My worldview is largely informed by my experiences and education, revolving around themes of social, economic, and racial justice. Having been lucky enough to be granted the opportunity to receive my high school education in one of my city’s most academically rigorous institutions, I quickly found that a competitive atmosphere for the sake of competition instead of long-term education was not one conducive to my learning style. Having lost much motivation and become increasingly cynical over the course of my high school career, I decided to do a year of service with City Year Philadelphia, where I tutored and mentored 7th grade students full-time before I attended Dickinson. 

 

My City Year experience was incredibly formative. It informed my decision to study politics, gave me a perspective of what it is like to work on a team in a severely underfunded middle school, and motivated me to continue to serve my students and similar communities to that of Olney, Philadelphia beyond graduation from Dickinson. I was uniquely positioned within my team to both learn equally from my students and my colleagues, as the age difference between me and my students was similar to that between me and my colleagues. Being in an intense, yet professional environment for a full year at the age of 18 tested and motivated me to do my best work at Dickinson in order to be better educated when I return to serve similar communities. In working with many students who I otherwise would have never met, I learned the importance of using my privilege to advocate for the wellbeing and rights of others. This is a piece of my worldview that I still hold to this day. 

After having arrived on Dickinson’s campus, I quickly felt a duty to learn more about sustainability, and how I could change the world around me to become more sustainable. I learned and now hold the view that sustainability is a topic that should not be limited to environmentalism. While I came to Dickinson believing firmly that individuals were the most important actors in solving issues like the climate crisis, I have come to understand through my study of political science that governments and corporations have a large role in addressing the crisis as well. Without an approach towards solving the crisis that is intersectional and inclusive, the crisis will not be adequately solved. 

Having learned about intersectionality and its importance through much of my coursework, my worldview relating to making change is shaped largely around creating and supporting inclusive social and political movements that focus on bringing about structural changes to American life, as opposed to encouraging individual behavior change. As I noted earlier, this is a piece of my worldview that has shifted, as I have learned that American society in particular is not structured in a way in which large groups of people can afford to change their behavior. With this in mind, I look to work for organizations and campaigns that are in favor of bringing people together to make changes in the lives of my students and those like them.