A Classroom of Inclusion by Esther

A Classroom of Inclusion by Esther - July 2020 Scholarship Essay

I walk into the building for my next course. I press the button at the side that opens the doors automatically. I step onto the moving walkway that effortlessly glides the students with physical disabilities and mobility issues effortlessly to the front of the classroom. We stand there entranced by the view of the room: desk chairs, bean bag chairs, floor mats, and multiple other sitting arrangements laid in a semi-circular rotation around the classroom. The windows stood large against the three walls of the room, each radiating sunlight and views of the trees swaying in the breeze, a true effort to maintain a biophilic design.

Fifteen posters of notable and successful figures remain plastered against the wall, and these figures are in the same racial/ethnic group and career path the 15 students had indicated prior to enrolling in the course. The posters include some of their most famous quotes, and a short summary of who they are, some of their life achievements, and a description of their humble beginnings and how they thrived despite of it. These posters are meant to act as a means of inspiration to the young students, and under each poster is a list of local members of the community (as well as their contact information) who not only successfully graduated, who not only successfully share the same career path as the students, but are also open to forming a mentorship with the students.

These very students know exactly what kind of classroom they have just walked into. Amongst themselves, they represent different cultures and heritages. Students from Zambia, Iran, Bolivia, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, among others who previously felt misplaced in a predominantly white institution (PWI) can now share their voices without dispute. Their history, experiences, and cultural knowledge can finally be integrated as part of the classroom environment. An environment where the curriculum shares the scholarly works of researchers outside of the western hemisphere, and provides course readings and textbooks that isn’t predominantly associated with white influence.

What does my dream classroom look like? It's a classroom of inclusion, and it will help me as well as many others excel because it would allow room for us where it was once considered a white space. My dream classroom fuels our dreams, and helps remind us of the values and worthiness of our roots and our sense of identity affiliated with it. It will help me - help us all even- by providing us the opportunity to voice ourselves, our history, and learn from those who had previously forgotten, in order to build and create a space in the future that can never be forgotten. That is the greatest form of excellence we should all strive for.