Diversity vs. Integration

Anywhere you could think to look on Virginia Tech’s Campus, you can find diversity. From dorm to dorm, to the hallways between classes, diversity seems to be woven into the very being of the campus. Every student has a different story and a different reason for being here.

The first time I actually encountered the word on campus was during my class familiarizing students with the Ag. Sciences major. The main focus of the class is to not only help students find their interests within the major, but also to find their place on campus. It was during one of these in depth class discussions that Keyana Ellis, the Teaching Assistant, disputed the meaning of diversity in context of campus life. She reasoned that diversity was simply recognizing differences from people to people. It wasn’t necessarily a word that meant bringing those different people together. She suggested that when referring to a group or community of varied citizens, we should use words like “integration.” All this meant was that an action was being taken in order to bring these people together.

I had never thought of that before: that a word like diversity, which was normally associated with many different aspects of people in one place, was in all actuality, a stagnant word. It doesn’t have any movement behind it. Unlike diversity, integration has a force behind it, propelling it from just recognizing difference to an action to an acceptance of difference.

Granted, if you were reading both of these words on paper, we might skim over them, using them for synonyms for each other in the same context. Words might be words on paper, but I think what Keyana meant was that once those same words leave the paper, the contrast between the dormancy of diversity and the association linked with integration is noticeably different.

As my first semester on campus is beginning to wind down, I've realized the difference between diversity and integration and have learned to appreciate both in a new way. The people around me are diverse in the sense of location, race, background and many more aspects, however it is because we have integrated our lives together that we can function as a true university and community.

Some hallmates and I getting ready for a Thursday night game. 

Celebrating 50 Years

This weekend my grandparents, Lynn and Audrey Slaven, were celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary. Several weeks ago, my grandmother asked me to say a few words at their reception on behalf of all of the grandchildren, because I was the oldest. At first, I did not know what to say, not because I did not know what to say about my grandparents, because they have been a great support system for my entire life, but because I have only been alive for two-fifths of their marriage.

Because of that I was not sure how I was going to be able to correctly summarize their past 50 years together. To me 50 years seems like forever; a time period that almost seems unattainable to be married considering the obstacles in today’s society.

So as I began to write my speech I tried to think about all of the things they have accomplished in the past five decades. As I began, totaling up all of the occasions and events that they had been a part of I was highly impressed with all that they had successfully undertaken together as a team. Being valuable members of the community, a huge asset to our church family, a strong think that has continued time and time again to hold our family together, even when the times got hard, and loving grandparents to top it all has shown me what love can do. It amazes me to think that after all of that, their relationship is still going strong.

I think about the impact they have made on countless lives because of their strong relationship and that made me start to ponder what kind of impact I could make in the next 50 years.

Will it be a positive impact, or a negative one? Will I affect anyone or no one at all? Will somebody look at my life 50 years from now and see that same amount of accomplishments I see in my grandparents? Will they see that I did not just live and survive life, but that I lived well and made the most of every opportunity? 

My siblings and I with our grandparents, Audrey and Lynn.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, I realized that you cannot get anywhere in life without relying on other people at some point and how important it is to see value in other people, especially when people see value in you. So my plan for the future, by 2060, is to live a life that my grandparents have lived: a life full of laughter, compassion, and love for others.

If I could look into the future...

Now that I am in college, reality is beginning to set in that one dayI will need to find a job.
But as a young person entering the work force, what do I have to offer?

Background
I want to be an agricultural educator, working with middle or high school students in a classroom and shop setting to teach about the agriculture industry. This position also requires my time to be utilized as an FFA advisor, following the FFA mission statement as a coach and mentor to FFA members.
I want to teach in one of the 180 schools that have an established agriculture department, particularly in my home county of Augusta.

Utilizing My Strengths
Adaptability - Students that come through this program are very diverse and I feel that my strength with adaptability will allow me to reach students across differences in background, and learning styles to best suit their needs.

Communication - In a position that requires a lot of talking, communication will serve me well. Hopefully by incorporating an interactive learning environment with my communication skills, my students will walk away from my class with a better understanding and appreciation for agriculture.

Positivity – I will have a close relationship with agriculture students, because many of them will take agriculture all 3 or 4 years they are in school. Remaining a positive role model for students may shape their outlook on life.

Harmony - Personalities can clash and the harmony strength smooths over any confrontations that may arise with the student body, or with faculty and staff.

Context - My history of agriculture and working with students will allow me to reflect on what I have learned in the past, remold it, and use my experiences in my future classroom.

Educational and Training Requirements
By the time I graduate, I hope to have a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences, with focuses on animal and poultry science and horticulture and a minor in Leadership and Social Change.
I will also need to receive my Master’s degree in Agriculture and Extension Education in order to teach.

Essential Knowledge
To be an agriculture teacher, you should be as diverse as the industry itself. I’ll need to know everything from production livestock, horticulture, mechanics and woodworking, welding, farm business management, food science, and emerging technology in the industry. This knowledge will carry over to the FFA side as I prepare teams for different contests, in addition to the leadership and teambuilding traits that I need to pass on to my students.

Key Challenges
Job security is one area that may be a potential challenge because of state funding and the county’s view of importance of the program.
The challenge of being denied travel opportunities with students to different events due to budget cuts is another area of concern.

Betty Bender says "When people go to work, they shouldn't have to leave their hearts at home.” I hope this quote proves true for me in my future career!

My own high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, Eric Stogdale.