鈥淭he atmosphere was great,鈥� said center Evonna McGill, the team鈥檚 third leading scorer. 鈥淥f course, it鈥檚 an earlier game, but having everyone cheering for us and going for us felt really good.鈥�

Head Coach Charlotte Smith聽shared the team鈥檚 familiarity with loud crowds during away games. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been in these types of atmospheres, so I know how electrifying and energizing it can be, and I know the impact it has on the students,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been really excited since the idea was proposed.鈥�

The buzz in the arena was just that 聽electrifying and energizing. Included in the frenzied crowd was third-grader Adeline Caulder from Andrews Elementary School. She enjoyed the players coming to her classroom earlier in the week leading up to Education Day because she plays basketball too. During the game, she loved when the Phoenix scored, and she saved her loudest cheers for the Phoenix putting the ball in the basket.

Education Day is an experience for local elementary teachers, too. Andrea Perue聽teaches at Andrews Elementary and plans to use the experience in her teaching material. 鈥淭o me, this is education,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are emphasizing the fun in learning.

鈥淥verall, this is positive energy, I love to see them enjoying themselves, and I know it will be inspiring,鈥� she said 鈥淚n fact, I will be using this to talk about teamwork and collaboration in the classroom.鈥�

Leading up to seeing the Phoenix take on the University of Richmond Spiders, 黑料不打烊 women鈥檚 basketball players visited different schools, with the student-athletes answering questions about their experiences at the university, from the classroom to the court. They even showed them a few moves.

Maya Johnson, a senior studying business marketing, visited Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary School and spoke with fifth-grade students. 鈥淚 wish I had college students talk to me when I was their age,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t was nice to talk to them about how important education is.鈥�

Jason Chandler, senior associate director of athletics for external operations, organized the event that was discontinued about 10 years ago. 鈥淭he important thing about Education Day is getting kids on campus, learning more about college life and initiating interest in attending college.鈥� Chandler said.

鈥淲e are cultivating the value of doing well in school and furthering your education,鈥� he continued. 鈥淎fter these one-on-one experiences with our student-athletes at their school, discussing the importance of college, we get to bring the students here to see it in reality.鈥�

Chandler had experience planning an Education Day game when he was previously at Old Dominion University, and had an interest in reviving it at 黑料不打烊 given the history of the event at the university. In 2011, Karen Barefoot was named the head coach of women鈥檚 basketball at ODU after three seasons with 黑料不打烊. Her final season was the best in the program鈥檚 division-I history. At ODU, with Chandler鈥檚 assistance, she implemented the annual Education Day game after experiencing it at 黑料不打烊 from 2008 through 2011. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first Education Day game took place in 2005 in Alumni Gym against Longwood University.

鈥淚 hope we can continue hosting an Education Day game because we will eventually see the students that attended this game attend 黑料不打烊,鈥� Chandler said, 鈥淭his is the beginning stages of that.鈥�

First-year guard Chloe Williams started the game against Richmond and posted 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. 鈥淚 loved it, even in warm-ups they were yelling for us,鈥� Williams said about the student support. 鈥淚 think it really pumped us up.鈥�

Williams said visiting the schools and spending time with the students before game day provided a truly interactive experience. 鈥淲e have to keep doing this every year,鈥� Williams said.

Students, faculty, staff and family gathered for an extraordinary celebration as members of the Class of 2022 received a rainbow stole and framed certificate 24 hours ahead of their graduate program commencement ceremonies. Students were honored individually as a tribute provided by a loved one was read aloud for each one.

The event began with a welcome by Luis Garay, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, noting that this is the first time the event has been held for graduate and professional students who graduate in December.

Additionally, the event featured remarks from Randy Williams, vice president and associate provost for inclusive excellence. 鈥淚 hope this event serves as further affirmation of your value at 黑料不打烊 and the world,鈥� Williams said.

鈥淕raduates, please hold fast to the claim that you have a right to be here,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淵our identities are a part of what makes you special and you have a right to be in any space you choose to occupy in accomplishing your goals.鈥�

In closing, students viewed a video message from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 LGBTQIA Alumni Network. Then, Lak茅 Laosebikan-Buggs, director of Inclusive Excellence for Graduate and Professional Education and event organizer, closed the ceremony by saying, 鈥淢ay we all live a life where we aren鈥檛 judged for our race, size, orientation or sparkle.”

