2021 Tillman Scholar

LeNaya Crandall Hezel

Military Spouse
George Mason University
Ph.D.

“Let’s quest together to go beyond saying the right thing to doing the right thing to make our diverse world equitable and inclusive.”

In her current role as Chief Programs Officer at the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP), LeNaya Hezel works with team members, and partners to create and expand inclusive educational opportunities for enlisted veterans pursuing higher education and beyond. Prior to this, LeNaya served as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at WSP. She also held key roles at Georgetown University as the inaugural Veterans Office Director and at George Washington University as a certifying official.

LeNaya’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University. In May 2024, she earned her Ph.D. in Public Sociology from George Mason University, with support from the Pat Tillman Foundation. Her dissertation focused on how military-connected students accumulate social and cultural capital in higher education.

LeNaya was also a 2021 Veterans Leadership Program scholar with the George W. Bush Institute. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is a military spouse to a U.S. Navy officer and a mother to three spirited children.