Sean Hembrick

Sean Hembrick is an advocate for socially just and equitable accessibility. His work focuses on creating equitable and inclusive communities for first-generation and students of color attending Predominately White Institutions. A graduate of the Texas State University M.Ed. in Student Affairs in Higher Education program, Sean's higher education experience spans various functional areas including Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Residence Life, and Undergraduate Admissions. Currently, Sean is a student in the Higher Education Ph.D. program here at Penn State, his research centers the socialization experiences of Black men in higher education doctoral programs as it relates to their navigation and successful degree completion. 

An avid learner, Sean has also acquired a B.A. from Binghamton University (State University of New York) with a double major in English and Sociology and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Queens College (City University of New York). In his spare time, Sean loves to read, write, travel, and watch anything Marvel related. In working in the MRC, Sean hopes to assist while also providing an array of resources to students looking to develop and grow during their tenure at Penn State. As a first-generation student hailing from East Harlem, NYC, Sean knows all too well the continued hardships in acclimating and navigating college life. His passion is to ensure that students who want to obtain an education do so without the continued burdens (both systemically and institutionally) placed against them understanding it's not where you started but how you finish. 

One of his favorite quotes comes from the late great Toni Morrison, "Somebody has to take responsibility for being a leader." He challenges students to take up the mantle of being a leader doing the "hard" work and the "heart" work pushing them to transcend to something greater.

Sean Hembrick, M.Ed., MFA (He/Him/His)

Contact Sean Hembrick
Email: smh515