In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day last month, the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity recognized three University staff members: Armando Bravo, recruiter for the High School Equivalency Program; Rodney Bloom, Physical Education and Recreation athletic equipment coordinator; and Kimi Mojica, director of diversity education and support in the Office of Student Life.
Each year, the UO Martin Luther King, Jr. Recognition Awards are presented to University faculty and staff members by a committee made up of former recipients.
“In general, they look for someone that exemplifies Martin Luther King’s courage, as well as wisdom and ability to bring people together,” said OIED graduate teaching fellow Pamela Hernandez. “Also, (individuals who do) humanitarian work not only within the University, but outside.”
Mojica, whose job includes retention programs and outreach for students of color, is also involved with the Astrea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the Filipino American Association and the Community Alliance of Lane County’s Back2Back program, which fights bigotry and oppression. She said she was flattered to have been nominated by eight or nine different people.
“It was an honor to be awarded by President Frohnmayer, but even more of an honor to be nominated by the community of people I care about,” she said. “For me, it’s not just someone on top awarding you, it’s coming from the community to really elevate or highlight people they feel inspired by.”
Bravo was also flattered, especially since he didn’t know he was nominated until Jan. 24, the day of the awards ceremony.
“I was so surprised,” he said. “I thought somebody had called me by mistake, but I didn’t think there were too many people with my same name on campus.”
Bloom agreed saying, “I was pretty much non-functional for the next hour (after finding out). I was just that surprised, that shocked.”
“Martin Luther King is a really, really big name,” he continued. “To receive any award from the University as a whole is an incredible honor. But to receive something in the name of Dr. King, it’s just beyond description.”
Bloom – who educates the community about composting in his spare time, and volunteered this summer with Replant New Orleans – said he was also proud to be recognized alongside Bravo and Mojica.
“What they do is daily,” he said. “They’re changing lives every day. It was an honor to be able to be in their company receiving the award.”
Mojica said all three awardees are united by their “personal relationships in the community to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment on campus.”
“Everyone has their professional roles, but also a personal investment in the jobs they do,” she said.
For Bravo, who has spent nearly 20 years helping people prepare for the General Education Degree tests, assisting people for a living has been a lifelong dream.
“I always, since I was a young man in college many years ago, always wanted to work in a field where I could make a contribution to the well-being of others,” he said. “That’s been my whole career so I really appreciate the award.”
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