By Molecule Jongwilai
The UMD Division of Student Affairs held a Success Hour Diversity Networking Event last month to invite students to meet with 16 employers that prioritize diversity in a variety of industries.
These fields varied from healthcare, management consulting, technology, defense, wildlife resources, commercial banking and more.
This event was in collaboration with the Student Success Leadership Council, a group of students that initially tried to address the fact that the graduation rate of Black students at UMD was lower than the average and later aimed to improve the graduation rate through numerous professional events including this one which has been held for 12 times in the past eight years.
Pariya Ahmadi, 22, a junior environmental science major said that diversity is significant for organizations to work for their communities efficiently.
“I think…if they have individuals working in it that have the perspectives of different community members…they’re better able to serve their needs,” Ahmadi added.
Geremew Belew, 27, a senior computer science major from Ethiopia, also shared that he thought diversity is essential in terms of creating a safe environment in the workplace for every employee.
“If I see a Black person who’s around on the lobby…I would be more comfortable just because…he looks like me, so I believe he’s gonna treat me well,” Belew added.
Jasmine Kelly, the associate director of xFoundry, an organization on the UMD campus working on tackling grand challenges and one of the employers participating in the event, said that due to the complexities of social issues nowadays, members who have different backgrounds could contribute huge advantages to the team.
“The grand challenges that we’re solving are not particular to any one demographic,…I think having a diverse group of students who have different perspectives, different backgrounds and different experiences helps to create a more robust and innovative solution,” Kelly said.
Lt. Irvin Smith from Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, another organization at the event, gave another real-life example of how diverse first responders are important.
Montgomery County is very diverse, Smith said. That’s why he loves having people of different cultures riding with him; it’s important that his officers be able to communicate with the people they serve, he added.
“If something’s lost in translation, that could be the difference between life and death,” Smith said. “Why not have your company, our department, reflect the citizens that we serve, the citizens that pay our salaries?”
Featured image taken by Molecule Jongwilai.