The event sponsored by El Centro and the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE) honored six students, a faculty member and a staff member with awards of excellence in front of a room full of their peers. Gala Latina is a celebration of success and achievement within 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Latinx/Hispanic community and is dedicated to the empowerment of students, faculty, and staff who identify as Latinx/Hispanic.

鈥淲e want to welcome, recognize, and celebrate the Latinx/Hispanic community at 黑料不打烊. It is a celebration of our roots, our hard work, and our resiliency,鈥� said Assistant Director of the CREDE, MJ Larrazabal 鈥�21. 鈥淢ost importantly, it鈥檚 a chance to build and be in ‘communidad,’ or community.鈥�

Typically聽held in the spring, the event was moved to the fall to extend the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and to welcome first-year students, who received a special gift at Thursday night’s event. 鈥淚t is a token of us welcoming you into our community,”聽Larrazabal said in her opening remarks. “Welcome to our family.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢肉�檚 Latinx/Hispanic community is ever-growing and multifaceted, and I have the privilege of spending most of my time with these students,鈥� she continued, 鈥淚 would be remised if I didn鈥檛 tell everyone, you are the strongest people I have ever met.鈥�

During the presentation of the awards, many of the recipients were truly surprised and grateful for the recognition. Each name called received an ovation and cheers. The night was a celebration of community centered on those who actively uplift it. Nominators often use passionate, determined, role model, advocate and even 鈥渁 force to be reckoned with鈥� to describe the awardees.

To close the presentation, Latinx/Hispanic Union President Karen Cruz-Ruiz said,

鈥淒on鈥檛 forget your roots. You deserve to be here and every good thing that happens in your life.鈥�

Recipients of the annual awards:

Academic Excellence Awards

This award was presented to students with the highest cumulative GPA in their respective classes.

• Ket Cordova 鈥�23
• Alanis Camacho-Narvaez 鈥�24
• Cristy Marine 鈥�25

Latinx/Hispanic Honor Award

This award recognizes a Latinx/Hispanic student鈥檚 commitment to the community. This individual has gone above and beyond to create a more inclusive and representative campus for all Latinx/Hispanic students.

• Latinx/Hispanic Honor Award Recipient:聽Ana Sof铆a Rodriguez 鈥�25
• Latinx/Hispanic Excellence Award Recipient: Sarah Escorcia 鈥�24

Outstanding Senior Award

This award recognizes the leadership, involvement and mentorship exhibited by a Latinx/Hispanic senior throughout their time at 黑料不打烊.

• Karen Cruz-Ruiz 鈥�23

Latinx/Hispanic Service Awards

This award recognizes members of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 faculty and staff who offer constant support to the Latinx/Hispanic community.

• Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism
• MJ Larrazabal 鈥�21, Assistant Director of the CREDE

It鈥檚 the voice of Susan Tripp, a horticulturalist who has worked in Facilities Management for 11 years. By its nature, her position doesn鈥檛 depend on interactions with students, faculty or staff. But in the way she approaches it, Susan builds connections with other members of the 黑料不打烊 community.

鈥淲hen I started working at 黑料不打烊, people would walk past me like I wasn鈥檛 there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought to myself, 鈥業鈥檓 not invisible. I鈥檓 going to say good morning to you.鈥� And I started speaking to everyone.鈥�

黑料不打烊鈥檚 campus is regularly recognized as one of the most beautiful in America. In 2019, The Princeton Review ranked the university first for its beauty. This is largely because of the people like Susan who maintain it, tirelessly caring for plants, replanting flowers and removing fallen branches among other tasks.

She understands her role can be isolating, so she surveys for people who might feel the same. 鈥淚鈥檓 out here by myself all day,鈥� Susan said. 鈥淚f you walk past me, I鈥檓 going to acknowledge you. And I look for students who I feel could benefit from a special hello.

