This course had me very confused for about a month. I didn’t understand the flow for so long. Class began slowly syllabus week, as did every other class, then we got in to content but then class was cancelled multiple times during the horrible winter “bliss” we were so blessed to see, the syllabus was changed about six times.. I had nothing to feel other than confusion. However, this class was a turning point for me in the Leadership Institute. I began to feel more at home with my cohort, with the staff and in the LI in general. I began to feel a sense of belonging. The turning point was the day when Shamir spoke up in class and brought up a very hard topic to be discussed. The topic of minorities across the board being underrepresented in the Leadership Institute as well as on our campus. I am very proud of her for standing so boldly for what she believes in.

This for me was a call to action. Talking about it was no longer enough. Everyone is aware of the lack of diversity at Central Michigan University. This is no surprise since the school was founded as a “safe-white-school” where white students could attend and not feel threatened. After class I began talking with Nolan and Shamir. Slowly more and more people became interested once they saw us talking after class. For the love of the university, we want to see change, we want to see education, we want to see cultural inclusion. Our group is very grateful for everything that the LI has done since this day to encourage us by bringing in speakers and advisors to help us and guide us down this path of education and recruitment. We all have things to learn about each others  culture and to do this, we have to find people who are different from us and let them educate us. We must reach out to others and ask for their support through our ignorance. Ignorance is not always our fault; yet, we must still take responsibility and be vulnerable and go seek education on different cultures.

This group of students that has formed, plans to use models, approaches and guidance we have learned from this course to go out their, educate others and help give everyone and equal platform to get to be students on Central’s campus. This is an opportunity that everyone is given but not everyone is able to capitalize on due to lack of resources. Whether that is technology, counselors, family support, or whatever the case may be, our group wants to help people overcome these obstacles as much as a group of hungry students can. Another way of helping the environment of CMU’s campus is by educating people as much as possible on a day to day basis. Although challenging, it must be done, however, in a professional manner. It is key not to force information down someone else’s throat as well was putting someone else in too much of an uncomfortable setting. This group, through education and support of this course, plans to do great things to enhance the lives and culture at Central Michigan University.