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Loving Blackness and Humanizing Imagination: (Re)engaging Shared Equity Leadership: Juneteenth Address

Anonymous — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:53:40 +0000

Loving Blackness and Humanizing Imagination: (Re)engaging Shared Equity Leadership: Juneteenth Address Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/29/2024 - 10:53

Watch the 2024 Juneteenth Address by Dr. Danielle Hodge

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CU Engage Student Fernanda Cerros Receives President's DEI Award

Anonymous — Tue, 28 May 2024 17:24:05 +0000

CU Engage Student Fernanda Cerros Receives President's DEI Award Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/28/2024 - 11:24

Whether she's leading a group of middle school students through a process to identify the root causes of problems in their community, or taking a group of Latinx high schoolers around the CU ��«��Ƶ campus, there is a strong magnetism around Fernanda Cerros. A recent graduate in double majors of International Affairs and Political Science, Cerros is fired up for her next chapter thanks to the inspiring experiences that fell outside of her major coursework — in CU Engage, the Center for Community-Based Learning and Research based in the School of Education. In these programs, she had the opportunity to study, research, and hone her leadership skills through hands-on experience with community-based civic engagement. Most importantly, she discovered her passion and found a sense of belonging at CU ��«��Ƶ, without which, she is certain she would have burnt out earlier. She embodies an unquestionable confidence and clarity towards the work at hand that draws you in. Her influential presence is a powerful force in shaping the spaces she occupies as she applies herself towards a collective effort to advance justice in her communities.

Cerros started her first year as a Puksta Scholar. Puksta is a competitive scholarship program open to CU ��«��Ƶ undergraduate students that accepts a small cohort of students each year with ‘the explicit purpose to serve as catalysts for positive change on campus and in our local, national and international communities.’

Through Puksta, she learned about Public Achievement (PA), a youth-led civic engagement and social justice program modeled after youth organizers during the Civil Rights Movement that pairs undergraduates with K-12 students to identify and address issues affecting them and their communities. Fernanda’s enthusiasm permeated the conversation as she spoke about the middle school and high school teams she has coached through PA and the YES4CO (Youth Ethnic Studies for Colorado) teach-ins she has been a part of over the past year to expand Ethnic Studies curriculum into area high schools.

“We know this can be done,” she says. “When I picture what the world could be, there is so much incentive to keep fighting.”

Soraya Latiff, Co-Director of the PA Program at CU ��«��Ƶ describes Cerros as “lighting up any room she walks into.” This light inspires and drives her peers and mentees to take an active role in transforming their communities.

“Her passion has inspired over 40 young people to learn and unlearn their values, beliefs about themselves and people of color,” Latiff added. “She has inspired them to think critically about the school and political systems around them and activate their voices. Fernanda leads from a place of revolutionary love, a topic and a practice she continuously reflects to me is one of her guiding values she has learned in PA. Revolutionary love is the choice to labor on behalf of, for, and with, others, ourselves and those who might oppose us. It is putting in the work today that you might not see or reap the benefits of and requires deep commitment to the possibility of a different world that centers the human dignity, freedom and care for all peoples in the systems that come.”

Through PA, Cerros learned about the Aquetza Academic Summer Program and became a counselor during the summer of 2023. Aquetza is a free, one-week summer residential program on the CU ��«��Ƶ campus that provides high school students with strong ties to Chican@/Latin@ communities from across Colorado with an interactive, academic enrichment experience focused on engaging Chican@/Latin@ youth in examining the history, literature, health science, and relevant social and political issues surrounding their cultural communities. Being an Aquetza counselor was both hard and rewarding, Cerros says.

“I remember sitting in the dorm at night, and I was talking to my roommate, and I was looking up at the ceiling, and I was like, ‘I'm exhausted.’ And she goes, ‘yeah, so am I.’ And I was like, ‘but you know what, I could do this for the rest of my life.’” She further reflected, “These programs are life-changing, and that’s what keeps me going.”

Cerros credits Puksta, Public Achievement and Aquetza with being foundational in the future direction of her life.

“Literally one program led to the next, which changed my life, which led to the next, which changed my life, and because of these three programs and the culmination of them, I now have a different vision of what I want to do.”

She’s learned that she loves working with youth, especially in a social justice context where she is able to lead them in exploring different epistemologies and support community-based change. “Being able to teach is one of the things that fills my cup the most, she added.”

Acknowledging that activism and social change work can be taxing and tough, she shared that she feels solace and peace in the work she is doing in CU Engage programs.

