Mentoring the Class of 2023
By Paige Finney (YLI ‘22), current Peer Mentor
When I think of our first experience day, surrounding equity and inclusion, I think of barriers as well as the removal of them. It is a day where students, peer mentors, and adult mentors all start to feel comfortable with the vulnerability around them and sharing one another’s differences. The class of 2023 took this in stride, and I learned so much about their individual differences and their personalities through the activities we participated in. Whether people shared, listened, observed or just reflected I am positive every student took an important lesson out of the day.
Personally, I took the lesson of change- the ability, possibility, and the privilege. After a year has passed, my focus on the different aspects of my social identity have shifted. I also learned the importance of having room within your own expectations and others to change and grow according to the changes that you undergo. I look forward to the growth that will continue to take place within each individual involved in this YLI class, including myself.