Pomona College has hired Olivia Calvi as the lead deputy Title IX Coordinator for the Title IX and Campus Advocacy, Resources, Education and Support (CARES) Office. The announcement came in a Nov. 12 email to the Pomona community from Associate Dean and Title IX Coordinator Destiny Marrufo.
Calvi has a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Montana. She previously worked at the counseling center at The Webb Schools in Claremont, where she advised the LGBTQ+ affinity group and taught curriculum centered around healthy coping mechanisms, identity and intersectionality and comprehensive sex education.
“[Calvi’s Master of Social Work] background and history working with clients in a mental health capacity equip her with the necessary skills to be a trauma-informed, neutral resource for folks looking to connect with our office,” Marrufo wrote in a Nov. 11 email to the Pomona community.
In an email to TSL, Calvi said that she is most excited about working in a community of passionate students.
“I take inspiration from the work that other people are doing to help better themselves and the world around them, and it is so incredible to be surrounded by people who are all doing that in the same place, but in such vastly different ways,” Calvi said.
According to Calvi, Campus Advocates and the Title IX and CARES Assistant Director Cynthia Flores will continue to focus on advocacy and education, while she will be working with Marrufo in focusing on policy and support.
“It will take time for me to learn all the ins and outs of the campus culture, but the more I connect with people on campus, the more prepared I will be to utilize those relationships to best support the needs of the community,” Calvi said.
In her email, Calvi said the most important aspect of supporting survivors in her role is facilitating a space for individuals to have a sense of agency and autonomy throughout the Title IX process.
”In this work, I prioritize creating space for survivors where they feel heard and know that they can safely share their story—space that allows them to take ownership over their situation and reclaim what is helpful for them to claim,” Calvi said.
Calvi said that one of her main goals is to help demystify and destigmatize Title IX on campus. She added that she hopes that students will engage with Title IX and CARES through a moment of prevention first, not reaction.
“The more students and community members engage in prevention, the closer we are to ensuring a campus environment where we are truly looking out for one another and holding high standards of community care,” Calvi said.
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