Letter to Vice President Harris

Author Picture: Caleb Gonzalez

Dear Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff,

I wish you continued impetus and courage in 2023. I am a first-generation college student and the first in my family to pursue a degree of any kind. I am in my final year of doctoral work in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy at The Ohio State University. I aspire to be a college writing professor especially committed to the success of minoritized students in this country. In 2020, I took a graduate-level course in Educational Studies with Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez entitled “Broad-Access Institutions.” In the class, we studied the organizational structures of higher education with a focus on minority-serving institutions. My colleagues and I noticed that you are a graduate of an HBCU, Second Gentleman Emhoff is a graduate of an HSI, Dr. Biden teaches at a 2-year college, and President Biden is a graduate of a public institution. We understood that your unique perspectives would shape initiatives, including those related to education. I appreciate the many experiences and perspectives you bring to the office, but especially your perspectives on education. Your leadership and the context you bring as a graduate of an HBCU is inspiration to me as I teach college-level writing while centering topics of education and the success of minoritized students. Through my writing course in the Young Scholars Program at OSU, students engage in critical thinking and reflection on the current landscape of education. Through research, analysis, and problem-solution assignments, they use writing to imagine meaningful solutions that can shape the future. Here is an example of what some of my students have written:

Proposal to elected officials to reinstate the Federal Free School Lunch for All program.

Proposal to Columbus City Schools to invest in building repairs after teachers and staff demanded this investment by striking at the beginning of the school year.

A research argument on why it matters to incorporate LGBTQIA+ perspectives in sex education.

Furthermore, I am grateful for your work in advocating for student loan forgiveness. This is an important initiative for me and many across the country. I also appreciate the administration’s investment in and support for Ukraine. I can’t imagine the difficulties the Ukrainian people are going through, but I am inspired by the administration’s work in standing up for democracy. […] I am grateful for the administration’s support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which impacts the lives of many throughout this country. As a young graduate student and an emerging leader in higher education, I see the work you’re doing, and it further inspires me to lead. I wish you continued success in 2023 as you persevere.

Kind regards,

Caleb Lee González