“It can feel so heavy and hopeless at times, like there is so little that I can do. I have to remember that there is no doing too little or doing too much, she said.“There is just doing something. I share this with the youth I work with as well, who feel particularly powerless. Being able to do something is empowering and reminds you that you do have power to create change.”

Ana Contreras, Director of the Puksta Program reflects on her past four years with Cerros and the ways she goes beyond her role as student and peer to mentor other BIPOC (Black & Indigenous People of Color) students for success on campus by sharing her organizing work, her experiences on campus as a first generation scholar, and her strategies for success.

“I have personally witnessed how she uplifts students through this mentoring, especially those that have been struggling to belong on campus and to succeed in their classes,” Contreras said. “I believe that her presence and mentorship has both motivated students to stay on track for their academic goals and also pushed them to develop impactful civic-engaged projects.”

Jackie, a CU ��«��Ƶ first-year student, is a testament to Cerros’ mentorship. “When I considered CU ��«��Ƶ, it stood out, but concerns about diversity held me back. Fernanda changed my perspective with words etched in my memory. 'Jackie, come to CU so that more girls like us can show we belong in these spaces too.' Her encouragement wasn't just about my choice; it was about breaking barriers and paving the way for others who share our journey. Thanks to Fernanda's wisdom, CU became more than a college – it became a platform for empowerment and inclusivity for me. “

Cerros is now pondering how she wants to continue this work after she graduates. She feels strongly that whatever that looks like, she’ll continue to participate in and uplift the work of Aquetza, PA and YES4CO. In these spaces, she feels she can bring her authentic, true voice and ‘speak truth to power.’ In the future, she is also considering pursuing graduate work in ethnic studies as well as a teaching license. Wherever her path leads, she will continue to lead from revolutionary love.

“There's so much love and there is so much community here,” Cerros said. “There is such a push to do this work, but to do it with others. It’s not individualistic at all. It’s really collective and community-based.”

Fernanda Cerros was one of two undergraduate students to receive the President's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in April of 2024. She was selected from a large pool of applicants encompassing students from across all four CU campuses for her dedication to and impact on advancing DEI goals at CU ��«��Ƶ and in the community at large. During her time as an undergraduate at CU, Fernanda was a Puksta scholar, Public Achievement coach and mentor, Youth Ethnic Studies for Colorado (YES4CO) youth organizer, and Aquetza counselor.

Written by Annaliese Miller

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Rain Michael – LSM student and CU ��«��Ƶ Student of the Year

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2024 19:55:51 +0000

Rain Michael – LSM student and CU ��«��Ƶ Student of the Year Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:55

Graduating senior Rain Michael has always considered themself a musician but didn’t feel they could take on the title of “leader” until they took the course LEAD 1000: Becoming A Leader. “I wouldn’t have necessarily called myself a leader in the same way I do now, if I hadn’t taken that course,” they stated. “I decided to take that course and it ended up being something that was very interesting and valuable. Especially the way Dr. Pasquesi taught the course, just clicked with me in a way that I frankly found surprising.”

Her first student nomination, Dr. Pasquesi was struck by Rain’s leadership in class and their quiet yet attentive approach to the learning environment. “I observed them striving to hear others more deeply, asking more profound questions, and seeking to understand,” she stated in her nomination letter. Michael believes in the power of constructive learning and collaboration, a theme that is present in all of their work. “I think there’s a lot more power in collectives than we allow their to seem,” they stated. Rain currently defines leadership as “providing a space for others to learn and grow, and for me to do so alongside them.”

Michael graduates this year with a double major in Music Composition and Psychology, minors in Leadership and Linguistics and a certificate of Cognitive Science. In addition to managing an ambitious academic workload, they work as a Registered Behavior Technician at Wild Sun Behavioral Sciences, where they administer one-on-one treatment to children with behavioral struggles or disorders. Rain has worked with children since high school participating in afterschool programs. “It’s so much fun!” they stated with palpable excitement. “They’re all such unique people.” For Rain, there is a profound sense of fulfillment in working with a client for months at a time and seeing the progress they are able to make once they reach what they refer to as a “flow” state.

But Rain’s foundations are deeply grounded in music. “I’ve been in music my whole life,” they stated. Michael’s parents started them in a music academy at the age of four where they mostly played piano, hand percussion, and guitar. In high school Rain started composing but states that they’ve been coming up with ideas since the fourth or fifth grade. “I would not be where I am right now if I wasn’t as involved with music,” they stated. “And even a lot of my leadership experiences have been in music. Both in directing my own pieces, with my own ensembles and just the way I try to approach performance and composition.” Rain has a unique, creative approach that speaks to his training in the fields of music, psychology and behavioral science. “I like to give performers a couple of cells or ideas and ways in which they can iterate and repeat and expand on those ideas, pulling on their own musical experience and feeling in the moment.”

