During the month of May 2018, I am working as an intern for Dr. Frances Contreras, who is an associate Vice Chancellor for the UCSD Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Along with basing my internship out of this office, I have had the opportunity to accompany Dr. Contreras to meetings regarding campus services like OASIS and Summer Bridge, and listen in on discussions about diversity and Latino faculty. I was also able to attend a lecture for one of her graduate courses in the department of Education Studies that was for future educators.
Honestly it is such an honor to be able to be helpful in these spaces with so many intellectuals and educators. I have become much more aware of what it is like to be an academic. I am especially interested in how many serious issues involving the campus are brought up during these meetings. As an academic you are not only expected to think critically about everything that is said, but also find possible solutions. This is different from what I have experienced in high school, were it is expected that educators generally follow preconceived notions about what is known and what is acceptable. In the spaces I have visited at UCSD, people are encouraged to think in innovative or completely new ways. This is what I have enjoyed most about my internship so far, and I really can’t wait to begin my own higher education and to build my own college community.