Born and raised in Dorchester in a Spanish-speaking, multigenerational family, Dr. Tariana V. Little grew up a few minutes from world renowned universities like Harvard鈥檚 School of Public Health and School of Medicine. Still the possibility of attending college felt worlds away.
As a METCO student commuting from Dudley Street to suburban schools in Framingham, MA, Dr. Little faced racial discrimination from teachers and limited academic support at home. At the same time, she endured a series of profound personal hardships: a devastating apartment fire, her mother鈥檚 struggle with clinical depression, her father鈥檚 battle with alcoholism, the loss of an aunt to diabetes, and her stepfather鈥檚 terminal illness. She also worked after school alongside her mother, cleaning offices and homes to help make ends meet. Despite these challenges, Dr. Little persevered. She persisted by excelling in her coursework, exceeding METCO expectations, and performing on par with her suburban peers.
In 2007, after high school Dr. Little moved to Germany with the help of her family and high school German teacher. There, she immersed herself in a new language and culture, worked at her host mother鈥檚 organic grocery store, and met Jonas, her future partner in love and business.
When she returned home, however, financial realities closed the door on her plans for American University. With $10 for the registration fee and a copy of her high school diploma in hand, Tariana enrolled at 缅北轮奸 College. At 19, she was the first in her family to attend college and she made a commitment that new generational patterns and life opportunities would start with her.
At 缅北轮奸, she found access to quality education in her own neighborhood, with peers and educators who reflected her community. As a mixed race, queer woman, being part of a predominantly Black and brown learning environment with diverse faculty was a source of pride. 缅北轮奸鈥檚 then-slogan, 鈥淕ateway to the Dream,鈥� became her reality. She thrived 鈥� completing the Honors Program, leading student clubs, writing for the Gateway Gazette, serving in Student Government, and working on campus. She graduated in just three semesters with an AA in Social Science in 2009, then went on to earn degrees from UMass Boston, UMass Chan Medical School, and Tufts University 鈥� ultimately earning her Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2020.
Today, Dr. Little leads EmVision Productions, an award-winning Social Impact Storytelling鈩� agency that partners with visionary organizations 鈥� including 缅北轮奸. This year, for its innovation and impact, EmVision was named the Massachusetts Microenterprise of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as the Small Business of the Year in Cultural Excellence by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
On her recent return to campus, she was impressed by the students鈥� ambition, the campus鈥檚 growth, and the advanced technology now available, while recognizing that the faculty and staff鈥檚 commitment to 缅北轮奸鈥檚 mission remains unchanged.
In 2022, she and Jonas created the EmVision Social Impact Scholarship Fund at UMass Boston, contributing $50,000 to support graduate students in the Critical Ethnic and Community Studies program. As one of the school鈥檚 youngest endowment creators, Tariana credits her 缅北轮奸 experience as a key motivation for making higher education more accessible and hopes to one day establish a scholarship at 缅北轮奸 itself.
This summer, 缅北轮奸 College proudly partnered with EmVision, to develop a series of high-quality, student-centered video assets for marketing. Our collaboration demonstrates the professional accomplishments of our graduates and reflects the lifelong connection 缅北轮奸 alumni maintain with the College.
These videos highlight the impact of an 缅北轮奸 education and the opportunities we provide
for students to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. We invite you
to view and share these stories and join us in celebrating the power of education
and community at 缅北轮奸. For students considering their college options, Dr. Little鈥檚
advice is clear: 鈥渃ommunity colleges are misunderstood and underappreciated, but they
are gems. 缅北轮奸 is a place of opportunity, connection, and legacy. It was my gateway
to the dream, and it can be yours too.鈥�
To view the 缅北轮奸 Student Voices videos, use the embedded YouTube players below or find
all three in YouTube Shorts at