A recital Rain put together last semester stands out as a generative and capacious experience that allowed them to hone their organization skills while also putting their music in front of an audience. “It was really wonderful,” Rain stated. Performing an untitled piece composed of the single note A, Rain initially thought of it as a personal piece. “It was a very simple improvisation that was all done with one note on the piano. I was trying to invite them into my experience but there’s not a story, there’s not a clear point of connection.” After the performance a graduate student approached Rain to thank them for creating a piece that made him feel like there was space within the Music Department at CU to explore innovative ideas. The untitled piece is a rich auditory experience with crescendos, peaks and valleys that invites listeners into an affective experience that speaks to Michael’s talent in the field of music composition. Dr. Carter Penn, a professor in the College of Music stated, “ I hold them among the top students with which I have had the pleasure to work closely. They have proven themselves to be one of the most enterprising young musicians in our College of Music.”

I asked Rain what it means to them to be named a Student Leader of the Year. “I’m honestly still trying to figure that out,” they stated, “I really didn’t expect this.” Rain views learning and music as very collaborative experiences and believes leadership should be too. “At the very least it’s a point of visibility and a reminder that the things I do are much bigger than myself and that they really can impact people more than I think or even realize.”

Written by Nandi Pointer

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Voices of Healing

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 21:15:30 +0000

Voices of Healing Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 14:15

Voices of Healing came into fruition in Spring 2022 and is organized by Ben Kirshner, Solicia Lopez, Lex Hunter, and Beatriz Salazar-Núñez. For a full history of our work see Tracking Our History.

Our Stories, Our Healing (OSOH) PAR Project: Spring 2023

In Spring 2023 Voices of Healing collaborated with eight youth/youth-serving community members from various youth organizations to launch a 6 week participatory action research (PAR) project entitled Our Stories, Our Healing. This project brought together local (across the Colorado Front Range) racially marginalized young people (15-25 years old) to explore their experiences at the intersections of healing and activism. The team interviewed community members about their experiences with healing to leverage research to honor the wisdom and their communities and to uplift community visions

PAR team members: Evangeylne Eliason, Chanelle Jones, Emran Al Ghareeb, Karen Nuñez Sifuentes, Jelie Jones, Aaralyn Zayas, Ceirra Noel, Soraya Latiff, Solicia Lopez, Ben Kirsher & Lex Hunter

Healing Justice Research Action Collective (HJRAC): July 2023

In July 2023, Voices of Healing brought together a racially diverse team of young people to engage in a collaborative, community-centered process to design a healing justice framework for youth development and education spaces. The framework aims to identify key qualities of spaces that foster and sustain healing and social justice advocacy.

Co-design team members: Emran Al Ghareeb, Paige Buchanan-Hall, Evangelyne Eliason, Jelie Jones, Karen NuñezSifuentes, Malachi Ramirez, Mateo Manuel Vela, Solicia Lopez, Ben Kirsher & Lex Hunter

Colorado Healing Justice Convening: October 12th & 13th 2023

We hosted an in-person Healing Justice Convening in Denver, CO to bring together key local community members (youth/youth organizations/activists) and national partners to co-create a healing justice framework for youth organizations and educational spaces. Fifty-five people attended representing non-profit organizations, schools, and universities. Breakout groups focused on questions about the design of education spaces, research and evaluation, and professional development.

These activities were supported by funding from the School of Education Placed-based Seed Grant initiative, the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Women Investing in School of Education, the Spencer Foundation, and the Student Experience Research Network.

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Rumi Natanzi: On the Frontlines of Social Justice and Human Rights

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:03:42 +0000

Rumi Natanzi: On the Frontlines of Social Justice and Human Rights Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/07/2023 - 10:03

��«��Ƶ senior, Rumi Natanzi, has a rare passion for social justice and human rights. An Iranian-American student and native of ��«��Ƶ, she was initially unsure of what major to choose when she first arrived as a transfer student. An advisor pointed her to the Leadership and Community Engagement Major led by Roudy Hildreth. “My activist work grew out of the courses I took and the mentors I’ve had within CU Engage,” she stated.” “My first semester at CU I took Sabrina Sideris’s course, Intersectionality Theory, and that class really changed my life and the way I think about things, my disposition, and my goals.” Professor Sideris in reflecting on Rumi’s contributions to her class stated, “I found her to be radiant, curious, intelligent and artful in the way she brings her ideas and perspectives into sentences. She contributed frequently and elevated the conversation, adding insight and wisdom,” Rumi points to her experiences in Sideris’s course as foundational to the development of the leadership skills and activist work she’s now involved in, specifically the grassroots organization, Bouder4Iran (B4I).

