Vincentian Mother and Scholar Carlene Hunte-Nelson Shines at NYU, Heads to Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs
A proud daughter of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Carlene Hunte-Nelson recently graduated with her BA, summa cum laude, from New York University’s (NYU) Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she designed an academic concentration titled “The Caribbean Reimagined: Leadership, Policy, and Decolonial Futures.” She also minored in Public Policy at NYU Wagner.
A mother, entrepreneur, and mentor, Carlene returned to higher education after more than a decade away from the classroom. At NYU, she stood out for her academic rigor and her unwavering commitment to justice and equity. Carlene was awarded the E. Frances White Award for Social Justice Research, named after the trailblazing scholar and former Gallatin dean. The award honors students whose work moves beyond academia to spark real-world impact especially in the areas of African and Caribbean history, feminist theory, and community engagement.
Some of Carlene’s other achievements at NYU include being: a Gallatin Global Fellow in Urban Practice, an NYU America’s Scholar, a Truman Scholarship Finalist, a Policy Fellow and Community Liaison with the NYC Mayor’s Office, a Philanthropy Lab Ambassador, and an Academic Participant at the UN ECLAC Conference in Santiago, Chile.
This spring, Carlene was named a Dean’s Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she will pursue a Master’s in Public Administration focused on Urban and Social Policy.
Carlene’s academic focus spans education inequality, transportation justice, disaster studies, sustainability, and philanthropy, but always centers on those most marginalized, particularly Caribbean women, mothers, and low-income communities often excluded from the decision-making process.
As she prepares for graduate studies at Columbia, Carlene hopes her journey inspires others within the Caribbean to see themselves as worthy of any classroom, even that of a top Ivy League university. She notes, “We have to remind our children and ourselves that determination and aspiration isn’t time-bound. And being a mother isn’t the end of your ambition — it’s the engine that drives it. Believe in yourself, and with hard work, perseverance and support of family and you can succeed at whatever you put your mind to. From Upper Cane Hall, to Brooklyn, to an elite ivy league university, I carry my roots with me. Every step forward is for the girl I was and the woman I am becoming.”
