Diversity and Inclusion – Johnalie

03/09/2020 1:07 AM

Hey, guys! It’s Johnalie again. A big thanks to everyone who got a chance to skim over my introduction post on the FaceBook group. It’s been so cool seeing everyone get added and posting about themselves.

If you didn’t get a chance to peep my introduction, or if you totally forgot what I wrote, no worries! Here’s a brief SparkNotes rundown for y’all:

I’m from Algonquin, IL and graduated from Marian Central Catholic in Woodstock, IL
I’m a senior English major with a concentration in professional writing and a double minor in social media marketing and Asian studies
I picked Bradley because I heard of it from my cousin, it’s close-ish to home, it’s the perfect size, has great faculty, and overall I could imagine myself being here and calling it home

Last, but not least, like a lot of my coworkers in admissions, I’m super involved with a whole slew of different clubs and student organizations. A large portion of my campus involvement is focused on diversity and inclusion (D&I). Now, you might be asking yourself… what the heck does that mean? It’s a fair question! I even asked myself when I first got here as a freshman. My high school never had events or organizations that were strictly labeled as D&I, so I had no clue what it even meant.

The summer before my freshman year I was invited to take part in a mentoring program for incoming students who come from marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds. Not really knowing what I was signing up for, I agreed and basically said, “why not?” Long story short, I ended up loving the program and really connecting with my mentor Liana. She introduced me to a handful of other Asian American students on campus through Asian American Association, and the rest is history.

Three years later I’ve somehow managed to pick up an executive position in the club as president for AAA. I have also joined and partnered with a number of other different cultural clubs and organizations and copped a position on campus as a D&I peer educator for our Office of Diversity & Inclusion! Without realizing it, I discovered something that I didn’t realize I was passionate about. I even ended up deciding to add Asians studies as my second minor to further fuel my curiosity and passion.

My take on D&I is this: get involved. Even if you feel like you don’t necessarily identify with any particular minority group, try to step out of your comfort zone. Our student orgs are welcoming and are always excited to welcome others. You’ll learn a TON and meet a bunch of awesome people along the way. It’s always good to stay woke when it comes to D&I, especially because the fact of the matter is that the world we live in is constantly diversifying. Whether or not you choose to acknowledge it is where the inclusion part comes into play. By getting involved with D&I in college, you not only make a bunch of memories but also prepare yourself for all the amazing opportunities that await you, college and beyond.

If you have any questions about D&I here at Bradley, our different student organizations, or how to get involved, please feel free to reach out at any point! I’d be more than happy to talk 🙂

Otherwise, I’ll see you around in the group!

Stay awesome always.

– Johnalie