The voices of six MGH Institute students were heard across the country during the Amplifying Student Voices convening that focused on the future of belonging, diversity, and equity in higher education and on strategies for fulfilling the promise of an inclusive democracy. 

Elena Valiente (Department of Physical Therapy), Haylie Santos (Communications Sciences and Disorders), Kairon Shao (Department of Physical Therapy), Laura González (Communications Sciences and Disorders), MacKenzie Looze (Communications Sciences and Disorders), and Sammy Freeman (School of Nursing) joined more than 400 other student leaders on October 5 for the day-long discussion. 

"This seminar was not only impactful and powerful but challenged our critical thinking and problem-solving skills on issues that are truly occurring at higher education institutions all around the country,” said Looze, CSD Class of 2025 class representative and Student Government Association president. “It was an electrifying environment in the company of so many individuals with varying viewpoints but a common goal of further developing justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity for future generations of students."

Interacting with students from other schools also showed how the MGH Institute’s commitment to JEDI principles compared to other institutions. 

“One thing that was really apparent was that we feel light years ahead of some other institutions because of the JEDI Office here and everything that we're able to offer on our campus,” said Santos. “We also recognized that because we're a smaller school, we're able to change faster, and our programs do a really great job of taking feedback and incorporating it into our curriculum.”

The MGH Institute was one of 41 sites selected for the convening, which was organized by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers, and sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Lumina Foundation. The goal was to gather student perspectives on how higher education can better serve all individuals and communities in order to inform the work of NADOHE and AAC&U and the efforts of their members, as well as business, community, and nonprofit leaders seeking to advance more equitable and inclusive environments.

“Decision-making in higher education and in our communities should be informed by student voices and their engagement in a collaborative process,” said NADOHE President and CEO Paulette Granberry Russell. “This student convening will provide an opportunity for this collaboration to occur.”

“Centering student voices and fostering the next generation of leaders committed to safeguarding democracy and promoting a just and equitable future is more urgent than ever,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We are proud to partner with NADOHE in striving to achieve our shared objectives, grounded in TRHT's mission of jettisoning the belief in a hierarchy of human value.”