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Aliann Santos brings to the Peake Fellowship a passion and creativity in coaching small businesses and their ecosystems for cybersecure growth. Aliann is a military spouse and served herself as a Training Instructor for the Department of Defense at Fort Liberty, the world’s largest Army base, which is adjacent to Fayetteville State University (FSU) and near Aliann’s hometown of Cameron, North Carolina. Aliann also expanded her outreach and engagement skills as a cast member at Walt Disney World.

Born in Puerto Rico, Aliann grew up bilingually learning from her mother who still runs a small business and her father who served in the U.S. Army. As a college senior, Aliann was chosen to be a Peake Fellowship Community Navigator, working directly on cybersecure growth with minority-owned businesses and Defense Industrial Base members. This Fayetteville State University’s Higher ed Enterprise Leadership Program (i-HELP) named Aliann a Senior Navigator based on her success in supporting small businesses in the readiness for the 110 cyber controls defined by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Aliann earned her BA from Fayetteville State University in December 2023, double majoring in English with concentrations in Creative and Professional Writing and Music. In addition to her academic work, Aliann performed on the alto sax with the Fayetteville Symphonic Band, edited the FSU newspaper, and publicly presented her poetry on campus. The skills learned from her majors gave her a strong foundation for the multitasking and discipline needed to support the range of small businesses in both English and Spanish.

Excerpt from Aliann’s nomination to the Mary S. Peake Fellowship Selection Committee:

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of nomination, on behalf of Ms. Aliann Santos, with the support of the Chancellor.

Aliann founded the FSU chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, which grew to over 400 members on campus. Aliann was also recognized as “Student of the Year” at the department and college levels.

Dr. Amanda Virelles
Associate Professor
Performing and Fine Arts
Fayetteville State University

Jamara brings to the Peake Fellowship a strong background in collaboration best practices and service. Jamara currently supports the cybersecure growth of small businesses and coaches Community Navigators in the Peake Fellowship’s Higher ed Enterprise Leadership Program (i-HELP) at Fayetteville State University (FSU) adjacent to Fort Liberty. Prior to her fellowship, Jamara had been selected by Peake as an i-HELP Senior Navigator while she was still an undergraduate.

Jamara originally comes from Exmore on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where she learned the value of close knit communities and the impact of small businesses economically and personally. She enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school and served at Fort Bliss near El Paso, Texas in a range of business operational functions. Jamara received the Army Commendation Medal for business process improvement in logistics. She completed her military service as an Army Specialist before entering FSU on the GI Bill.

Jamara graduated magna cum laude from FSU in December, 2023 with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. In addition to her professional roles, she served as a mentor with teenagers on life skills and financial literacy through R.O.O.T.S. Mentoring (Regimine of Overriding the Statistic) in Fayetteville. She sees the Peake Fellowship as a way to make a difference nationally through the progress of each small business, Fellow, and Community Navigator.

Excerpt from Jamara’s nomination to the Mary S. Peake Fellowship Selection Committee:

I am excited to nominate Jamara Richardson for the Mary S. Peake Fellowship, with the support
of the Chancellor.

Ms. Richardson is well known to me not only as a student in our undergraduate psychology
program but as the current president of the FSU chapter of the International Honor Society in
Psychology, PSI CHI, and a past president of the FSU chapter of Active Minds of which she
continues to serve as the Social Media Coordinator. I have worked closely with her in these two
student organizations as I serve as the faculty advisor to both.

I have been quite impressed by her leadership abilities, devotion in organizing activities and
events, competence in collaboration, and skills in training other students to become leaders.

I could not think of any other student more fitting than Ms. Richardson.

Professor Pius Nyutu, PhD
Department of Psychology
Fayetteville State University