"I come from Ecuador and I am doing the second year of my master’s here. I did my first year in China. And what else can I say? I lived in England, Australia, Hungary, Germany, and Oregon before. I've been on my own since 17, which is when I left Ecuador to pursue my studies overseas.
A big part of my life is equity, diversity, and inclusion. I am the Graduate Assistant (GA) for equity, diversity, and inclusion at NTC. The most amazing things happen when you're in a diverse, inclusive environment. And then when it comes to the word equity, I feel like it just means that we all should have the same opportunities to achieve the things we want, regardless of where we come from, our ethnicity, our social backgrounds.
[Living in so many places,] I can literally sum it up in like two words: empathy and respect for the unknown. I have learned that we have to look at things we don't know and we don't understand and other people's lives in general with the eyes of an innocent kid. Because when you come from empathy, judgment is not there, and that just puts you in such a learning mode. And I think this is the amazing thing about diversity and inclusion, the fact that if you are open enough not to judge the other person's journey, experience, life, you are capable of learning so many things. "
--- Graduate Assistant for EDI, Newcomb Tulane College- Dean's Office
