Speaker takes 'diversity' from buzzword to reality
Published 08.30.2019
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Mobilized by a guest speaker's incisive perspective and moved by his inspiring experience, a cross-section of faculty, staff and students engaged in an essential conversation about furthering academic achievement for all. In a Thursday presentation titled, "Action and Accountability," Quadrese' M. Glass – a recent Dickinson College alumnus about to assume a graduate program coordinator position in South Africa on behalf of an educational nonprofit – discussed how "inclusivity" can be more than a concept; how the Penn College family can provide a welcoming home to students who don't feel as though they belong here. Facilitated by the Admissions Office (particularly Nicole G. Beerman, admissions counselor for diversity initiatives, and counselors Lorenzo A. Marefka and Lee A. Dawson), the talk addressed how the campus community can fold diversity into its daily interactions and classroom curricula. Glass is a graduate of Philadelphia Futures, which provides low-income, first-generation students with the tools, resources and opportunities necessary for college success. Penn College has a relationship with that program, funded by the Brook J. Lenfest Foundation, which provides financial and academic support for students enrolled in associate degree majors.