Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) Education student Shantia Estes has been selected for the 2024-2025 Arizona State University Community Archivist Fellowship at Hayden Library, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). As part of the second and final cohort, Estes and their fellow students will be introduced to the basics of Library Information Science with a strong focus on community archiving. The new cohort will work with Black Collections and the Chicano/a Research Collection under Community-Drive Archives (CDA) Initiative.
This prestigious program aims to introduce students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to the field of archiving and inspire them to consider careers in the library profession. A 2015 survey by the Society of American Archivists revealed that 86 percent of archivists are white, with only 2.34 percent Latino, 2.26 percent Black, and less than one percent divided between Native American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and Asian and East Asian. The CDA initiative hopes to inspire more students to enter the library profession early in their careers, addressing the lack of diversity in the field.
"Being part of this fellowship confirms that we can manifest anything we desire for ourselves," Estes said. "I’m grateful to continue preserving my family's history in a more formal way and to show young Black children from the southside that we can be anything we want to be."
Estes’ involvement in the fellowship aligns with the work they've been doing for the past three years, digging into their family’s rich history as educators and activists in Phoenix. Born and raised in South Phoenix, Estes is a first-generation college student and a fourth-generation Black Arizonan. Their diverse background as a queer chef, writer, musician, and certified teaching artist has driven their passion for building community through art, storytelling, and conversations about anti-Blackness. After taking various classes for a degree in Music at other Maricopa County Community colleges, Estes switched to PVCC’s Bachelor of Education program, inspired by their family's legacy of teaching in Phoenix. Researching their second great grandmother's achievements as an educator and girls’ counselor at Carver High School, a segregated high school in Phoenix that was transformed into a Cultural Center in the 1990s, also piqued Estes’ interest in archival work and memory keeping.
Through the fellowship, Estes is advancing their mission to honor the past while paving the way for future generations of Black educators and activists.
"Shantia is passionate about learning, and their willingness to share their insights to lift others up is truly inspiring,” said Education Program Director Meggin Kirk.
PVCC’s First Bachelor's Program
PVCC’s BA in Elementary Education and Special Education commenced in Fall 2023 and is the first four-year degrees offered at the college. The bachelor’s programs – Kindergarten through Eighth Grade General Education Teaching and Kindergarten through 12th Grade Special Education Teaching – are flexible and affordable with personalized support; even the required practicum hours (teacher assistant) have been designed to accommodate students’ hectic lives with Instructional Assistant Flex positions offered through Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVSD), enabling students to easily complete their field experience requirements. Read more about the program here or visit www.maricopa.edu/teach.
About ASU’s Community Activist Fellowship
The fellowship program runs from August 2024 to May 2025, spanning two semesters. Fellows are expected to dedicate at least four hours per week to their Service Learning Project, gaining practical experience in the field of archiving. In addition to professional development and travel funds, fellows will receive a $10,000 stipend upon completing the program, which can cover almost a full year’s tuition at ASU.
Visit the ASU Library’s Community-Driven Archives Initiative website for more information or contact the program director and Chicano Research Collections archivist Nancy Godoy at nancy.godoy@asu.edu or Assistant Archivist of Black Collections Jessica Salow at jsalow@asu.edu. Additional information can be found at ASU’s Labriola National American Indian data center website.
For general information about Paradise Valley Community College, visit the website. Additional information on DEI can be found here.