Diversity Statement

My commitment to diversity is prominent in multiple ways, through how I choose to serve others in the positions I carry, additionally in my commitment to advocate for the diversity and inclusion of children within the educational system of Florida. My role as an afterschool program instructor for Girls Incorporated bought my attention to the importance of diversity in the classroom, I learned that young girls need each other – more importantly they need a diverse group of women to learn with to grow in safe and secure environments. Before that job, I attended a popular charter school in my town- I won a lottery to be selected after local news criticized the lack of diversity in the majority white population school. As one of the few brown students in that school, I saw what limitations a lack of diversity could present. In one club, I worked incredibly hard to be the first to place at state level. This opportunity meant a lot to me, as I wanted to share and highlight that diversity could be an incredible addition to any environment. My commitment to understanding diversity, extended pass high school in undergraduate I desired to have a better understanding of my own culture and how the history of my culture impacted American society, thus I chose a diverse Historically Black College to learn and build from so that I could have an Indepth understanding of why it is so important to prioritize diversity in a broad spectrum. Additionally, I chose a Historically Black College because of my commitment to the betterment of not only communities, but the communities I would choose to serve outside of my own. My awareness of diversity began as a young girl experiencing the educational system of Florida, in just the 6th grade. Before that, I grew up in a small – heavily conservative environment and was unschooled then. My knowledge of the world was limited, however in public school I had my first friend of a different ethnicity, and then race- which prompted me to explore and want to understand the social science behind the races, with a focus on the educational system of Florida. That exposure to education has taught me that differences make us special, and that differences are not and should not be used to separate us but rather to unite us and progress us along. We must use the differences amongst us valuable and those differences should be celebrated and discussed. In my life, I am committed to creating open and safe spaces to continue the dialogue of diversity, not just in how it pertains to race but in other forms of acceptance, understanding and integrit