I recently attended an event hosted by STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars on diversity. I was excited for the event because it seemed to offer a different program than the ones that I have been to before. I feel that diversity is a huge issue and that diversity education is integral in both personal and professional development. The event was very interactive and we separated into groups to have tough conversations about privilege, class, and what biases we had as individuals. I think that acknowledging that not everyone has the same opportunities and access. Our presenter was really good a leaving silence and giving plenty of time for us to process and comment on each part of the material. The silence provoked many people to share their opinions and open up about their own struggles. Even though the event had a sizable audience, it felt much smaller because of the personal engagement.

One small critique I have of the event is that I feel that several of the discussions that we had as a group should have been longer and more in depth. I also feel that the event was centered on each person’s identities and that there was not enough of an emphasis of taking the information we learned into action. I feel that having some kind of personal testimony from a person who has overcome prejudice or event having an action plan for helping those who experience oppression would have been very beneficial. I am still glad I went to the event and am much more likely to attend other diversity and inclusion events in the future. I found the experience to be rather beneficial overall and I gleaned more insight into my personal relationship with diversity and inclusion along with the way that diversity and inclusion impacts those around me.

After attending the event, I felt upset about the overwhelming discrimination and oppression within society. I was frustrated and want to do all that I can to mitigate the structural oppression that is laced within in society. The program reminded me that compliancy is a huge part of the problem and that not all discrimination is visible. Anyone with privilege is at risk of being blind to the discrimination that others who do not have as much privilege face, and it is up to each individual to check their biases and look outside of themselves.

I think that it is especially important that diversity and inclusion is prominent on college campuses because it is a formative time in students’ lives. It is important that colleges prepare their students for the world and the world is becoming increasingly more diverse over time, so it is imperative that students know how to interact with people who come from differing backgrounds to theirs. It is also important for people who come from diverse backgrounds to feel represented and included so that diversity continues to increase. The Ohio State University puts a large emphasis on diversity that I strongly agree with because diversity is key to a better world.