DICE

I feel as though my DICE work this semester really opened my eyes to thinking about how everyone has different experiences in this world and views situations from different lenses. The “Who Am I” workshop allowed me to really reflect on myself, which I enjoyed because I had never taken the time to consider how different aspects of me impact my life. In my opinion, having a better understanding of yourself and what matters to you is vital before you can begin to try to understand other people’s perspectives. However, it’s also important to know that you won’t always be able to understand other people’s experiences, but it is always important to consider these perspectives. Furthermore, considering diversity and inclusion within our Eminence project allowed me to remember that we need to give the communities we’re trying to serve what they want, not what we think they want. That’s an important distinction that can make all the difference when attempting to facilitate change. One of our main goals with EcoSpace is getting people to care about environmental issues, and we can’t do that without identifying the people living in these communities with many regulation violations. I wish I would have attended other workshops this semester to further my experiences, but I know I’ll have some opportunities next semester to continue to learn about diversity and inclusion and work towards expanding my ability to acknowledge and appreciate unique perspectives.