Diversity scholarship award

¶ … School Faculty Council selects Doctor Psychology student person represents academic excellence, leadership, service field psychology. Write a position statement essay related a Diversity Scholarship applying

Diversity scholarship

At present I am pursuing a PhD in organizational development and leadership with a specific concentration in social media and technology. I have chosen to pursue this degree because I believe in the future there will be an even greater need for organizations to respond to the needs of a diverse workforce and customers in a culturally-sensitive manner. As someone who is of Haitian heritage, I have always been acutely aware on a personal level of the need for responsiveness to an individual's ethnic and racial background. Many people have misconceptions about Haiti because they know the country only through the images they have been presented with on the news. They think of it as a land solely characterized by poverty and turmoil and fail to appreciate its rich traditions. The importance of my family and showing respect for where I have come from are both vital parts of my belief structure. .

Diversity to me means seeing the world from another person's perspective and understanding that your own perspective is one amongst many. I have always striven to educate people about Haiti and also am eager to learn about the cultural worldview of others. I continue to remain connected to my community in many ways, including my volunteer work teaching Haitians to speak English. The organization I work for enables immigrants to more fully enjoy the opportunities presented to them in America. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing someone who was once hesitant in English become confident in his or her ability to apply for a job or go to the grocery store independently.

An invaluable tool in teaching my students about how to use colloquial English has been encouraging them to go online and to use the Internet as a source of education, both in terms of seeking out videos on YouTube as well as interacting with others through this format. The ability of social media to facilitate connections between people is one of my passionate beliefs. Social media will have an invaluable role in the future in educating people about one another as it encourages connections across perceived and real cultural and geographic barriers. After I graduate I hope to find new ways to use technology to build bridges between people. The Internet does not need to be a socially isolating medium.

Earning this scholarship would give me the necessary financial support to continue my research and would also allow me to have some critical free time to continue to volunteer in my community and to seek out work which might not necessarily be the most high-paying but would support my studies with additional insight and knowledge. It will also give me greater freedom after graduation to focus on seeking out a job in which I could continue to pursue meaningful employment rather than simply worrying about finding work that would enable me to pay off my student loans as quickly as possible. It would relieve me of some of the financial burden of my education so I could then be of greater service to others.

Commitment to service

Throughout my life, I have found that I never feel more gratified than when I can extend help to others. Although balancing the demands of work and school have proven to be challenging, whenever I give my time to others I find myself reinvigorated rather than frustrated. Whenever I feel stressed about the demands life places upon me, I look at the struggles and the triumphs of the people I work with as part of my community service teaching English to Haitian immigrants, reflect upon the journey they have made to seek out a new life in America. I feel confident of my ability to succeed, for I know they have as well.