Janel graduated magna cum laude with a BA in English from Dickinson College. As a undergrad, she was a Posse Scholar, led Exiled Poetry Society, co-founded a Latina Discussion Group, and served as editor-in-chief of The Dickinson Review. Funded by a Gilman international scholarship, Janel spent her junior year at the University of Oxford. Now she will return to the UK to obtain a MA in Creative Writing and Education from Goldsmiths,University of London and a MSc in Global Migrations and Social Justice from the University of Glasgow.