people. Pursuing positive acceptance automatically opens doors—making minds and hearts receptive to listening and learning. At the core, being open is what DEI is about. Once we are open to learning about DEI, and accepting the diversity in people, a change in how we approach people begins to evolve.
Accepting that we are not all the same, and do not always think the same way, opens doors to understanding.
Sharing Our Stories
The WSCAI DEI Committee has decided to use storytelling to explore DEI. We invite you to join us on our journey. The stories will range from personal growth to professional realizations. Let’s dive in…
“I Learned to Listen”
My approach to DEI is from lived experience. I was born strong black culture. When I was born segregation was a Vietnam war, women's liberation, etc. movements.
When I was born segregation was law.
The change in the air was palpable. My family and my in Black culture. I took that foundation, and I went out into the world. I believed that I could do anything. That’s what we were taught. I am an artist by nature, degree, and experience. My artistry enabled me to live in different states and countries, including the Caribbean. What I have found is there is a richness in learning about other people’s cultures. I had some limits; for example some of the foods I didn’t want to try. Learning about different cultures enriched me as a person and as a communicator.
Discovering different cultures enriched me as a person.
II learned to li every ndus
learned to listen and hav applied that de inin ev ry
y i industry in wh ch I worked. Whe you
n,, and have applied that developed skil whiich I worked. When you can list
through someone’s frustration, anger, passion, and hear what the issue is, you can then address it more easily. I have boundaries and I state them clearly. My life has been an adventure. The adventure will continue.
loped skilll u can listen d h
“Farm to First Avenue”
I grew up in a small farming community with no diversity. and became part of my education. As a nursing student I was exposed to different cultures and walks of life which included training at Harborview Hospital and visiting patients on First Avenue in Seattle. Talk about being thrown into a very diverse situation for a small town kid.
Talk about being thrown into a very diverse situation for a small town kid.
Later, my husband and I adopted two Korean babies. This was an adjustment for some members of my family, but they learned to love these precious children. My children are adults now with children of their own. Having conversations with my son has opened my eyes to some of the prejudice that he still experiences.
Having conversations with my son has opened my eyes to some of the prejudice that he still experiences.
H s
Joining the DEI Committee is a way of using my experience to help others, as well as learning from other’s stories. Switching careers several years ago to insurance is a whole other topic of my DEI journey. At the core of it all, I have experienced that growth happens when we can listen and learn from others.
Share Your Story
Join us in a future article where we’ll continue to share our voices, and hopefully yours too. To participate in the storytelling journey, please contact
info@wscai.org.
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