Is this a Diversity Statement? Forum

[zanardin]

Hello,

After reading a bit more about diversity statements, I think that the following can be applicable, but I am hesitant.

Please let me know what your opinion is-is this a valid and helpful diversity statement, or is it completely wrong and/or insensitive to actual diversity statements?

Any comments appreciated!

Last year, as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, I lived in an intentional community with seven other women in Central Harlem. We chose to live out the values of simple living, community, spirituality, and social justice. Each of us earned $500 a month working at different public service organizations in New York City. We each put our entire paycheck into our shared bank account. As a group, we managed our account to pay for rent, groceries, house supplies, transportation, and modest personal spending.

We chose to live without cable and Internet, and we tried to make all of our meals from scratch. We ate together most evenings, each of us taking turns to cook for the community. We committed to having a spirituality night and a community night each week. During spirituality night, we would explore a particular value or faith, engage in a dynamic or personal reflection, or have a discussion about a social justice issue. For community night, we would go to a local event, volunteer as a group, or play board games together. In addition, we decided to take on a sustainability challenge each month. One month we did not eat meat, another month we did no buy any plastic water bottles or containers.

The lifestyle I led with my community last year was counter-cultural in a number of ways. At a time when our culture is defined by consumerism and individualism, especially among people in their 20’s, we made a conscious decision to share ourselves and our possessions and resources with each other every day. I learned to collaborate with my peers with understanding and resourcefulness, and I developed a strong ability to adapt to difficult situations with humor and creativity. I grew to be more open to different ideas and truly appreciate the company of others. I also grew in my ability to let go of my personal desires and ambitions in order to focus on how I can contribute to the good of the community, and I practiced lending my skills and ideas to positive teamwork.

Living as a Jesuit Volunteer was not easy, especially in New York City. My patience was tested beyond its previous limits, I missed luxuries I used to take for granted, and I was distracted by the commotion and glamour of the city. But this experience allowed me to grow in empathy and responsibility towards the people around me, awareness of the reality in which many people live, and self-confidence to be different and actively challenge societal norms and common injustices. Because of this experience, I will bring unique insight and fresh perspective and to (X school).

[thewaves]

I think so, sounds like a very interesting experience which not many people have shared.