Bethlehem “Betty” Aynalem

Bethlehem “Betty” Aynalem grew up in American Canyon, California, and earned her degree in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, (UCSB) and her master's from the University of San Francisco (USF) in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Betty is a proud first-generation college student and has dedicated her career in higher education to first generation and/or low income (FLI) students and families.

For the past two years, Betty has led the Stanford Summer Engineering Academy (SSEA) as the Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion Initiatives. Betty has helped transform the student experience in the school of engineering while also combating the systems that perpetuate inequities. Before coming to Stanford's School of Engineering, Betty served as the Director of the Washington D.C. Women’s Business Center where she focused on building sustainable initiatives to create pathways and pipelines for minoritized folx to greater economic opportunity. Betty has been a part of and has led teams focused on creating more just, equitable, and inclusive institutions on five different college campuses. Having formerly spearheaded programs for the NAACP and ACLU, Betty is deeply passionate about community-centered outreach, organizing, and impact-driven progress. Betty comes from a large family and aspires to bring forth the same sense of commitment, dedication, and care she was raised with to the students and ecosystem in LSP and SSFP. 

Betty's Theme Song: