In second grade, when her class launched into book discussions or lessons turned to math, the words and numbers in front of her stirred panic. So she slipped out of the room each day with an excuse, walked to the restroom ā€” and cried.

ā€œI wouldnā€™t understand anything that was going on,ā€ says McCavanagh, today a sport management major from Massachusetts with aspirations of working for the Boston Celtics. Her teacher took notice, and within a year, doctors identified dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia as obstacles to her learning. Then came the hard part: being singled out, removed from class ā€œin front of all my classmatesā€ for instruction, a routine that left her ā€œbroken down every day.ā€

Support, however, kept showing up in the form of teachers who made learning feel possible again. A specialized program helped in elementary school. Later, in middle school, one-on-one instruction brought the pieces together, and by high school she had rebuilt her confidence, even as she navigated the depression and anxiety that often accompany dyslexia.

There were early signs that ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ was the right collegiate community for her. According to McCavanagh, during the application process, it was the only university that replied to questions about support for students like her. Then, on a campus visit, she overheard conversations where students werenā€™t avoiding eye contact as they talked about their learning differences.

Another sign? During her first semester, McCavanaghā€™s mother alerted her about the establishment of the Roberts Academy at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, a transitional school for elementary school students with dyslexia set to open in August.

McCavanagh leans into her identity as a learner with dyslexia. Itā€™s no longer a barrier, sheā€™ll tell you. Itā€™s shaped her work ethic and her ability to adapt. She uses her own journey and a sense of humor to connect with others, including her new classmates and close friends at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, describing herself as ā€œan empathā€ shaped by years of fighting a feeling of inferiority. ā€œAfter you go through something and overcome it,ā€ she says, ā€œyou want to be there for those around you.ā€

News of the Roberts Academy felt like proof that what once isolated her could become a bridge for others through volunteer work with children there. And it brought back the pride McCavanagh felt in delivering remarks to her high school class during a Baccalaureate service on the eve of graduation.

ā€œYour struggles donā€™t make you weaker,ā€ she concluded from the auditoriumā€™s lectern. ā€œThey make you human. And your differences? Thatā€™s where your power lives.ā€

Sylvie McCavanagh is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence highlighting the people, paradigms and praxis of inclusive excellence that shape ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community. Learn more on the Inclusive Excellence website.

When Zak Kramer walks into a classroom, he isnā€™t just thinking about casebooks and cold calls. Heā€™s thinking about the students in front of him and the society they will serve. For Kramer, dean of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ School of Law since 2023, the law school classroom is one of the last spaces in American life where disagreement is not only allowed but encouraged.

ā€œDisagreement is the heart of law,ā€ Kramer says. ā€œWhen we invite students to wrestle with opposing views, when we teach them to engage each other respectfully but passionately, weā€™re preparing them not just for the courtroom but for the world.ā€

Kramer grew up in Chicago, fascinated by the ways people make meaning through argument. That curiosity carried him into a career as a teacher, scholar and leader. He built his academic reputation on asking difficult questions about fairness, identity and workplace equality, always searching for how the law could make space for difference.

Now, as dean, he sees ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Law as a laboratory for something bigger: a place where students can practice the art of civil disagreement at a time when the world desperately needs it. That approach is also in alignment with the universityā€™s mission to encourage freedom of thought and liberty of conscience.

ā€œLaw school gives students permission to slow down and really hear someone else,ā€ Kramer says. ā€œThat kind of listening is precious right now. Itā€™s what allows disagreement to be productive instead of destructive.ā€

Kramer keeps an open door, figuratively and literally, for both students and colleagues. Leading a law school is as much about relationships as it is about policy, he says. He lights up when he talks about students who step into courtrooms for their residencies, who draft opinions for judges, who counsel clients through clinics.

For Kramer, teaching people to disagree better isnā€™t just about legal training. Itā€™s about strengthening the civic fabric of the country through inclusivity of viewpoints.

ā€œThe classroom becomes a rehearsal space for democracy itself,ā€ he says. ā€œWhen students learn to see the law through another personā€™s eyes, they begin to understand that justice isnā€™t abstract ā€” itā€™s human.ā€

Zak Kramer is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community. Learn more on the Inclusive Excellence website.

