Diversity Statement

ashlileann

I have decided to write a diversity statement regarding my socioeconomic status, but I honestly do not know where to start. If anyone has any tips or advice I'd really appreciate it! If you need someone to proof-read yours, I'd be happy to so I could get an idea of how to write mine.

LOWERCASE EVERYTHING

maybe this exercise can help you brainstorm: i'd pick a few items that's really important to me. it could be a necklace that your grandmother gave you, it could be your first birthday present that you still have.. it could literally be anything.

the reason why they're important to you is that they have a meaningful story behind them; if they have a meaningful story, that means they contributed in some ways that shaped your life. in a way, these items are symbolic - they are symbolic to you and they help represent who you are.

if you don't have any of these items, that's fine too. you can expand on this idea, and maybe think about a few characteristics that describe you as a person (e.g. you are punctual; or you are diligent; or you've been told many times that you care for other people).

you can also think about what issues mean a lot to you, too (e.g. healthcare for the poor, racial equality, animal rights).

then, you ask why: why do i care about these issues? why is this necklace so symbolic to me? why do i have this characteristic? why am i like this? why, why, why?

the point is that there always is a reason why these things are relevant to you - because they contributed in some ways that have shaped your life. and your life is unique, because the things that contribute in shaping a person's life vary from person to person.

an interesting aspect of this exercise that i've personally noticed is that a lot of these things led me back to my "major" background (my culture, my socioeconomic status, race, gender etc.), the foundation of which everything else in my life has had an influence from.

it's sort of like working backwards; working backwards might help, instead of going back to age 1 and working your way up to present.

good luck, and have fun with this!! it's a great opportunity to reflect back on your life!

also, 7sage has great resources that are very helpful: https://7sage.com/admissions/lesson/how-to-write-a-diversity-statement/