The death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022, in Tehran became, for Rumi, an urgent call to action. “That’s the person I am and that’s how I feel all the time,” she stated. “It’s hard for me to understand how people don’t feel that way.” Described by Farnaz Fassihi of The New York Times as “an innocent and ordinary young woman,” the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini ignited a passionate wave of protests worldwide, resulting in 22,000 people detained and 500 killed in violent clashes. Amini was arrested in Tehran for opposing the mandatory hijab and subsequently died while in the custody of the morality police. Her death sparked what became known as, the ‘Mahsa movement,’ the most recent serious challenge to the legitimacy of Iran’s ruling clerics since they took power in 1979.

For Rumi, the year 1979 has a different meaning. It is the year her father immigrated to the U.S, to study chemical engineering in Missouri. Little did he know that he would arrive just months before the Islamic Revolution, making the U.S. his permanent home, something he had never envisioned. Rumi started attending protests and at a young age and was always aware that her identity as an Iranian-American was political. He was very outspoken when the Iranian Republic was established Natanzi told me. “He raised me to be a very critical thinker and to always consider non-Western perspectives when approaching an issue. I would go to protests for Free Palestine or stop the war in Iraq,” she added.

For the past year, Rumi has worked tirelessly to organize and amplify the voice of Iran. “It started as a woman’s revolution but it’s really about the people of Iran,” she stated. Rumi was a major inspiration behind the establishment and persistent work of B4I. “It’s an activist network of people coming together and trying to leverage our privilege in whatever way we can to bring attention to this issue,” Rumi stated. Since its inception Rumi has attended weekly meetings, organized a campus panel on the Woman-Life-Freedom movement which was followed by a community working session held at KGNU. Natanzi who still has family in Iran told me it was difficult to hear about everything that was happening after Amini’s death and how the economic conditions had gotten worse.

Dr. Roudbari, who works alongside Rumi promoting and organizing for ��«��Ƶ4Iran, spoke to Rumi’s deep understanding of the underlying complexities and passion for a well-informed and culturally sensitive approach to social justice. “Rumi’s commitments to housing equity, gender rights, and struggles for human rights are deeply inspirational! Importantly, her passion is not limited to the pursuit of knowledge—she is also generating and sharing knowledge and engagement,” he stated. “She is brave and willing to try things that are scary -- including organizing in the community with activists and professors who are much older than her, having meetings with US senators and members of the US Congress, engaging in public engaged scholarship on the radio about complex geopolitics and even interviewing a Nobel Peace Prize winner in Farsi, a language in which she is familiar but not fluent,” stated Professor Sideris.

“One of the downfalls of my generation is we have access to so much, resources, the Internet but we have become so insular in our understandings about the rest of the world and we’re desensitized to so much,” Rumi stated. “We care but we don’t feel compelled to do anything.” Rumi is definitely an outlier of her generation, deeply committed to the work of social justice. She recently attended a march in Washington, D.C. for the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini. “It was such a sad day but it also felt happy in a sense, seeing friends and community come together.” The experience had a profound impact on her. “It solidified that right now social activism is something I want to pursue further. I feel like I have a duty given my privilege and positionality to continue to do whatever I can with my resources and education to help the fight,” Rumi stated, “My whole life it’s always been say you’re Persian,” she stated. “It was like hide your identity in order to protect yourself from hatred, danger or violence. This march was a reclamation in a way. I felt empowered and proud to be Iranian.”

Written by Nandi Pointer

Listen to KGNU radio story featuring Rumi and other CU ��«��Ƶ academics and activists from July 2023

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Participatory Action Research Team Documents Campus Experiences of BIPOC Students

Anonymous — Thu, 18 May 2023 18:47:53 +0000

Participatory Action Research Team Documents Campus Experiences of BIPOC Students Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/18/2023 - 12:47

A team of four undergraduates embarked on a year-long participatory action research (PAR) project to document the experiences of BIPOC students on campus. Danielle Aguilar, a star PhD student in the School of Education and Graduate Research Assistant for CU Engage worked closely with this team in all phases of the project. The team recruited 16 additional BIPOC students to photograph personally significant spaces on campus. These students wrote short descriptions of the meaning of photos and engaged in two reflection sessions to make collective meaning of the photographs and experiences. The photos depicted a range of experiences, both positive and negative. Some depicted spaces of belonging, safety, dignity, and pride, while others highlighted experiences of alienation, detachment and suffering macro-aggressions. The photos and initial research findings were publicly presented on April 20, 2023. Pictured above is the YPAR Research Team: Nydia Strohm-Salazar, Project Lead Danielle Aguillar, Rokaya Abdulmeer, Taia Hopkins, Andrea Torres.