After her fatherā€™s diagnosis, Scales immersed herself in dance and became captivated by the power of movement. She soon found a deeper calling to help people move, heal and be seen.Ā  ā€œI went to graduate school and got my doctorate in physical therapy after that defining moment with my dad,ā€ says Scales, an associate professor of physical therapy education. ā€œI became a teacher because of him.ā€

Scalesā€™ transition from the performing arts to a career helping others to heal was also influenced by her mother, an occupational therapist who modeled compassion in action. Her dance background instilled a deep appreciation for movement and the human body. Today she sees herself as more than a physical therapist ā€” sheā€™s an educator, mentor and advocate for inclusive practice.

In the classroom, Scales is intentional about identity. That starts with something as simple as names. ā€œI use last names with my students because itā€™s about mutual respect,ā€ she explains. ā€œNames carry history, and they matter.ā€

Whether mentoring students, speaking with patients or advocating for equity, she leads with empathy and encourages deeper understanding and connection. ā€œWe will be much better physical therapists and humans if we acknowledge that we bring different things to the table,ā€ Scales says.

Scalesā€™ work is not just about helping students pass exams or patients recover physically; itā€™s about shaping a more inclusive and communicative health care environment. She strives to leave a legacy marked by empathy, respect and a commitment to lifting underrepresented voices. Her influence is felt not only in her studentsā€™ professional growth but also in the broader institutional practices she has helped shape. She creates space where asking questions is valued. Her involvement in institutional diversity committees also reflects her belief that lasting change requires deliberate, sustained effort.

ā€œItā€™s about making sure people feel seen and valued,ā€ she says. ā€œIt starts by listening ā€” and thatā€™s my superpower.ā€

The division itself is built on a framework to provide tools necessary for all people to flourish. Administrators work closely with students, faculty and staff to identify opportunities to connect and scale campus programs and initiatives that champion positive cross-cultural engagement at all times and in all places.

And for many students, inclusive excellence at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ is more than an office. Itā€™s a value system. Itā€™s a framing of diversity, equity, inclusion and other constructs that support belonging and well-being.

ā€œInclusive excellence is the foundation to a thriving community,ā€ said Anna Matawaran ’25, a sociology and strategic communications double major now serving as the executive intern for the Division of Inclusive Excellence. ā€œIt represents a shared responsibility to embrace human differences, celebrate diversity and cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.ā€

ā€˜A supportive and uplifting space is essentialā€™

Students say that working within the inclusive excellence framework established by the division helps to create an environment that benefits all individuals with especially positive impacts on underserved groups.

Murphy Davis ā€™27, co-vice president-chief of staff of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s Black Student Union (BSU), said she has learned how ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ works to support students from diverse backgrounds and ensure they feel empowered both in the classroom and across campus. The divisionā€™s physical presence on the second floor of Powell building is certainly important.

ā€œAs someone who often feels like an ā€˜other,ā€™ā€ Davis said, ā€œhaving a supportive and uplifting space is essential.ā€

Davisā€™ position with the BSU and the organizationā€™s connections on campus give her unique perspectives. As the BSU promotes a welcoming environment and advocates on behalf of Black undergraduate students at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, Davis notes that important work remains.

ā€œThere is great potential for the division to have an even stronger presence through more dedicated spaces, programs, and resources,ā€ Davis said.

The Division of Inclusive Excellence currently works with various groups to create resources and initiatives that foster an equitable and inclusive community. These initiatives help students to engage with their environments and increase their understanding and knowledge around diversity, equity and inclusion.

Shriya Baru ā€™25 is an accounting major who describes feeling encouraged to share her culture with the university community.

ā€œWhen it comes to accepting and welcoming people of different cultures and different races, I feel ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ is an amazing place,ā€ said Baru, one of many student small business owners supported by the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has nurtured her work on launching an Indian American fashion fusion brand. ā€œI just feel blessed to be in this school where I was welcomed by all.ā€

Matawaran notes how the Division of Inclusive Excellence strives to ensure equity, belonging and wellness across the campus.

ā€œAt ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, I hope to see this commitment continue to evolve, weaving Inclusive Excellence into every interaction, initiative and decision to create a truly inclusive and welcoming space for all,ā€ she said.

Inclusive excellence today and tomorrow

Robin Falkow ā€™25, a former Student Government Association (SGA) Speaker of the Senate, said she hopes to see a wider connection to the resources that the division can provide to students. SGA works toward making campus a more inclusive place by seeking to enhance student life and ensure the entire student body feels valued, heard and supported.

Students who participate in SGA can address concerns and promote positive change by working closely with university leaders, faculty and staff.

