杜学生努力激励他人

March 24 marks the eighth annual Black Male Initiative Summit, 和 graduate student 卡梅伦西蒙斯 (BA ’16) is drawing on his passion 和 experiences at DU to help develop this year’s curriculum. 席梦思床品公司, who grew up in Colorado Springs 和 who will graduate with a master of science in management from the Daniels College of Business in June, has been involved with the summit since he was a first-year student five years ago. The newsroom caught up with 席梦思床品公司 to get a peek at this year’s summit program, but also to learn more about his leadership experiences on campus.

Q: What has your experience at DU over the past five years been like?

A:我喜欢杜克大学和科罗拉多大学. There have been so many opportunities here to get involved, create connections 和 learn about who I am as a person [和] to not only be a good student, 而是一个好公民. 我在先锋领导力项目中的经历, Excelling Leadership Institute 和 as president of the Black Student Alliance allowed me to use my voice 和 become a role model for the black community to help change the narrative in communities of color. 我还在加纳留学过, which exp和ed my views to be more globally minded 和 realize how influential the U.S. 能在世界其他地方吗.

Q: You’re a leader in executing the University’s goal of being a diverse 和 inclusive community that is welcoming for all. 在你看来，一个真正多样化的DU是什么样的?

A: I think DU has a great goal, 和 there has been some progress since my first year. But we still need to address the issues of diversity 和 inclusion head on 和 not tiptoe around the tough conversations. To me a truly diverse DU is having safe spaces for dialogue around all issues; 和 getting students involved in the conversations from their first day here — during orientation 和 the first-year seminar; being intentional 和 diving into the various identities that exist; 和 creating an environment where people are exposed to differences early on 和 are able to see the value of what each 和 every person brings to the table.

问:你的学生生涯即将结束. 你未来的计划是什么?

A: The dream is to get into Harvard’s education doctorate program in a few years 和 then come back to DU or a school district in Colorado. Education is something I’ve become very passionate about, 和 determining how we cultivate an environment that helps to build up the people we want to see in the world. Education is more than just the technical skills you learn; it’s about the life skills you learn as well. Our education system doesn’t get the attention that it needs, 和 hopefully I can be an asset in creating the structure to give schools what they need to produce an environment that fosters the individuals 和 values that I think society needs.

问:这是你对教育的热情的一部分, what can you tell us about this year’s Black Male Initiative Summit?

A: I’ve always been on the planning board for the summit 和 have even been a facilitator, 但今年我要帮忙开发课程. 这很令人兴奋, because I get to help determine which tools we want these young men to walk away with when they leave the summit. We’re looking at what the world is telling them 和 teaching them to tell their own story. We’re connecting them to a brotherhood 和 network to help them awaken their identities 和 underst和 that being a black man can be dynamic 和 that they don’t have to fall into the monolithic stereotypes. 最终, we want them to unleash their full potential 和 realize that they don’t have to be limited by their circumstance 和 that college is possible for them. I wish that I could have had something like this to attend when I was younger — to have someone inspire me about manhood 和 black manhood 和 how we can elevate young black men to be excellent.