Rokaya Abdulmeer, a Puksta Scholar and Leadership minor sums up her experience on the PAR research team in these terms:

"As a first generation student of color on campus, I feel very connected to the PAR project and its purpose to validate the challenges and obstacles faced in a predominantly white institution, while also empowering and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities on campus that are often unheard."

Project lead Danielle Aguillar used her significant experience and expertise to structure the project with undergraduate co-researchers. She states:

"As I transitioned into the PhD, I wanted to put into action the sentiments of gratitude that have centered me throughout my journeys. This idea of standing on the shoulders of many or walking along a path that ancestors, family elders, mentors and friends have so carefully built. There are pinpointable moments throughout my academic and career journey that have been the arches through which I have been able to walk through. An arch, which also provides an opening, is designed to literally distribute weight to support a large mass. At a PWI such as CU ��«��Ƶ, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by the large mass that is everyday racism, sexism, cisheteropatriarchy etc. As a member of The PAR Team, a goal of mine is to be (part of) an arch for these women of color co-researchers."

This summer, the team will continue their work analyzing data. The goal is to both publish a journal article and create a report that can guide CU policy makers. With additional funding from UROP and CU Engage, this work will continue into next year, with the goal of building on the photos and research findings to work for policy change.

Title: Detachment From College

Description: Whenever I take a seat in any place. There are times people actively avoid sitting around/next to me. Until forced to sit. Where there’s also gazes of *why are you here?" -Amadis Carda

The project began as a class assignment in the introductory course of the Leadership and Community Engagement major. Students in that class were asked to identify a public issue on campus they wanted to learn more about. A team of students made great progress in understanding the issue, but wanted to move to action. The team and Instructor Roudy Hildreth successfully applied to the Center for Leadership’s research seed grant and a UROP grant to continue this work. CU Engage dedicated Danielle Aguillar’s GRAship to lead the project.

Title: Home

Description: I took this picture in the UMAS y MECHA office in the UMC that we share with a multicultural sorority- Sigma Lambda Nu Gamma. It is a very small space that is primarily used for storage as we are one of the oldest organizations on campus and have lots of documents. I spend most of my time in between classes here and if I’m ever having a bad day I know there will be someone in the office I can go to. As much as I love this space, I wish we had more space to be able to hold meetings or fit more people comfortably. -Alex

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INVST Antiracism Study Group

Anonymous — Tue, 09 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

INVST Antiracism Study Group Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/09/2023 - 00:00

What We Are Reading: Rest is Resistance
by Tricia Hersey
Article by Dr. Sabrina Carolina Sideris, Director, The INVST Program
sabrina.sideris@colorado.edu
www.colorado.edu/invst
On Instagram: @invstcu

The INVST Program is a 33-year-old leadership training program at CU ��«��Ƶ with a focus on community, social justice, and activism for sustainability. We offer community-based learning for eco-social transformation. Process is important to us. Relationship building is our highest priority. We believe that justice and sustainability are possible and we look to changemakers who are bringing that into reality every day, everywhere. With well over 400 alumni, we draw inspiration from members of the INVST family who have chosen to work as elected officials, judges, pro-bono lawyers, urban planners, caregivers, educators, wellness practitioners, small business owners, social movement leaders, parents, and creatives. They work to bring about positive eco-social change as a lifetime commitment.

The INVST Antiracism Study Group recently read Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. We enjoyed it so much, some of us even went back and read it a second time.

An important set of ideas to contemplate as we begin summer break, Rest is Resistance distinguishes self care and wellness from rest.

Rest is actually activism! It is not an activity like yoga, swimming, hiking, or travel. Of course rest can occur while someone is doing fun outdoor activities in Colorado. What rest is is getting quiet and still so you can REALLY hear your inner voice, the wisdom that has been growing inside you all along, the inner knowing that has been passed along by those who raised you, nurtured you, taught you, those who lived long before you were born. Particularly for folks who have experienced historical oppression due to their identities, to rest is to resist a harmful set of structures and norms.

