Inclusive Excellence

By Amanda Slone, Ph. D., '07

Meera Khatri says her goal as the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine SGA Diversity Committee Chair is to “amplify the voices and experiences” of others and ensure everyone feels included and seen. Over the past year, University of Pikeville students have engaged in multiple initiatives to celebrate inclusive excellence on campus and in the community. Khatri says her involvement with the Diversity Committee has helped educate her and others about differences in cultures and holidays. The group sponsored several events, including celebrations during Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month.

We are just scratching the surface of the beauty of diversity at KYCOM,” said Khatri.

Students have also had the opportunity to participate in a new program through the Office of Diversity. The Diversity Leadership Academy kicked off its inaugural program this year. The academy, under the supervision of Director of Diversity and International Affairs Katrina Rugless, M.Ed., provides students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, gain cultural competence and engage in meaningful exchanges.

Students in the academy participated in a wide range of projects, including hosting a Cultural Night of Excellence, a Family Reunion Tailgate and a Martin Luther King Jr. brunch, where both Khatri and Kentucky College of Optometry SGA Diversity Committee Chair Tuyet Bui participated as panelists.

“I was overwhelmed with the support we received not just from the university, but also from the community. Everyone made me feel comfortable talking about my own personal experiences, and I was able to listen to others,” said Bui.

We are all humans, and humans deserve the right to be treated equally regardless of the color of our skin, religion, culture, sexuality and many other differences. We all deserve to be loved.

Russell had the honor of speaking at the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities Diversity and Inclusion Summit. The summit included speakers, representatives and administrators from universities across Kentucky. During the panel, she spoke of her summer internship with the Governor’s Scholars Program where she spent five weeks as the medical coordinator. She says her internship experience allowed her to “see high school scholars grow into new people throughout the course of five weeks and form their own opinions about things they may not have previously been exposed to.”

UPIKE senior and Track and Field team member Bobby Allums says the academy is a “free space” where students can discuss any topic with support and understanding. He has a new understanding of his own leadership style and how to appreciate the leadership style of others. Every student has a role and is encouraged to give input on events.

You don’t have to come in as a leader,” said Allums. “The academy teaches you how to develop leadership.

Recent graduate, bowler and active participant in the Diversity Leadership Academy Carrington Russell ’23 says her participation in the academy has taught her what it means to be a leader and how leading can make the community around you stronger.

Students will soon have another avenue to explore these concepts with a newly-approved minor and professional certificate in Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The programs include an interdisciplinary curriculum that will prepare students to become effective and engaged leaders in a diverse world.