ā€œItā€™s important to show students how they can have an active role in promoting inclusive excellence and what they can do to make ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ a more inclusive and inviting space,ā€ Falkow said.

One way that SGA is working towards making campus more inclusive is with Students Promoting Inclusive Excellence, a committee within SGA whose work has been noticed by students. Marshall Horton ā€™27 and Carena Ziolkowski ā€™27 said they see positivity and a growing number of events that bring people together.

Nailah Ware ā€™26, an Odyssey Program scholarĀ and Honors Fellow, also said she hopes to see a harmonious and infectious culture of inclusive excellence at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ.

ā€œI would like to see even more collaboration among different organizations on campus,ā€ said Ware, a featured subject in The Huemanity of People project that highlights and celebrates stories of students, faculty and staff.

Matawaran said she supports embedding an inclusive excellence framework even deeper in ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s culture, while Davis said she hopes to see ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ continue its dedication to creating more resources that foster a more equitable campus and welcoming environment.

ā€œIn the future, I would like to see the Division of Inclusive Excellence expand its efforts to provide more targeted support and opportunities for minority students,ā€ said Davis, who pointed to the Student Mentors Advising Rising Talent (SMART) peer mentoring program as one example of a successful program she admires. ā€œI envision hosting events highlighting diversity such as collaborating with student clubs to celebrate heritage months and organizing speaker series on race, identity and social justice issues.ā€

She believes her autism provides her a different perspective on dance and makes her more attentive to the sensory issues dancers contend with.

ā€œI think it’s important that we allow stories to be told from different perspectives,ā€ Milner said. ā€œIf you allow choreographers that aren’t normative, like the status quo, then you’re allowing stories to be told that wouldn’t necessarily get to be told.ā€

Milner long knew she was autistic, but she didnā€™t receive a formal diagnosis until she was 16 years old. Far from being a setback, the diagnosis was an affirmation that allowed her to tap into resources of support and a verification of her unique experience.

ā€œI think the main thing is that itā€™s not a deficit, it’s just a difference. There is no less than, just different,ā€ said Milner. ā€œYou take things on a case-by-case basis and work with the individual rather than the diagnosis.ā€

Milner had faced challenges as a young autistic dancer, but she continued to grow and she expanded into choreography, saying that ā€œit gave me a chance to dance how I wanted to dance.ā€ She first heard about ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ from one of the dancers her mother trains and following a successful audition, she enrolled at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ in fall 2023.

At ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, Milner said she has found a community of support that embraces her neurodivergence and works to support her. The Office of Disability Resources has worked with her in the classroom and the dance studio to ensure that she is able to participate fully and is positioned to succeed. It was a welcome change from the experiences she had during high school.

ā€œDisability Resources was great when I submitted my accommodations. The willingness to work with me and my accommodations to do as much as I can,ā€ Milner said.

Milnerā€™s autism has impacted her sense of inclusive excellence and what it can mean to value the unique perspectives and experiences of others. She sees how it impacts the support members of the university receive from one another.

ā€œI believe that inclusive excellence means that you are actively trying to support the individual student and what they need,ā€ Milner said.

An ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ College Fellow, Milner is majoring in dance and psychology while minoring in neuroscience. She is combining these disciplines through her undergraduate research, which focuses on how the neurocognition of autistic dancers impacts them in dance settings. She will be presenting a research poster comparing the teaching styles for neurodivergent dancers at the in Italy in October 2024.

ā€œI’m hoping to research the neurocognition behind the autistic dancer and how it impacts them in a dance setting, both in how they learn differently and more,ā€ Milner said.

Milner emphasizes the importance of focusing on the autistic person rather than the diagnosis, reinforcing that valuing people with various identities is foundational to achieving inclusive excellence.

ā€œIf youā€™ve met one autistic person, youā€™ve met one autistic person,ā€ Milner said.

ā€œThese are all an essential part of education and Iā€™m proud to be part of a community that recognizes that,ā€ said Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ has a Division of Inclusive Excellence which was founded in 2020 when President Connie Ledoux Book promoted Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence and associate professor of education, to launch the division.

ā€œInclusive excellence is ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s framing of efforts that support belonging and well-being resulting in a community where people strive for equity and where individuals flourish,ā€ said Williams.

The Division of Inclusive Excellence launched to help the university with strategic coordination and leadership of accomplishing three goals:

• A diverse, equitable and inclusive community
• A culture of health and well-being on a vibrant residential campus
• Champion ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s exceptional faculty and staff

To see progress on the goals achieved,Ā visit this website.

