Dyamond Gray
University of La VerneDyamond Gray is a second year English major with a minor in Spanish at the University of La Verne. She currently serves as the acting President of the Black Student Union and Vice-President of the Language and Culture Club, a university club that supports cultural diversity, communication and creates community. Dyamond also educates and supports her peers as a Spanish Tutor in the University of La Verne's Academic Success Center, which is dedicated to providing all students with the tools and resources to become and remain engaged learners. She is a leader, and continues to grow through her deep sense of equity and commitment to building relationships and community. Her courage and involvement on campus and in the community is inspiring and unquestionably important.
Personal Statement
As a young girl, I understood that one of the biggest issues affecting minority communities was unequal access to rights and privileges. I come from a background where the disparities between wealth and poverty are stark. Through my experiences, I have become indignant and uncomfortable with the status-quo. I do not simply want a cultural, political change in the status quo-I need it. It is my social responsibility to strive for a change to make things more equal for not only myself, but for my family, friends, and my peers of color. I am profoundly dedicated to addressing social justice issues, particularly to strive for equity in communities of color and women. My first two years of college, I have been involved as an executive board member in Black Student Union, Language and Culture Club, Shades of Essence and other student clubs dedicated to service and community. I am engaged in community service to foster a sense of belonging, unity and philanthropy. It is only in these ways that I can quell the fire-my zeal-for social justice in my heart.