We’ve got access to all kinds of wisdom that does not look like information. In college, we exchange facts and delve into books and articles, write papers, take exams. We perform by sharing what we know through presentations. And we do lots of this! Grind culture keeps us in a state of exhaustion. In that tired state, learning can become a series of motions we go through. Accomplishing goals, placing check marks next to items on our to-do list, saying yes to all the invitations we receive … but are we fully saying YES to any one of these things? When was the last time you gave your undivided attention to the endeavor of thinking hard about who you really are, how you can support your community in the way it most needs you, and how you can agitate for transformative, inconvenient justice?

Hersey says, when we put people to sleep, we are waking them up. She asks, how will your ancestors speak to you in your dreams if you never take naps? How can we tap into states of discovery and creativity without daydreaming? As leaders, we are not just called upon to fulfill goals and complete tasks. We are asked to be visionary guides for our communities who are struggling to solve urgent, complex, knotty, confusing problems. Only by resting deeply and dreaming, and by integrating this healthy habit into a lifelong commitment to changemaking, can we be available to the most creative parts of ourselves when they arrive, when they speak to us, when they call us forth.

“There has been no space for any of us to dream of anything outside of

what we have been born into. To hear the simple and bold proclamation,

‘You are doing too much. You can rest. You can just be. You can be’

is revolutionary. To believe it and continue to dream up ways to feel and find rest, care, and healing is liberation.”

–Tricia Hersey, The Nap Minister

As summer break arrives, the CU leadership community might want to consider integrating the following into our lives:

Just sit down for half an hour and do absolutely nothing
Stare off into space
Contemplate the way the grass looks when the breeze blows across it
Dream
Make a “Not To Do” list
Silence the alerts that ding and ring
Spend a full day without looking at a screen
Take an app off of your phone
Daydream
Find a rest role model like Tricia Hersey, The Nap Minister
Become a rest role model by telling others: when you are unabashedly resting, they cannot interrupt you with work!

What would happen if all of us were well rested, tapping into our imaginations, playing and experiencing pleasure, and capable of imagining a different world?

Young people in college who study leadership are frequently go-getters who fill their days with action and activity, never pausing. We tell ourselves we will rest after the school year ends. We tell ourselves we will rest after graduation. Professors tell ourselves we will rest when we finally earn tenure or when we’re on sabbatical. But our daily habits in college set in motion our lifetimes as leaders. What young leaders do every day with their time, attention, and energy could very well determine how they will live out their adulthoods.

We must learn lessons about rest as resistance -- particularly in a white supremacist, toxically capitalist society where the grind is so often glorified and normalized. Rest is Resistance is NOT about wellness. It is about refusing work as a form of resistance, as an uprising, since work in this nation’s history -- especially for enslaved Black people -- has been associated with force, violence, family separation, and dehumanization. To stop working is to resist and to carve out space for dreaming of a future that attempts to finally heal that past.

If you’d like to put this book by Tricia Hersey at the top of your summer reading list, buy it from a Black-owned small business such as Semicolon Bookstore or Mahogany Books. Enjoy your daydreams!

The INVST Antiracism Study Group meets on Thursday from 12:30-1:30 pm MT on Zoom at Meeting ID 356 200 9142. All are welcome, regardless of whether you’re associated with INVST or CU ��«��Ƶ. We’d love to have you. Write to invst@colorado.edu to seek more information.

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Meet Cynthia Corral Robles, a leader in empathy, reliability, and enthusiasm and a passion for justice

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Cynthia Corral Robles, a leader in empathy, reliability, and enthusiasm and a passion for justice Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/02/2023 - 00:00

Cynthia Corral Robles considers herself “lucky enough” to have stumbled across the Leadership and Community Engagement major in the School of Education.

She first discovered the INVST Community Studies program and its summer justice tour of Colorado, which unleashed her passion for community leadership. She traveled the state of Colorado and listened to community stakeholders’ various perspectives with an open mind and with a group of other empassioned students who became her close friends.

In addition to her work with INVST Community Studies, Corral Robles has participated in the leadership and community engagement major, Public Achievement, and a two year-long research project with Aquetza — all programs based the in the School of Education’s CU Engage: the Center for Community-based Learning and Research — plus her leadership connected with her ethnic studies major, education minor, and sorority.

My passions for working with youth stem from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others...Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it firsthand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of."

Her dedication and commitment to social justice is exemplified by her exceptional record of impact. Corral Robles was chosen by her Leadership and Community Engagement peers and instructors as the 2022 Outstanding Graduate in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her nominators noted that she is one of the most hardworking people in the major, and they praised her passion for justice, empathy, reliability, and enthusiasm.

