits his Heavenly Father, his faith, and his community for his academic success.

As a result of his own life experiences, Jeremiah has devoted his career to the pursuit and ultimate realization of educational equity for hyper-marginalized students. Jeremiah served as the Director of Equity for the College of San Mateo. for 6 years and is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley where he earned a B.A. in rhetoric, with honors, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in education. ​