The 15th annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education presented eight of its 35 national scholarships to University of Oregon students who expressed a desire to attend and a passion for diversity. Having taken part in a leadership development program held in conjunction with NCORE, the group held the first-ever student presentations at the conference, which took place May 31 through June 2 in New Orleans, La.
University scholarship winners were senior Serena Charley, sophomore Eduardo Morales, freshman Brendalee Sifuentez, senior Jeanice Chieng, second-year law student John Branam, senior Abigail Lovett, junior Oscar Arana and freshman Gabriela Romero.
Lovett, co-director of the Multicultural Center, said she was supportive of getting the scholarship, but by no means feels superior to any of her fellow delegates. Although the atmosphere of the conference made first impressions slightly intimidating, Lovett said the experience helped everyone to realize the impact students have made at this University.
“While at the conference, many of us felt alienated because the conference is mainly for administrators and faculty,” she said. “I know we left an impression on each other and the people we met.”
Six more University students joined them, including outgoing ASUO president and vice president Nilda Brooklyn and Joy Nair. Conference organizers offered Brooklyn and Nair free registration for leading a three-hour session entitled, “Building Leadership Across Boundaries: A Critical Dialogue About Students of Color and White Students Working Together with Respect.” This NCORE conference being her first, Nair said she thinks the session went well.
“University students have a good reputation, so I felt everyone that came really listened and respected our message,” she said.
Brooklyn and Nair also joined University administrators to present another three-hour critical dialogue session, “Being White Allies on Predominantly White Campuses: Let’s Talk About Motivations, Presumptions, Guilt and Responsibility.”
“We hoped that administrators would learn more about the student-leader experience, and for students attending to hear about how we at the University work together in coalitions and how they are formed,” Nair said.
Lovett and the other winners met four months prior to the conference, putting together a video and workshop designed to help administrators understand the workings of student-run programs. The taped dialogues presented were derived from six weeks of student-held evening dialogue sessions. Gwen Tistadt Jansen, one of several University administrators who worked with the students on the presentations, taped the dialogues for the group
This year’s conference being Jansen’s third, she said it’s not just the scholarship recipients who
are winners.
“It’s a real ‘one-for-all’ mentality,” Jansen said. “It’s well worth the time and effort.”
Assistant to the director of the University Counseling and Testing Center, Jansen said she is really glad to see the students get the recognition they deserve.
“This conference is attended by high-level administrators, staff and faculty from across the country and they are in awe of how articulate UO students are,” she said. “Building coalitions, like this delegation, is where we can continue to draw strength, support each other when we need support and celebrate in our successes.”
In preparing résumés and scholarship submission letters to off-set some of the funds needed for students to attend, Jansen worked with a group of 11 individuals to identify diversity-related work for their candidacies and look over statements, she said. Of the 11, eight received scholarships, which knocked $350 off the bill per student and allowed the University to blow the competition away by being awarded the most scholarships of any university.
“These students bring so much back to campus that I think it is well worth the investment,” she said.