Corral Robles’ contributions embody the ethos and values of the major, to “nourish and honor the leadership and dignity of those around her such as her peers and the young people she works with.” This work is often behind the scenes: to listen, ask critical questions, connect with others, ensure all voices are heard, and take on sometimes unglamorous tasks. One student stated, “Cynthia shows the true definition of what a leader looks like.”

This academic year, Leadership and Community Engagement Capstone Seniors co-created a community-based research project with Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism. This project focused on student voice and school board decision-making within the Denver Metro Area. Corral Robles’ peers note her leadership on the project team and her passion for centering relationships and social justice.

Her many CU ��«��Ƶ leadership experiences coupled with the capstone project have inspired Corral Robles to continue working with youth and become a teacher after graduation. She has been accepted into Teach for America and will continue her equity and social justice work as a classroom teacher.

“My passions for working with youth stem from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others,” she said. “I want to create a world in which people of all identities are seen, accepted, and supported especially within the education system. Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it firsthand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of.

In her own words

Please tell us a bit about yourself

I have grown up in Colorado. My hometown is Aurora, CO where I first became inspired to work with the community and help others. I decided to attend CU ��«��Ƶ because I did not want to be that far away from my family. Once here, I was lucky enough to stumble across the Leadership and Community Engagement major. I decided to add it as my second major because I knew that I wanted to continue working with youth post graduation and that this major would continue to give me the tools to do so.”

What is one of the lessons from your time at CU ��«��Ƶ that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter?

One of the greatest experiences I will carry into my next chapter of life is the INVST community studies summer program that I was able to participate in. I was able to travel around states with an incredible group of people. I was learning about how to engage with various community members while actually going into different communities. My happiest memories come from this trip as I was able to rekindle my passion for fighting to create a better world and to top it off I was able to meet my best friends. I will take with me the importance of going into something new with an open mind and how valuable it is to get out of your comfort zone.”

What does graduating from CU ��«��Ƶ represent for you and/or your community?

Graduating from CU ��«��Ƶ to me represents an opportunity to give back. It is the ability to take what I have learned and pour it back into the communities which helped me achieve this success. Overall I think it represents a lot of hard work and uncertainties, but overall the idea that everything works out exactly how it is suppose to.”

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

Do your best to find a community in which you can be yourself. It may be a campus club/organization, a sorority, or simply a really good group of friends. Whatever it is, I urge you to find like minded people which can help you grow and make your college experience very fulfilling.”

What continues to drive your passion for your work after graduation?

After graduation I will become a teacher in Denver. My passions for working with youth stemmed from my own schooling experience and the desire to make it better for others. I want to create a world in which people of all identities are seen, accepted, and supported especially within the education system. Witnessing how some people have to fight for the right to be heard and experiencing it first hand is what drives my passion to become a teacher. Whatever happens after teaching, I will continue to advocate for youth as I know that everyone needs the space to begin to create a world they are proud to be a part of.”

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Multicultural Leadership Scholars Student Casandra Garcia Vega Strives to be a Leader at CU

Anonymous — Mon, 01 May 2023 20:11:01 +0000

Multicultural Leadership Scholars Student Casandra Garcia Vega Strives to be a Leader at CU Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/01/2023 - 14:11

For Casandra Garcia Vega college was never an option growing up. “I did not count on financial resources, it was a dream that stayed in my dreams,” she stated in a recent interview. Vega initially viewed getting a college education, within a context where she wouldn’t be seen or heard, as a waste of time and money. Casandra’s mother, with only a middle school education, came to the United States as an undocumented 16-year-old from Michoacán, Mexico. Growing up, she witnessed her mother and father working two to three jobs to support the family, while being raised in Aspen, CO. “I wasn’t allowed to have a childhood, no time to play, or think like a kid. I had big responsibilities, such as being a big sister, cooking, and taking care of my brother. We both had to worry about doing our best in school, but I had no intention of getting good grades, when I had no faith of continuing my education. I was more worried about getting a job, and providing my own meals during high school so that my parents don’t have to worry about me on top of giving my brother money for his lunch. It was a tough reality for us, and we couldn’t allow our parents to know of our feelings, we never wanted them to feel any time of guilt or fault.” Casandra stated.

