Inclusivity in Higher Education by sabrina

Inclusivity in Higher Education by sabrina - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

Higher education needs to be more inclusive. Although universities are accepting more diverse students, the education taught to these students does not seem to be reflecting this change. Over the next ten years, I hope that education is more inclusive in higher education.

I think that higher education is working toward authentic inclusion in curriculum, but I think that there is a long way to go. In some of my undergraduate classes last year, we discussed many different cases in the law that were about people from diverse backgrounds. I think that this inclusion was helpful for understanding patterns in different cultures as well as the different types of law that they tend to deal with. However, in other classes, we would just talk about perspectives that we understood as college students and did not dive into diverse perspectives, such as examining people who did not attend college and what their interactions with the law look like. I think that by attending law school, I will be able to fight to have all voices heard and represented. I believe that in the field of law, it is important that there is a strong community that is inclusive and recognizes differences amongst cultures.

I have promoted diversity in higher education by welcoming discussions about Native Americans in the classroom. I have used my academic pursuits to learn about American Indian families since I am American Indian. I think that small advocacy can lead to change in the future. In my career as a law student, I plan on asking questions such as, "how would this affect a different type of family in a different situation, such as a Native American family?". By asking these questions in and outside of class, I think that it could inspire professors to look more into diverse backgrounds and how the law affects them. Since I have not been to law school yet, I do not know what it will be like, but I do plan on learning about how the law affects different cultures and different groups of people.

I think that higher education needs to focus on more diverse perspectives instead of only portraying education from the white perspective. In the next ten years, I hope that we are required to read books written by Native Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans. I believe the best way to start understanding another culture is to hear from their perspective.