Creating an Inclusive environment

To create an inclusive and healthy community, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ will enable students, faculty and staff to experience a greater sense of belonging and support.

ā€œI witness a shared commitment to creating a strong sense of welcome for the diverse backgrounds and experiences bring to the community and to creating opportunities for individuals to thrive,ā€ said Jon Dooley, vice president for student life and associate professor of education.

The Division of Inclusive Excellence is actively working to achieve inclusive excellence-related institutional priorities for the 2024-25 school year. The Division of Inclusive Excellence worked in collaboration with Human Resources to enhance the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s faculty and staff along with data-informed initiatives. One example of data-informed initiative is the HEDS Sexual Assault and Campus Climate Survey. During Spring 2023 a survey was sent to students with the goal to improve university resources and to better create prevention messaging.Ā These studies have generated recommendations that have resulted in new initiatives like the Advancing Equity Requirement, Enhanced Supervision Program and an updated bias response and education system.

The Division has been working since 2020 to support and create a dynamic and inclusive campus culture for community members. One way this is being accomplished is by a workgroup created to explore the implementation of support interventions related to healthy residential living, behavioral incidents, student organizations and human resources. These are to not only help students, but also faculty and staff. ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s Multifaith Strategic Plan was also madeĀ to advance ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s infrastructure for cultivating a culture of diverse backgrounds and values.Ā All members of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community have a shared responsibility to act deliberately toward equitable outcomes.

ā€œInclusive excellence is the foundation for ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s values. It embodies the things we aspire to be as a university ā€“ diverse, inclusive and equitable,ā€ said Zaiser.

Inclusive Excellence framework

Part of the inclusive excellence framework is diversity, equity and inclusion along with other constructs that support belonging and well-being. This framework creates a community where people strive to gain a better understanding of inclusive excellence and how to create a welcoming environment for all.

ā€œConcepts like diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and well-being are not separate from our pursuit of excellence as individuals and a community but are tied directly to our success,ā€ said Dooley.

The framework is also accompanied by three pillars: people, paradigm and praxis.

• People – collective strength derived from people of diverse identities, abilities and perspectives.
• Paradigm – pluralistic orientation reflected in pedagogies, programs and policies.
• Praxis – positive cross-cultural engagement at all times and in all places.

These pillars help strengthen ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s commitment to creating a healthy, inclusive and equitable campus that is detailed in the Boldly ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ strategic plan for 2030. Creating an inclusive and equitable campus takes the shared responsibility of the community members to make the vision come to life. ā€œThis vision would activate the richness of diversity and its benefit to society,ā€ said Williams.

The Boldly ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ strategic plan builds upon the work achieved in the university commitment to diversity and global engagement from the previous plan, The ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Commitment. Boldly ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ relies on the entire community to support the development of intercultural and multifaith competencies.

Faculty, staff and students can help create this space by the following initiatives:

• Create structures and learning opportunities that engage all students, faculty and staff in advancing their intercultural and multifaith learning and competencies.
• Increase representation and retention of students, faculty and staff.
• Strengthen support networks and increase staffing dedicated to the success of historically marginalized groups.
• Accelerate efforts to foster a dynamic and healthy work environment characterized by respect, inclusion, well-being and supported with current technologies and opportunities for flexibility.
• Further increase quantity, quality and diversity of full-time teaching faculty and achieve and continue investment in relationships that advance student success.
• Advance inclusive classrooms and pedagogies through research and faculty development.
• Advance understanding of town and university history through the acknowledgment of untold stories, toward a deeper understanding of who we were, who we are and who we aspire to be.

Inclusive Excellence’s future at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ

The Division of Inclusive Excellence promotes and celebrates the work of community members with various campus-wide initiatives. One initiative is called The Huemanity of People project which highlights and celebrates inclusive excellence throughout the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community through storytelling. The project started in 2022 and has featured faculty, staff and students, starting with Xuan Huynh ā€™24 who advocates for inclusion and equity by valuing differences among people.

These initiatives range to meet ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s various audiences including faculty, staff, students and ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ affiliates. Certain initiatives target certain audiences and help convey efforts that are working towards creating an equitable and inclusive community.

ā€œThese initiatives exemplify how inclusive excellence comes alive at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ and having all people feeling valued and connected in a thriving community is what we ultimately work toward,ā€ said Wiliams.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ is constantly striving to become a better institution by creating more conversation around inclusive excellence so people can dismantle oppression and create a place where individuals can flourish.

