Why are you serving on the Council of Equity and Inclusion?
I was asked to join the board, and I love St. Olaf. I want to contribute to making the school a better environment for everyone and future Oles to come. Diversity and inclusion has become an important issue to me because of the classes I have taken at St. Olaf and seeing how it is relevant to everyday life and any career path that we choose.
What drives your interest and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracist work?
What drives me to do antiracist work is the impact that it has on me and, just as importantly, on the people who are close to me. I care for the people around me deeply and I want to make the world a better place for them. I want everyone around me to be treated the same as me, or better. I want to use the fullest of my privileges to help make the world a better place because of how fortunate I have been. Especially in all my work experiences with the real world, I see how antiracist and inclusion work is more important than it ever has been before, and the need to work towards a more inclusive world for everyone.
When someone asks you how they can support this work on campus, what is your advice?
To continue being open-minded in learning all that you can about the community and issues that exist. Always think about the purpose greater than yourself and how you can use whatever level of privilege you have to help others. Remember that we are all trying our best to make this campus more inclusive and it takes patience and lots of planning, so never get discouraged and work respectfully with everyone to make a long-lasting change.
What is your hope for the future of St. Olaf?
I hope that it becomes a place where everyone is proud to say they are a part of the community and that they are an Ole. I hope that St. Olaf continues to grow and produce individuals who will challenge and change the world for the better.
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