As fate would have it, the trajectory of Vega’s life would dramatically change course in high school, after being an active participant of the Roaring Fork Pre-Collegiant Program. A program designed to help first generation students be successful through their college applications. Casandra through this program, came to CU ��«��Ƶ as a participant of this program in 2018 and 2019. The program consists of living and taking classes with CU. At the end of the program each student applies to CU ��«��Ƶ and is passed through a complete admissions process. During the 2019 summer program Casandra connected with the strong history of the Chicano Movement from the 1970s, more specifically with the Story of Los Seis de ��«��Ƶ. The legacy in which six CU ��«��Ƶ Chicano students lost their lives, due to two different car bombings in May 1974. After being challenged to learn more about these students, and the Chicano movement, their students’ legacy inspired young Casandra to make the decision to go to college, more importantly to commit to CU ��«��Ƶ. “I have a conversation with myself where I asked, why subscripting to whole intellectualism, why I am letting myself subscribe to white definitions of value, unsuccess, in that moment I took the opportunity to reframe how I thought of myself and started developing a large amount on confidence for myself, and my identity as a proud Chicana.”

Today, as a junior at CU ��«��Ƶ majoring in Political Science and International Affairs, Casandra is on track to make a difference both at CU and within her larger Chicana community. As a member of the Multicultural Leadership Scholars program Vega ran for Tri-Executive President in the Spring 2023 student government elections because she believes that “It’s important to bring in different types of leadership,” she stated. “Very few leadership roles are structured from a community perspective.”

Vega credits both Dr. Johanna Maes and Sabrina Sideris with facilitating both her emotional and professional growth as a leader at CU by providing her with a space of healing, community and development. “I think before I’ve always had to prove a point and be louder, be stronger, and be angry and aggressive to be able to be heard,” Casandra stated. “My mentors have helped me become a stronger leader in learning how to speak with people in a non-violent communication way. I have a strong voice and have learned how to communicate, incubating a style of listening to understand, not only to respond, which has allowed me to build a stronger relationship with my professors and all my communities.”

Casandra plans to go to law school after graduating from CU and eventually start a non-profit to help her community with issues related to food insecurity, immigration, and wants to continue to build strong ties within her communities, to make a difference for future generations.

Casandra mentions using a “In Lak’ech” an Aztec Philosophy that cares with it the values of many Chicanos like Casandra. One of the stronger beliefs from In Lak’ech is the value that “You are my other me” therefore “If I do harm to you, I do harm to myself. I carry that with me. If I heal myself and respect myself, I will be able to help other in my communities.”

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Congratulations Irfanul Alam on Receiving the 2023 President's DEI Award

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Congratulations Irfanul Alam on Receiving the 2023 President's DEI Award Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 04/02/2023 - 00:00

Irfanul Alam, Ph.D. student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, SWAP Exchange Coordinator, CU ��«��Ƶ

Irfanul Alam is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the EBIO department at CU ��«��Ƶ. He is advised by Lisa Corwin, Ph.D., and is investigating the effects of course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) courses on students’ ability to engage civically with the community using their STEM skills.

Alam employs quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches for his investigation and hopes to improve CURE design and assessment with regards to undergraduates’ scientific civic engagement (SCE). He has created a survey that can measure predictors of SCE and is using the instrument to model differences between CURE courses in the U.S. Concurrently, he also is leading a case study at the University of Texas at El Paso to explain how students’ social identities impact their level of scientific civic engagement.

After completing his doctorate degree next year, Alam hopes to continue his line of work around social identities as a postdoc.

Outside of graduate school, Alam has actively pursued opportunities to get involved in the CU ��«��Ƶ community that eventually led him to work in DEI. He first volunteered at SWAP where he was paired with a student to practice speaking English as well as help them get acquainted with American culture. As a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) student lead, he created a workshop for international TAs that focused on helping novice instructors teach effectively and how to deal with student conflicts. He then worked with other graduate students at CTL to create a new JEDI micro-credential program for students, staff and faculty. Finally, Alam also helped redesign GPSG’s DEI award to recognize the work of other graduate students and professionals.

During his spare time, Alam enjoys tending to his collection of houseplants, cooking and watching videos of Shiba Inus on YouTube in the hope of adopting one.

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Announcement

Loving Blackness and Humanizing Imagination: (Re)engaging Shared Equity Leadership: Juneteenth Address

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CU Engage Student Fernanda Cerros Receives President's DEI Award

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Rain Michael – LSM student and CU ��«����Ƶ Student of the Year

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Voices of Healing

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Rumi Natanzi: On the Frontlines of Social Justice and Human Rights

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Participatory Action Research Team Documents Campus Experiences of BIPOC Students

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INVST Antiracism Study Group

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Meet Cynthia Corral Robles, a leader in empathy, reliability, and enthusiasm and a passion for justice

In her own words

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Multicultural Leadership Scholars Student Casandra Garcia Vega Strives to be a Leader at CU

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Congratulations Irfanul Alam on Receiving the 2023 President's DEI Award

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Rain Michael – LSM student and CU ��«��Ƶ Student of the Year