We're giving people enough resources to
get to where they want to be and we're
helping people who don't have the same
opportunities get to the level of those
who have the automatic privilege.
*music playing*
The desk that I'm sitting at was painted
by an LGBT cohort of freshman students.
We set up that cohort within all of
our freshmen pre-education classes on
purpose, because we really want a more
diverse population of students going
into education because we know that kids
in schools need to see adults in schools
that look like them, that experience life
like them, that give them a positive
pathway into higher ed. We set up this
freshman cohort of LGBT students, we set
one up of students of color, and I think
we're setting a third one up next year.
Then the question was, What
would that what that group of students
want to do? The desks alone while
creating them I thought were such a cool
concept because it's this very
clear visual analogy to the idea that
people who are in marginalized groups
don't get power. Like the idea of
the desk was subverting that commonality
that easy every day. It's in your face, but
it's politely in your face.
I think the first step towards any kind
of change is just awareness that these
problems do exist. The desk with the
equity, and like your gender is valid, and
all these things it's kind of just
bringing to light the fact that these
are issues that people face that the
majority of people aren't aware of. And it's
our jobs as people in marginalized
communities who are aware of these
things to bring that to light. I have
this light bulb moment of oh my gosh I'm
in the right place, at the right time.
I have those moments very very
frequently in my life but there's a good
moment because I realize you know
despite all of my hesitation
and other issues with coming to the
school there were things there were
events and people and experiences that
were going to outweigh whatever doubts I
had otherwise. I felt like I was in a
place where I realized that at this
place where we could discuss inequality,
equity, and issues really really relevant
and applicable on a regular basis then I
was going to be set. This class put
that into perspective about how much
harder it could be for me if I wasn't
even you know able to be in the class,
and have how much harder even you know
just this that specific class would have
been if we weren't in a group of you
know 16 students, and having a
personalized education just for our
group, which was a wonderful thing.
Just that even in that situation even in
me and a 400-500 person class there are
students that have had you know not only
have they been like passively
ignored but also actively ignored, and
actively put down, so that they don't
feel like they should continue in school. I just think that's a terrible thing
that should not happen. I went to the
school board meeting with Julie as a
representative from the University, to
show my support for the LGBTQ
community, specifically trans-
students in public high schools and
middle schools. Not many people in the
LGBTQ community make it through high
school just graduating, and especially
trans-students they face another
difficulty that they have to climb over. I can't imagine that. This entire
project really opened a lot of doors for
me that I don't think I would have been
able to have access to without this
project and cohort and working with
everyone that I've had the opportunity
to work with. I don't think I would be
where I am right now without the support
from everyone in this program. It's
just an absolute blessing to say the
least  to be a part of such an amazing
environment, and to be in this supportive
cohort and all of everything that I've
been given is just such a blessing
and I'm crying on camera and it's so
silly.
*music playing*
