Students of Color Celebration Highlights Commitment to Equity
The 9th annual Students of Color Diversity Celebration was held November 7th in Morgridge College of Education’s (MCE) Katherine Ruffatto Hall. The event showcased the College’s commitment to producing a new generation of change agents passionate about working together to create an inclusive and diverse community for all students.
After opening remarks by Dean Karen Riley, Dr. Lolita Tabron, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, facilitated the panel discussion.
The panelists described their experiences as first-generation and underrepresented students, as well as the unique challenges that their individual culture has on their educational career. Several panelists stressed the value of the cohort model used at MCE and described how faculty members embrace all students into the academic community. During the Q&A session, panelists discussed scholarship opportunities for students and the funding of graduate degrees, work life balance, and the need for commitment to your degree.
The Students of Color event was created by Dr. Frank Tuitt, MCE Higher Education faculty and current Sr. Advisor to the Chancellor and Provost on Diversity and Inclusion.
This year’s student panelist included:
- Kaela DelGado, Library & Information Science
- Alfredo Gallegos, Higher Education
- Shaakira Haywood, Counseling Psychology
- Brianna Mestas, Curriculum & Instruction
- Jose Teniente, Child, Family & School Psychology
- Anthony McWright, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
See photos from the event here or view the entire panel discussion here.