鈥淚 reach out and invite them to lunch,鈥� she continued. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� has a lunch program where we can take a student to lunch for free and we can just sit and talk to each other.鈥�

Susan aims to enhance the experience of others, regardless of the roles those people fill. 鈥淟ife is hard. I hope to make somebody feel better about themselves. Actually, gardening has become secondary,鈥� she said.

Focusing on the needs of others developed as she focused on being true to herself. Her experience with sexism, ageism and homophobia previously caused Susan to shut down. 鈥淚 reached a point where I decided not to tolerate anyone disrespecting me, and I started being myself,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen, I got more confident and started speaking up.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to do my work and be silly because that鈥檚 who I am, and I don鈥檛 care what people think about me,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut when I see other people being abused, I have to speak up.鈥�

Susan is a representative on the Staff Advisory Council, a body that facilitates active and direct communication between staff employees and President Connie Ledoux Book and provides a forum for input and discussion of issues important to the staff and the university. 鈥淲hen I joined the council, I knew I wasn鈥檛 good at the clerical duties, but I would show up and speak up for people,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for people to be able to be themselves, and in society, it seems to be getting more difficult to do that. 黑料不打烊 is very accepting, but there is a lot more work to be done so we are all seen,鈥� Susan said.

Susan鈥檚 participation in creating a more inclusive campus through empathy, compassion and connecting with others is the essence of inclusive excellence.

Susan is part of 鈥�Huemanity of People,鈥� a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community to uplift the values of inclusion and equity.

Raised in Graham, North Carolina, Manny decided to attend 黑料不打烊 and major in finance after participating in the 黑料不打烊 Academy, the university鈥檚 college access and success program for academically promising high school students
in Alamance County. 鈥淚t helps students like me, who are low income with no family
history of attending college,鈥� says Manny. 鈥淗aving the academy as a resource made such a huge impact on my life.鈥�

When Manny arrived on campus as a student, it wasn鈥檛 the same as his experience
in the high school program. 鈥淚 thought 鈥榯his looks different鈥� because I wasn鈥檛 around people from similar backgrounds anymore,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 realized I was a minority here, but I didn鈥檛 let it hold me back. I saw it as an opportunity.鈥�

He is driven to help others have a better experience in the Alamance County community, at 黑料不打烊 and everywhere he goes in the future. 鈥淢y main priority is to motivate people to be themselves,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 want them to have the resources and support they need to be successful, and live life on their terms.鈥�

In high school, Manny served as the Student Government Association fundraising chair, was a member of the National Honor Society and volunteered in the community. He continues to center others at 黑料不打烊 by serving as a student coordinator in El Centro, chapter president of Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., and treasurer for the Latinx-Hispanic Student Union. Additionally, he volunteers at CityGate Dream Center鈥檚 after-school program weekly with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Kernodle Center for Civic Life.

鈥淚 love working with middle and high school students,鈥� Manny says. 鈥淭hey remind me of myself when I was younger, so I get excited about connecting with the students and becoming a mentor.鈥�

Manny credits his family for laying the foundation that fuels his passion for others
and consistently living out his beliefs. 鈥淎s clich茅 as it is, my family inspires me,鈥�
he says. 鈥淚 get unique qualities from them all. My dad is so hardworking. My
mom showed me I can succeed academically. My sister helped me learn how to be a better mentor. My grandma gave me a little bit of everything, and she knows how to cook.鈥�

Both of Manny鈥檚 parents are Mexican immigrants. He was raised near his aunts and cousins engulfed in Mexican culture. 鈥淭he Latinx and Hispanic community is passionate about family, and we like it when the community comes together,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all people; we all want to be a community.鈥�

Manny is part of 鈥�Huemanity of People,鈥� a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community to uplift the values of inclusion and equity.

Jennifer Revels Baxter, president of the Guilford Native American Association, delivered the keynote address and displayed an opening slide that read, 鈥淲e are still here.鈥� North Carolina has a large presence of Native Americans with eight state-recognized tribes, including Baxter鈥檚 Lumbee Tribe. 鈥淚n many ways, we are viewed as something in the past,鈥� she said.

