GLIDE Fellows, 2023-2024

MA in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership

Throughout my career notable experiences have helped to shape and define my path, and
my experiences at Tufts continues that trend. As an MA candidate in Tufts’ Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion, and Justice Leadership (DEIJL) program, my perspective around DEI work has grown
exponentially over the last several years—particularly through historical learnings and embracing
the practice of introspection. The people I’ve met have been just as impactful—from my professors
to my peers. Embracing insights from their lived experiences have been unquantifiable.

I was inspired to apply to become a GLIDE fellow for similar reasons. This program provides
a unique up close and personal opportunity to further explore and expand the depth of my DEIJL
educational experience at Tufts. It provides graduate students with reality-based insights driven by
current practitioners that transitions into a hands-on real-world based practicum—an invaluable
practical experience. In combination with the DEIJL MA program, it further solidifies my ability to
drive meaningful quantifiable change.

As Black, female marketer with over 20 years of experience in Corporate America I am all
too familiar with the depth and breadth of performative diversity programs. Working at the
intersection of marketing and DEI, I plan on leveraging the learnings from these programs towards
building a consulting practice advising businesses on how to elevate their authentic brand—
internally and externally.

MA in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership

I am thankful to join in community, strategic thought, and collaborative mission as part of the Tufts GLIDE 2023 fellowship. I was drawn to the program’s focus of both building community around institutional DEIJ evolution and providing incubation for initiative inception and growth.  

The GLIDE Program creates a supportive harbor for currents of learning to converge and strengthen. In holding space for thinkers of varying origins and disciplines to interact, novel forms of equity in action emerge and innovation rises. Listening to cohort members’ experiences and gathering guidance from Tufts faculty and leadership buoys ideas of belonging and strengthens momentum.   

As a master’s candidate in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership at Tufts and equity and belonging communicator and strategist by passion and profession, the opportunity to connect with both administration and graduate students across scholarly focus is invaluable. With over eight years of experience in academic and research healthcare at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), I am focused on study and action centering health equity, anti-racist strategy in education and research, and representation in medicine and academic institutions. In my current role as Writer/Editor and Climate Survey Action Plan Manager for UCSF’s Office of Diversity and Outreach, I am inspired daily by both the meaningful collaboration and unresolved disparity that continues to exist in higher education.  

Additionally, I am active in LGBTQI+ centered engagement and transformative disability justice. As a member of the inaugural Community of Practice on Targeted Universalism for UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute, I hope to infuse my professional and personal experience and learning into programmatic planning that benefits the Tufts community, with a special focus on mentorship and professional development centering DEIJ principles. 

MA/EdS in School Psychology

I applied to the GLIDE program at Tufts for a few reasons. I wanted to meet and connect with other students who are outside of my program and who are also interested in DEIJ work. I like the cohort that I’m in at Tufts in my program, and the lived experience and perspectives that they bring with them. I was also curious to learn how others thought about what DEIJ could look like.  

In addition, I applied because I wanted to explore strategies for building alliances and fostering inclusive practices with various stakeholders, including the students, parents, teachers, and administrators. One thing in particular that I was hoping to learn was techniques for facilitating difficult conversations around topics related to diversity and inclusion.  

My goal after graduation is to work in a K-12 school, so I am really interested in figuring out how to make schools more inclusive. Growing up, I did not always feel like I belonged, and I really want to work to change that for students in school. I hope to develop the skills to be able to work closely with students and community members to develop initiatives that promote equity, inclusivity, and culturally sustaining practices. And I want to be able to develop these initiatives with an understanding of the resistance that communities may have already faced. 

I applied to GLIDE because I want to be able to make meaningful connections, and work towards creating collaborative spaces that empower community members to actively participate in the process of change by valuing their voices, and knowledge, and fostering a sense of ownership. 

MA in Music

My name is Natalie Doucette, I am an MA candidate in Music. I applied to the GLIDE Program because I saw this as great way to not only further my understanding of DEIJ, but also a way to implement any positive changes where I could. I have been involved in DEIJ work through extracurriculars and through my studies. In my high school years I was part of GLAAD, my school’s pride club, and during my time the club organized and ran a school-wide event that taught student not only the history to the LGBTQIA+ movement, but also ran several exercises in order to teach about combat discrimination and prejudice. In my undergraduate years, I minored in Africana Studies, and through my studies I took part in several community service projects that further broadened my horizons on possible DEIJ work that was possible. I am also often inspired by various content creators who work to improve and increase visibility on often under-represented groups. Through the GLIDE Program I hope not implement real and lasting change with my time here at Tufts, but to carry the principles I learned regarding DEIJ works in my future career. 

I was a Black student who studied in Russia for 6 years, studying there from 2015 to 2020 and staying one extra year due to COVID. Up until my travel to Russia, I had lived in a monoracial society, Nigeria, and had never felt ‘different’ in terms of skin color my entire life. However, after moving to Russia for the first time, I felt different, very different, in almost every facet of life. While a very few cared, no one really understood what was going on in the mind of a young African teenager studying in the cold WhiteRussia.

For me, the cause of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) is very important in today’s educational system, as the need for a level playing field across the board for every student, irrespective of race, faith, sexual orientation, or physical mobility, cannot be overemphasized. I have experienced firsthand how a lack of this can severely impede a student's learning outcomes. Therefore, I am committed to seeing a diversified student body at Tufts through the GLIDE program.

I am particularly interested in participating in this program because as someone with a stutter, I would like to conduct a practicum through the GLIDE program to promote speech diversity, focusing on stuttering. My goal is to raise awareness about stuttering, reduce stigma, and create a more inclusive environment for individuals who stutter in the Tufts university community.

MA in Music

My name is Jordan Good, I am an MA student in Musicology, and I work as DEIJ & Collections Resident with the Lilly Music Library. As part of this work I have researched and curated an exhibit called “Hidden Behind the Screen: Gender Representation in Video Game Music, 1980s-2022” on the hidden history of women game music composers, which as of now exists in physical form right outside the Lilly library as well as in digital form with a companion webpage. I have also been helping to transcribe incipits and collect metadata of pieces by composers from un(der)-represented backgrounds for the library’s “Rebalancing the Music Canon” project, which aims to make works by these composers more discoverable, decenter the musical canon, and make data-driven music scholarship more diverse and inclusive. I applied to be a GLIDE fellow so that I could gain advice on how to improve my DEIJ related work during my remaining time at Tufts, and to learn more about what it would mean to take a leadership role in DEIJ work as I move further into academia.

MA in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Leadership

Being a first-generation international student and identifying as queer, I sought admission to the GLIDE program to strengthen my advocacy for marginalized communities. GLIDE provides a distinctive opportunity to deepen my understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice(DEIJ) from both legal and practical angles. Reflecting on my program experience, the insights gained from the intensive August workshops were genuinely impactful, equipping me with invaluable knowledge shared by experienced DEIJ professionals in different fields. This newfound understanding has empowered me to refine my own programs and initiatives. Additionally, the stipend played a crucial role in efficiently managing the logistical aspects of my GLIDE program.

My commitment to inclusivity and supporting individuals with marginalized identities began with coordinating the Asian American Mentoring Program at the University of Connecticut and continued through my roles as a Graduate Assistant at the LGBT Center and GSAS CommunityFellow at Tufts. Through these experiences, I've come to believe in the profound reciprocal impact of individuals on their communities. With my GLIDE program, I shift my focus on nurturing and empowering each individual rather than solely building communities and bringing people together. I aim to design and deliver a DEIJ leadership workshop to assist Chinese students in navigating the landscape of American higher education and fostering inclusive environments."