Personal Statement

Inclusion will change the world. I first learned this by volunteering in a special education classroom when I was twelve. Rather than focusing on their disabilities, I reminded students of their abilities and modeled how they can use them to overcome challenges. This led me to expand my meaning of inclusion by tutoring English Language Learners, where I learned school is not always a safe space for students. Restless with this reality, I created a student-run organization, Building Relationships In Diverse Generations Empowering Equity (BRIDGE), that fights for equitable education and provides a platform for students to share their similarities and celebrate their differences. I carried this passion into college by supporting first generation and low income students pursuing post secondary education. I ensured my students’ access to resources was not the reason they were unable to pursue higher education. In addition, I am a student representative on my school's Inclusive Community Coalition and lead an Interfaith Leadership Team that creates interfaith dialogue and inclusive spaces, no matter one's faith tradition or spirituality. I have witnessed radical change occur when someone belongs and I aspire to continue creating that sense of belonging by sharing our similarities and celebrating our differences.