Baxter presented several issues plaguing the Native American community, like acknowledging Native American boarding schools that stripped young indigenous people of their culture. 鈥淢embers of my tribe were products of these boarding schools, and the mentality in the school was, 鈥楰ill the Indian save the man,鈥欌�� said Baxter.

鈥淓very child deserves to know the truth and your textbooks didn鈥檛 teach you the truth about my people and our culture,鈥� Baxter said. 鈥淎s everyone should learn about the Holocaust, they should learn about the genocide that happened here.鈥�

Also, she raised concerns about missing and murdered indigenous women, cultural appropriation and negative stereotypes. She implored about 35 students, faculty and staff to help bring awareness and change.

Rachel Dietert 鈥�23, president of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Native American Student Association, shared Baxter鈥檚 charge for other communities to assist in raising the issue of the Native community. 鈥淥ur community is not growing at the same rate as other races,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o have our issues prioritized we need to have the support of communities.鈥�

Dietert鈥檚 tribal affiliation is Cherokee. Being from Houston and due to her appearance, Dietert encountered hardship embracing her heritage. 鈥淚 grew up learning about my grandma attending a Native American Boarding School and carrying my tribal enrollment card,鈥� she said. Still, others questioned if she was Cherokee. 鈥淟ooking Native was put onto us by colonialism,鈥� Diatert continued. 鈥淚 am not identifying as this for fun. It鈥檚 really a part of who I am.鈥�

Baxter leading the GNAA isn鈥檛 random. She is the daughter of Lonnie Revels and Ruth Revels, both popular Greensboro activists. Ruth served as the first director of the GNAA, and Lonnie was a two-time city councilperson.

Former Miss North Carolina Native American, Raven Dial-Stanley performed a traditional Native American dance and taught one to the group. She wore a jingle dress, which is regalia worn during different ceremonies, such as a Pow Wow. Befittingly, the event ended with the entire group holding hands in a circle, connected and embracing each other. Dancing from side to side, and then a rush into the middle with a loud yell in celebration of one another. Baxter said, 鈥淲hen we hold hands in this circle there isn鈥檛 someone that is first or last, we are all one.鈥�

Approaching the Dream Center, at 1423 N. Church St., a long line of cars built up even 30 minutes before the event. Students, community members and center staff received their roles and stepped into position. Some volunteers stocked, and repeatedly restocked, the areas where cars would stop to receive their orders. Others filled the orders, delivering the products to each car as they rolled in consistently for 90 minutes.

This isn鈥檛 new for the Dream Center. Since becoming an official partner with the Diaper Bank of North Carolina in May 2020, the first Thursday of every month has looked similar.

鈥淭he diaper bank had five emergency locations during that first year, and we gave away the most diapers out of all of them,鈥� said Lisa Edwards, president of CityGate Dream Center. 鈥淚 think we gave away $129,000 worth of diapers that year.鈥�

This trip to the Dream Center was a part of the Kernodle Center鈥檚 Get on the Bus program. The program is a series of service events offered to all 黑料不打烊 students during the first eight weeks of the fall semester. Transportation is provided for students to participate in an afternoon of service. The Diaper Distribution was the final Get on the Bus event of the year.

The Get on the Bus events are one-time service opportunities for students to connect with community partners. The Dream Center is a partner that collaborates with the Kernodle Center more regularly.

鈥淐urrently, we have primarily worked with their weekly after-school program for middle and high school students,鈥� said Kyle Anderson, associate director of the Kernodle Center. 鈥淥ur volunteers provide mentorship, help with activities and get to build relationships with the Dream Center鈥檚 after-school students.鈥疨articipation has been quite strong since last spring. Also, we collaborate with El Centro to recruit volunteers and we usually have 10 to 12 students attend every week.鈥�

The students make an impact directly as volunteers, a pillar of most successful non-profits. Their participation comes with greater benefits as relationships are formed. They become positive influences in the community.

