Power Of Diversity

I will never forget the day I got into BOND; I was standing in the stairwell of my dorm when I got a call from our then-President, Arjun Prakash, along with a room of cheering project managers. During the entire phone call, I could not stop smiling and that stupid, goofy grin remained for the next 24 hours. I was so excited to become part of a second family and so proud of myself for getting into the organization. But soon enough, fellow classmates and even friends began telling me that it was easier for me to get in because I’m female or that there was some gender quota I was filling.

All throughout my first semester in BOND, I would remember those remarks and feel like an imposter. No matter how much I wanted to, it was hard to integrate into a family when I wasn’t sure if I truly belonged. This feeling finally disappeared when I got an inside look into our recruiting process the following semester. I found that no personal relationship, networking, or quota played a role in joining BOND, finally giving me the freedom to let go of my doubts and helping me gain confidence in my own abilities. This scenario still serves as my constant reminder that people may try to undermine your achievements but you have to remember what you are capable of and hold that above all else.

That being said, while maintaining this perspective is vital, having diverse representation in an organization is equally as important. I initially let those doubts remain with me because there were few females in my BOND class. And while our gender ratio has drastically improved since 5 semesters ago, the conversation of diversity does not stop there. Because of this, last semester, myself along with the rest of our board redesigned our Women’s Recruiting Event to become a more inclusive Diversity Panel, catering the content to other underrepresented minority groups as well. We created a panel that gave leaders from both within and outside BOND the platform to share how their various identities have shaped experiences within Michigan and the workplace.

This focus on creating educational opportunities and promoting advocacy does not end with our recruiting season. From fostering relationships through BONDw to inviting diverse speakers and even recently institutionalizing a DEI leadership position, BOND has made a clear commitment to fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment. As someone who is passionate about educational injustice, BOND even gave me the opportunity to lead a new initiative over the summer, The Maize . We created a coalition of over 40+ Michigan student organizations to help increase access to professional resources and foster connections that may not be readily available to individuals. Being cognizant of the privilege that BOND members and others across campus have, we hope to assist in democratizing opportunities through this database that has over 190+ mentors to date.