About Us

Martha Hernandez

Basic Needs Manager

Martha Hernandez (she/her/ella) is a University of Utah alumna. She graduated from Salt Lake Community College with an Associate of Arts in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in History Teaching from the University of Utah. Martha is thrilled to be part of the BNC team! Through her work at the Basic Needs Collective, Martha supports student well-being and success by helping students learn about and connect with campus and community resources to help them meet their basic needs. Through her manager role, Martha provides logistical oversight for the Basic Needs Collective, supports the Basic Needs team, and works on building sustainable relationships with campus and community partners to secure resources for students. She believes in the importance of supporting students in meeting their basic needs to foster academic success, retention, and degree completion. Martha is a teacher at heart and life-long learner who enjoys reading, visiting new places, and learning new languages.  

Keaton Schrank

Basic Needs Coordinator

Keaton Schrank (she/they) is thrilled to be a part of the University of Utah Basic Needs team! Originally from Texas, she received her bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Italian Studies from Wheaton College in Massachusetts then completed her master’s in Geography from Oregon State University. Before joining the BNC team, Keaton ran the Environmental Center and the Basic Needs program at Westminster University, where she oversaw their basic needs pantry, emergency funding, organic garden, and all sustainability and basic needs initiatives. Keaton is deeply passionate about helping folks get the resources they need to be successful in all aspects of their lives and cares deeply about university basic needs! She considers it a great honor to be able to support students during such a transformative time in their lives, and she believes in advocating for and supporting students as much as necessary both in and out of the classroom. When she’s not at work, Keaton enjoys thrifting, reading, musical theatre, playing and watching sports, and spending time with her partner and their three cats!

Jennifer Rodela

Basic Needs Programming Lead

Jennifer Rodela is attending The University of Utah as a sophomore student aiming to pursue her bachelor's degree as a first-generation student. She loves the social work profession and wishes to dedicate her career to it. She has been a part of the BNC team since the Fall of 2022 and hopes to be a part of it for a long time! As an underrepresented student, she understands the challenges and difficulties one can face, especially in a higher education environment where everything is different. She believes supporting students with their basic needs is important because it increases their overall well-being and their likelihood of graduating with a college degree. Her role is to support and provide resources to students from the university while at the same time coordinating events, activities, and collaborations with campus/community partners, and colleagues around campus.

Alastair Dunn

Basic Needs Programming Intern

Alastair Dunn (he/him) is a first-generation student studying Economics and Physics at the University of Utah. He has chosen to work with the Basic Needs Collective because it is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on campus and create meaningful relationships with other individuals. He sees the Basic Needs Collective as a very powerful tool to improve the campus atmosphere and improve the lives of fellow students. Eventually, Alastair would like to get a master's degree in economics and wishes to study how good public transportation can be used to alleviate poverty and meet the universal basic need for means of transport as well as bridge the gap between rural and urban environments. Down the line, Alastair wishes to work in the field of public transportation in order to continue making a positive impact on the lives of everyday people as well as the environment. In his spare time, Alastair enjoys reading about political economy, philosophy, and sci-fi, watching movies, and learning other languages.

Jay Chaudhari

Basic Needs U Service Corps Member

I'm Jay Chaudhari, an upcoming sophomore and first-generation student pursuing a bachelor's degree in Accounting with a minor in Psychology. I'm really excited to be joining the Basic Needs Collective as a U Service Corps member. I'm here because I want to make a positive impact on the community and love connecting with others. I'm looking forward to an amazing year ahead! In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, hanging out with friends and traveling.