鈥淚t has been really awesome to see students come and help with our after-school program and catching on to the culture of being a positive person in other people鈥檚 lives,鈥� said Edwards. 鈥淭hen, the kids get excited about school and realize, 鈥榃ow, I can go to college too.鈥欌��

The partnership between the Kernodle Center and Dream Center started in 2020. 鈥淲e had a group of students participate in our alternative break program and volunteer during 黑料不打烊鈥檚 spring break,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淲e continued the partnership since then.鈥�

Alternative breaks are immersive service experiences designed to introduce students to new communities while working to address pressing domestic and global social issues. In March 2021, students volunteered at the center鈥檚 food distribution and COVID-19 vaccination clinic. 鈥淒ue to COVID, there was a lot of restrictions,鈥� said Chandler McKelvey 鈥�23, lead service ambassador with the Kernodle Center. 鈥淭o participate in alternative break, we were restricted to Alamance County.鈥�

McKelvey, a human studies major, started as a service ambassador in her first year at 黑料不打烊.聽 Currently, she oversees many of the service projects and helped design the alternative break with the Dream Center.

鈥淲e wanted to focus on disparities in education. A professor mentioned the Dream Center, which wasn鈥檛 on our radar. Talking to Lisa and learning what the center means to the Latinx/Hispanic community, we wanted to help,鈥� McKelvey said.

鈥淲orking the vaccination clinic was really eye-opening. I thought everyone wanted a vaccine, but a lot of people in the community were very apprehensive and worried about the effects of it,鈥� she added. 鈥淪o, talking with community members and educating them on the vaccine and supporting them regardless of their choice was very impactful.鈥�

More organizations at 黑料不打烊 have fostered partnerships with the Dream Center, including the Freedom Scholars. As the collaboration grows between the Dream Center and 黑料不打烊, more students are witnessing the center鈥檚 positive effect.

鈥淚 get so happy seeing people from different communities caring about each other,鈥� said Emilia Suarez, Dream Center鈥檚 health promotion coordinator. 鈥淪ometimes people come just because they need service hours, but when they come in here and see what’s going on, they say, 鈥業 want to come back the next time.鈥欌��

Katherine Smith 鈥�26, volunteering for the second time at the Dream Center during the diaper distribution, shared a similar experience. 鈥淢y introduction to human services course requires 40 service hours,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 came last week and had so much fun that I had to come back. This is something great I can continue doing.鈥�

The Dream Center will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Oct. 15 from 2 to 8 p.m. Additionally, they have a community kitchen, monthly family nights, sports leagues, a citizenship and computer course in partnership with Alamance Community College and after-school tutoring and programming for youth. To learn more or how to get involved, visit the .

鈥淭here are a lot of other great services the Dream Center offers,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淭hey do an amazing job collaborating with many other local organizations in Alamance County and keep growing in what they offer to the local community.鈥�

鈥淭he content of these modules聽will support individual reflection on the complexities of identities and experiences while providing strategies to promote a sense of聽belonging and well-being for colleagues and students,鈥� said聽Director of the Office of Inclusive Excellence Education and Development Carla Fullwood. “Having a common entry point for education and development will allow OIEED and HR to expand knowledge and deepen personal and professional skillsets to advance Inclusive Excellence at 黑料不打烊.鈥�

The suite is structured to be accessible and productive in many ways. The modules are 10 to 15 minutes each and are easily accessed remotely and in-network. Moreover, it allows participants to enter the conversation wherever they are on the journey of development.

Preparing for their 黑料不打烊 experience, the Class of 2026 students participated in these courses during the summer. 鈥淚t was very educational and I think it prepared me to come to 黑料不打烊 and engage with people that have different experiences than me,”聽said Brie Melchor 鈥�26.

The Division of Inclusive Excellence highly encourages all faculty and staff to engage with this material. The DIB Suite provides faculty and staff with common language and experiences as our students; it assists in facilitating one of the pillars of the Boldly 黑料不打烊 Strategic Plan 鈥� thrive; and amplifies personal and professional development through Inclusive Excellence.

The implementation of the DIB Suite permits individuals to self-identify as leaders within the community and access the modules designed to strengthen one鈥檚 ability to serve as a role model and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion through various institutional processes.

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Modules

For descriptions and learning outcomes of each module, review the聽聽 or 听辞耻迟濒颈苍别. , log in using 黑料不打烊 credentials and select start.