ā€œThis vision would activate the richness of diversity and its benefit to society,” said Williams.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ is dedicated to creating more resources to make ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ a more equitable campus and a welcoming environment for all.

ā€œI hope we can continue to advance our efforts to foster respect for human differences as we live out our university mission and support student success,ā€ said Dooley.

As she progressed in her career in corporate marketing and public relations, Lindsey realized not many people looked like her in executive roles.

“The invisibility and hypervisibility as a Black woman working in public relations leadership was palpable,” she said. “I vowed to be a guiding light for young women, especially Black and brown women aspiring to leadership.”

Through mentoring her junior staff, Lindsey realized a calling for teaching, which would allow her to empower future generations and help create a more diverse pipeline of PR professionals. She pivoted from a PR agency vice president to an administrator in higher education. While doing the latter, she taught evening classes at a university and found being in the classroom was deeply rewarding. Aware of the prerequisites to teach at the university level Lindsey began teaching full-time at Texas Christian University in 2017 and completed her doctorate in 2019.

ā€œI want students to know that paths to fulfilling careers do not always go in a straight line, but finding a fulfilling career is always possible,ā€ Lindsey said.

Lindsey came to ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ in 2021, and when the School of Communications adopted an Inclusive Communications course, she quickly stepped up to assist with the course redesign and to ensure that students learned theory and application of inclusive communications. She wanted the course to promote critical thinking about how brands and the media influence the perceptions of marginalized communities and identities.

ā€œItā€™s been deeply fulfilling for my mentoring efforts, teaching, and research to be supported here at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ,ā€ said Lindsey.

Outside the classroom, she emphasizes building community across campus and growing mentoring relationships with students, especially those from underrepresented and historically marginalized communities, as they navigate academic relationships with professors and make career decisions. When sheā€™s not teaching, Lindsey can regularly be found having coffee with a student. She tells students itā€™s OK to say hello to professors and speak to someone as they pass each other on campus.

ā€œWhen we say hello, look into another personā€™s eyes, or offer a knowing smile, it connects us and encourages us in ways that we donā€™t often realize,” Lindsey said. “I hope students are encouraged to meet and be in community with someone who may not share their same identity. Whether itā€™sĀ  faculty, staff, or another student.ā€

This commitment to seeing and sharing stories that are often unheard is reflected in her research,ā€Æwhich focuses on amplifying workplace experiences and leadership identity development among Black women in corporate and PR agency environments.

Lindsey recently co-authored anā€Æacademic textbookĀ that guides students in applying a multicultural lens across all aspects of strategic communications research and creation.

“I often say diversity and inclusion are not problems to be solved but opportunities waiting to be realized,” she said.

Lindsey is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community. Nominate a member of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community for this series.

Nailah was always drawn to rhythms and found herself writing lyrics in her diary. Even though she had trouble focusing for long periods of time, she never grew tired of music. After playing a few instruments, she settled on alto saxophone. She loved the sound of it. Her talent led her to a magnet school for performing and visual arts just outside her hometown of Crofton, Maryland. Through her love of music, she learned how beats were produced.

ā€œI didnā€™t know what music production was,ā€ says Nailah, ā€œbut as I read books and watched documentaries on Dr. Dre and Eminem, I knew thatā€™s what I wanted to do.ā€

At ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, Nailah majors in music production and recording arts and minors in business administration. She wants to use her record label to create equity in the music industry. ā€œI love creating music and I want to help increase artistsā€™ understanding of the business side,ā€ she says.

Sheā€™s already putting her mission into practice. As a first-year student, Nailah started a hip-hop performance group, Limitless Productions. The group hosted its first show in McKinnon Hall in March 2023, performing original music in front of an audience of about 170 people. Nailah says there were challenges, but the group was determined because it was more than just showcasing music. ā€œLimitless provides a place for diversity and equity for expression, and all are welcomed,ā€ she says.

Nailah also participated in ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s Campus Alamance, interning with United Way last summer. She gained critical knowledge about business tax filings and has been able to share what she learned with community organizations. Growing up, Nailah says, she wasnā€™t involved in her community, something she is changing now.

ā€œIā€™m not the only person who doesnā€™t know the ins and outs of taxes, and how filing companies and software take advantage of that,ā€ she says. ā€œI have to share this knowledge with my community.ā€

Like two of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s inclusive excellence pillars, paradigm and praxis, knowledge acquisition and intentional action are Nailahā€™s foundation to creating a more equitable community. ā€œI want people to know they arenā€™t alone, while generating peace and equity,ā€ says Nailah.

