Connie Cheng

Diversity Statement
Throughout the years, the world has been introduced to countless technological and
scientific advancements that has redefined the word, impossible. The individuals with great
ideas often find themselves entangled with early struggles because they are labeled differently
than their peers. As a future educator, I believe the first step in identifying the potential in
each individual is to first break free from the stigma that different means difficult.
Educators will encounter diverse groups of students, including individuals of various ethnic
cultures, religions, age, socioeconomic status, and even learning disabilities. The impact of an
educators optimism and support to their student is long-lasting and can optimize their
potential.
The topic of diversity can effectively be taught by:
1. Helping their students recognize the different types of diversities that exist in their
group
2. Building tolerance for diversity in a respectful manner
3. Find ways that diversity can benefit the group
In reference to the above steps, different separate experiences in my life helped me
understand diversity in the same context. First, in high school, I worked with other teenage,
Asian, first-generation youth counselors. Our supervisors facilitated team building activities
that helped us recognize that despite our physical appearances, we were also diverse in
socioeconomic advantages or challenges, learning styles, etc. For step 2, Ive personally been
caught in the middle of culture clash when I worked with other two groupmates. One
groupmate had limited English proficiency and struggled to understand how to fulfill her part
in our project. The other groupmate grew frustrated after several attempts of explanations and
I grew uncomfortable with the tension. However, by observing the argument, I found better
ways to recommunicate the message to the limited-English groupmate and helped her
understand. It was satisfying to see the relief on her face, and she thanked me endlessly
because she felt defeated. For step 3, my entry level dental hygiene program included a few
classmates who were older due to change in career choices. Though they struggled in a few
technology-related assignments, they thrived under different competencies! We combined our
different skill sets to advance as a functional cohort. My experiences have helped me greatly
appreciate diversity because it has helped shape me into the person I am today. As an
educator, I hope to incorporate activities about diversity related to the 3 steps I outlined. As
part of my course introduction, Id start with an icebreaker and ask each student to list 3
elements on a flashcard that make them diverse. Then Id like to randomly pair them up and
have them think about challenges their partner will face and how they can overcome their
challenges with respect to their own. Id collect all the flashcards and consider the challenges
as I teach the course. I believe this activity can help set the tone for my students in
appreciating diversity. In appreciating diversity, I believe students can influence the world in a
greater magnitude because they can become better healthcare professionals through empathy,
respect, and ability to continuously learn.