2026 ZAMI NOBLA Audre Lorde Scholarship Recipients

The 2026 Audre Lorde Scholars remind us that becoming has no deadline. There is no age at which we stop reaching, imagining, questioning, or beginning again.

These scholars are Black lesbians 50 and older who have chosen to keep moving toward what calls them: to enter classrooms, pursue new knowledge, deepen their gifts, and make room for dreams that may have waited patiently for their time.

In the spirit of Audre Lorde, we celebrate education as more than the pursuit of a degree. It is an act of possibility, a claiming of one’s own future, and a declaration that our lives are still unfolding.

Through the Audre Lorde Scholarship Fund, ZAMI NOBLA honors those who dare to begin again and reminds us that we are never too old to become more fully who we came here to be.

We are honored to introduce our 2026 Audre Lorde Scholars.

Patricia Dillard Mickey
Vanderbilt University Peabody College
Dr. Jillian Carter Ford Scholarship

Patricia Dillard Mickey is an educator, scholar, and Black LGBTQ+ advocate committed to creating more equitable and affirming educational spaces. She is an Ed.D. candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, where her work centers on educational equity, inclusive leadership, and improving outcomes for students who have historically been marginalized in schools.

A longtime advocate for Black LGBTQ+ communities, Patricia has been involved in LGBTQ+ organizing and community work for decades, including her connection to Affinity Community Services on Chicago’s South Side. Her commitment to LGBTQ+ youth continues through her work in education, where she supports students in navigating school environments while creating spaces where they can be fully seen, affirmed, and valued.

Professionally, Patricia serves as a Special Education Coordinator at DC International School, supporting educators and students in an IB-for-All environment. Across her career, she has worked to challenge inequitable systems and advocate for students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and other historically underserved communities.

As a Vanderbilt scholar and practitioner, Patricia brings together research, educational leadership, and activism, believing that visibility is both an act of resistance and a pathway to belonging. She is honored to receive this Dr. Jillian Carter Ford Scholarship from ZAMI NOBLA in recognition of her continued commitment to Black LGBTQ+ communities and to building a more just and inclusive future.

This $4,000 award is funded by ZAMI NOBLA and Dr. Tiffany Lethabo King.

Tessa Ellis Ocasio
University of West College
Attorney Tracey “Trey” Williams Sullivan Scholarship

Tessa Ellis Ocasio is an educator, lifelong learner, and community builder who has spent more than three decades helping people learn, connect, and create stronger futures for themselves.

Tessa currently teaches reading in Cobb County, Georgia, and continues her longtime commitment to adult education by teaching GED classes through Linked Up Church. Over the course of her career, she has worked in K–12 and adult education, workforce development, curriculum development, and community-based programs. For twenty-two years, she taught adults working toward their GED, an experience that continues to shape her belief that it is never too late to learn, grow, or begin again.

Community has been just as important to Tessa as education. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Living Legacy Project and has served as a Civil Rights Movement Educator for its pilgrimages. She co-founded and co-chaired the Racial Justice Task Force at Coastal Virginia Unitarian Universalists and served in national leadership roles at the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly, including as Co-Chair of the Safety Team, Right Relationship Team, and Systemic Justice Team. She also helped grow a small church Kwanzaa celebration into the largest Kwanzaa celebration in Hampton Roads, Virginia. After moving to Georgia in 2022 to build a life with her wife, Tessa found a new community through ZAMI NOBLA. She values the friendships and connections she has made and looks forward to finding new ways to contribute to the community.

Tessa holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Old Dominion University and both a Master of Education and Master of Business Administration from Regent University. She is currently pursuing an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Technology, Media and Design at the University of West Georgia and plans to continue her education by earning an Ed.D. in Reading.

Tessa plans to retire from public education in 2032, although she does not believe she will ever really retire. Her next chapter includes continuing her work in literacy, helping educators prepare financially for retirement, and exploring ways to use virtual reality fitness to promote healthy aging and community among older adults.

At the center of all of Tessa's work is a simple belief: when she learns something that can make someone's life better, her first thought is always, “Who else could benefit from this?”

This $4,000 award is funded by ZAMI NOBLA and Dr. Hannah Guishard.