I was hired to work for the School of Education as a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (dije) Graduate Student Staff Assistant (GSSA) for the 2017-2018 school year because of my involvement with anti-racist organizing and my experience in the field of education. This position required 20 hours a week, which I completed while also taking an average of 16 credit hours each semester. This position was demanding as well as enlightening. As a GSSA for the Dr. Camille Wilson at the School of Education, I wrote and distributed 3 newsletters, conducted 10 interviews with professors and students whose work uplifted the goal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and facilitated multiple events which covered themes ranging from “Debunking Toxic Masculinity” to “Subconscious Bias Training”. This semester I am a Graduate Student Instructor for Dr. Dorceta Taylor’s Environment 222 course: Introduction to Environmental Justice. I lead three discussion sections weekly for a total of 75 students, as well as grade each assignment submitted. These two work experiences further solidified my desire to continue my career in academia.