The modules align with the mission of the Office of Human Resources to support 鈥渢he university鈥檚 most valuable asset, its employees鈥� by providing programs like the DIB Suite. 鈥淲e will be able to use this knowledge as a base for conversations around policy and culture which will ultimately tie into the university鈥檚 efforts around recruitment and retention and making 黑料不打烊 a place where all faculty and staff genuinely have the opportunity to thrive,鈥� said TJ Bowie, equal opportunity and HR compliance manager.

Upcoming professional development offerings include Communities of Practice, where conversations will be facilitated on areas for deeper development and action items based on the exposure and learning from these modules in the DIB Suite. If you would like further information please contact聽TJ Bowie.

This event gives the ALANAM (African American/Black, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, Alaska Native and multiracial)聽student community an opportunity to learn about departments and offices, like Counseling Services and Student Professional Development Center.

Previously, Aliados, meaning allied in Spanish, was held for Latinx and Hispanic students. The event has expanded but 鈥渢he goal remains the same,鈥� said MJ Larrazabal G鈥�21, assistant director of the CREDE.

鈥淲e want to offer ALANAM students the opportunity to meet at least one person from the different supportive resources at 黑料不打烊,鈥� she said. 鈥淗opefully, student will feel more comfortable accessing and interacting with them regularly.鈥�

For more information, contact MJ Larrazabal.

As 黑料不打烊鈥檚 inaugural equal opportunity and human resources compliance manager, he鈥檚 primarily responsible for all development and training around equitable employment protocols, including assessing recruiting and hiring practices. 鈥淲e want to do our best to address bias and create as much of an inclusive and equitable process as possible,鈥� says Bowie, adding that seeing people succeed who weren鈥檛 given a chance at first due to bias keeps him going.

It鈥檚 something that has motivated him throughout his professional life. When he worked in residence life, developing staff and students from a social justice perspective was his focus. 鈥淭he common theme throughout my professional trajectory is developing people and the culture they work in,鈥� he says.

Bowie moved frequently as a child but lived in Colorado for most of his upbringing. He spent time living in a non-White majority community in high school, an experience that allowed him to see inequities in action. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure we had any conversations about the inequities I noticed,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd it wasn鈥檛 until I reflected on it more as an adult that I could unpack it in my head.鈥�

Before completing two master鈥檚 degrees, he attended a Jesuit institution in Denver. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really where I confronted my whiteness, White privilege and power that I have as a White man,鈥� TJ says. 鈥淪ince then, it鈥檚 been a journey of utilizing that to be a voice and address systems of inequity.鈥�

As an undergraduate, Bowie went to El Salvador as part of a study abroad opportunity, an experience that opened his eyes to even greater disparities. 鈥淭his was my first time seeing people live in desperate conditions,鈥� he recalls.

That solidified his desire to help members of his community. 鈥淚t is what sparked that passion in me,” he says. “I chose to build and develop others.鈥�

While working as an assistant director of auxiliary services at 黑料不打烊, he decided to pursue an MBA at the Love School of Business. After completing that program, Bowie started looking for opportunities to combine his desire and passion for helping people with a position at the institution. He connected with Randy Williams, vice president and associate provost for inclusive excellence, and Kelli Shuman, associate vice president of human resources, and learned about the newly created equal opportunity and human resources manager role, which he now holds.

Bowie is excited to continue his personal and professional development journey. Earlier this year, he was selected to participate in a selective leadership program offered by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. As part of the 12-month program, Bowie will have the opportunity to develop his professional skills through tailored learning experiences including mentorship, learning events and courses.

鈥淚t is continual self-development,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 effectively evaluate our procedures and protocol without knowing who I am, how my identity shows up in a professional setting, and addressing the biases that I have.鈥�

He believes in the institution鈥檚 commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable community. The creation of positions dedicated to support more equitable practices, like his own role, are proof of that commitment, he says. 鈥淚f we can recruit more equity-centered people, the more inclusive we can be as a community.鈥�

Bowie hopes to enhance the experience of others by helping and providing opportunities for individuals to thrive. 鈥淚 say this often, people helping people is what I do,鈥� he says.

TJ Bowie is part of 鈥�Huemanity of People,鈥� a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 community to uplift the values of inclusion and equity.