ViBEEs are high with new alumni fellowship

Marlborough’s Violets for Building Equity in Education (ViBEE) fellowship program has its inaugural fellow for this year: Malaika Nall ’18. The ViBEE program was initially introduced by previous Head of School Priscilla Sands in 2022.

The program partners with Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) School of Education and fully funds the ViBEE fellow’s Masters of Arts in Educational Studies degree at LMU. Simultaneously, the fellow gains work experience at their alma mater, Marlborough, receiving compensation and benefits as a part-time Marlborough faculty member.

“Being able to go to graduate school, first, is really incredible,” Nall said. “It’s something that I planned on doing, but they just gave me the perfect opportunity to do it.”

Nall started tutoring in high school and continued doing so in college. Her passion in tutoring fueled her to explore a potential teaching career. Nall said that teachers such as History and Social Sciences Instructor Jonathon Allen and History and Social Sciences Department Head Anna Robinson were people who inspired her and enhanced her passion for history as a student.

Now, for the 2025-26 school year, Nall will teach alongside both Allen and Robinson in the History Department. In her words, she is getting the opportunity to “learn from the best.”

“History has been the way that I feel like I can connect with others, by learning about other people’s stories and perspectives, while also sharing mine and feeling empowered to share mine,” Nall said.

History Instructor Taryn Marshall took over the role as the ViBEE Program Head after the departure of Science Instructor Khanichi Charles in 2024. Marshall’s main goal during the 2024-25 school year was to find a potential fellow, and she decided on Nall.

This year, Marshall’s job primarily entails working with the different departments that help the fellowship run, including fundraising, advancement and alumni engagement, and working with LMU’s  teacher residency program to ensure that LMU is supporting the program.

“The main goal is to really diversify our faculty and to engage our alumni in this meaningful work that we love while also providing that equity and education piece,” Marshall said.

Both Marshall and Nall agree that Nall’s position as an alumna gives her an inside perspective on students’ lives and courseloads, allowing her to further connect with her students.

“Alumni know what it means to be a Marlborough student, which is a very unique position to be in,” Marshall said.