“ Together as a community we can continue to move forward and better the community together.”
— Edgar
“I've broken so many barriers.
I've gone through so many challenges and I've been able to overcome those challenges and I've made it this far. So to serve as a role model for those behind me, those that have yet to go through what I have to go through and get to this point that they can do it and that they will get here.”
being yourself…
I would define belonging as a sense of being comfortable. A place where you can be yourself. And I think it's a place where you have an established network, a support system. A place where you can execute on your interests, your hobbies, stuff that you like to do on your free time and once again all while being yourself.
I'm originally from Rochelle, Illinois, which is 30 minutes out west from DeKalb. I would come here a lot ever since I was a kid, so I'm pretty familiar. I'm not exactly a local if you refer to it as living here in town, but I was close enough by and came up here every weekend whether it was to eat here with family at a restaurant, stop by a fast food joint or just to visit friends and family. We would come up here often, go through walks in the park a lot too, take advantage of what DeKalb had to offer. After high school, I came here to pursue and get my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. I applied to Northern Illinois University and I was here all four years throughout my undergraduate career and now I'm here again for my fifth year pursuing my masters degree.
For the most part if it were pre-COVID times, I would practically be on campus for 80% of my day. 75, 80% of my day. Whether that's involvement on student organizations ranging from professional to social to service. I was a leader for the most part. Took on an executive position in most student organizations that I was a part of. And I think it was just a way to be a part of the NIU campus, get involved and make my experience worth while.
Treating everybody equally.
Treating everybody with respect, helping the disadvantaged, providing opportunities, providing a pathway for those that are underserved or underprivileged and grant them with the same opportunities as everybody else so that together as a community we can continue to move forward and better the community together.