Nailah is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community. Nominate a member of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community for this series.

Sandoh was born and raised in Washington, D.C., with his Sierra Leonean father and German mother. Being fluent in multiple languages and traveling the world to visit his grandparents in Germany or his father while he worked in Africa afforded him certain privilege, but he still faced trials. ā€œBeing biracial makes it hard sometimes,ā€ he says. ā€œYouā€™re too white for this group or too Black for this group.ā€

Not having his dad at home growing up was hard, too. Meditation became a staple for Sandoh during high school as he battled with mental health, grappling with depression and expressing aggression. He felt angry and blamed himself for things out of his control. ā€œI tried different types of treatment and I stumbled upon meditation,ā€ he says, adding he started reading about Buddhist meditation practices more intentionally. ā€œPairing mediation with therapy worked wonders for me.ā€

When he arrived at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, Sandoh decided to major in psychology and minor in neuroscience and interreligious studies. Looking for a community to belong to, he moved into the first-year African Diaspora program, which he describes as ā€œthe best community I couldā€™ve lived in.ā€ But he was looking for something more. ā€œThereā€™s the other, more spiritual side of me that I knew needed to be fulfilled,ā€ he adds.

This led Sandoh to the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, where he found a community that encouraged him to explore and practice different forms of spirituality and faith. He joined Iron Tree Blooming, a campus mediation group, and regularly attends its weekly meetings. He even served as the clubā€™s president for a year.

He also worked as a multifaith intern at the center his sophomore year, which allowed him to meaningfully engage the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community with the diversity of religious, spiritual and ethical identities on campus while deepening his own understanding. This past spring, he was selected as a Multifaith Scholar. As part of that work, he is researching the complementary resources of Western- and Eastern-cultural practices of emotional self-regulation.

Sandohā€™s journey models ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s ongoing work to experience well-being and the shared responsibility to cultivate it for others. Ultimately, he wants to be a therapist, incorporating meditation as a way to reduce negative emotional expressions into the many facets of psychotherapy and psychiatry. ā€œIā€™ve always been interested in including meditation and practices deriving from Buddhism, to treat anger, sadness and hatred,ā€ he says. ā€œThe best way to combat anger and hate is compassion.ā€

Sandoh is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community. Nominate a member of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ community for this series.

Titchā€™s Zimbabwean roots shape much of his identity. When he moved to the United States for college, the transition was difficult, he says, not because of race, ethnicity or language, but because of how people relate in conversation. ā€œWhen you meet someone thereā€™s a typical pattern or flow of conversation; you say something and then I say something,ā€ says Titch. ā€œIt was a little difficult to truly connect with people until I adjusted to that.ā€

After joining ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ in 2015, Titch continued to make efforts to develop meaningful relationships. It was something he was able to do easily in his department with colleagues who care about each other and their students. He believes the connection he develops with students carries into their experience with each other. ā€œYou really see it in the senior classes, just how close they are and supportive of each other,ā€ he says.

His contagious belief in deep connections has already spread throughout campus, uplifting the global perspective of inclusive excellence with students, faculty and staff. He is particularly interested in bringing ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s African community together, connecting African students and other students that have studied in the continent. He organized a Causal Coffee Conversations event for these students and African faculty and staff. He also partnered with the Oaks and Global neighborhoods to host a Global Connections dinner.

ā€œWe were able to get the only known Zimbabwean restaurant in the United States, which is in Durham, to cater the dinner and we just connected over conversation,ā€ he says.

Titch also aims to build relationships with faculty and staff from other countries. He and Sylvia MuƱoz, assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education, are co-chairing the Global Connections Employee Resource Group, which provides support and professional development to ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s international faculty and staff.

It all adds up to meaningful interactions, to creating a deeper understanding of other cultures while respecting everyoneā€™s experiences by removing perceptions based on identities. Itā€™s an approach that aligns with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s inclusive culture.

ā€œItā€™s important to build relationships with people to challenge our misconceptions of what a person might be thinking or what they value based on their identities,ā€ Titch says. ā€œWe have such diverse perspectives, but you donā€™t really get to that without true connections.ā€

Titch is part of ā€œHuemanity of People,ā€ a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence that celebrates the diversity of ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s community.