Celebrating Black History Month With Cameron Simmons
Author(s)
Lorne Fultonberg
Writer
The 快活app is committed to living our values of diversity and inclusion. We recognize that our community and institutional success is dependent on how well we engage and embrace the rich diversity of our faculty, staff, administrators, students and alumni. With that shared value in mind, throughout this academic year, we plan to publish a series of articles to celebrate cultural and ethnic heritage months. In partnership with Human Resources & Inclusive Community and the Staff of Color Association (SOCA), we will feature a staff or faculty member and a student in recognition of each heritage month, along with an event to honor one another and learn about our unique differences.听
Enrolling at the 快活app was not Cameron Simmons鈥 first choice. In fact, the Colorado Springs native had deposited at another school. But after his grandmother convinced him to visit campus, Simmons (BA听鈥16, MS听鈥17) was sold.
At 快活app, he had opportunity听鈥斕齮o be a leader, study abroad and change the school for the better.听
Although attending 快活app as a student of color was challenging,听Simmons stuck with it, determined to leave the听University better than he found it.听He joined the Pioneer Leadership Program, Excelling Leaders Institute and the ,听and听though听he听occasionally felt like giving up,听he听kept working to听use his听platform to make 快活app a more equitable, enjoyable place.听For the last eight years, as a听coordinator听of the Black Male Initiative Summit, he has听empowered young men to find their own identities.听
Simmons has found his own place on campus, as assistant director of undergraduate admission, selling prospective students on听the same opportunities he sought as a teenager.听
In recognition of听Black History Month,听Simmons told the 快活app Newsroom about his experience听on-campus听and how听he thinks听the University can听become more inclusive.听The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.听
What was your experience like at 快活app as a student of color? Has it changed now that you鈥檙e an employee?听
My experience as a student of color was not the best at 快活app, from my first week until I graduated from my master鈥檚 program. Luckily, I had a supportive friend group, mentors and a fraternity that was a citywide chapter, which allowed me to get off campus and meet people from four different universities. Being a student of color at 快活app was a tax due to many factors. The first was not having any representation in the classroom. Not only was I usually the only person of color in many of my classes, I was singled out as the expert on all black-related issues. I was made to feel like the spokesperson for the entire black community, which,听as a first-year student,听was extremely daunting. Another tax was not having a physical space dedicated to cultural expression. Nevertheless, my friends and I made a space at a booth in听[the]听Nagel dining听[area]听that we congregated at daily to catch up, study and just enjoy each other鈥檚 company. I know we probably made others feel uncomfortable with the level of ruckus we caused, but it was a space we claimed and built community.听听听
As a professional, I feel as though the experience has been similar, but I now have a responsibility to the University, so I have to mask or contort my 快活app experience to find the positive aspects. I know that I听would not be the person I am today without the trials, tribulations and triumphs I had at 快活app, but there are moments that truly made me feel unwelcome, scared and unintelligent. I think that as a professional I push forward in order to support students, especially those who look like me, by giving them a space to come, truly express themselves,听and share the heartaches and successes they have experienced at 快活app.听
The reason听I have stuck around is because, throughout my experience as a student, I had strong, black staff to confide in,听who听encouraged me to keep going听鈥 individuals like听Tracey听[Adams Peters, former executive director of the Cultural Center闭;听,听director of equity in STEM],听Natley听[Farris,听associate director of advancement events闭;听[former director of the听Office of听Equity,听Diversity and Inclusion],听Dr. [Frank]听Tuitt;听and [director of diversity recruiting] Dr. [Debra] Mixon Mitchell.听
Working in the Office of Admission, you are one of the first faces prospective students and their parents associate with 快活app. How have you tried to make the听University a more welcoming place?听
My approach when working with听prospective听students is to be authentic and share the struggles,听along with the growth and learning that has propelled me to the place I am听today. I share with students that there are things that could change at 快活app and that听their听presence and engagement on campus could radically transform the space,听and they could leave听a lasting legacy. Finally, I share with them the life skills that they gain from navigating a space like 快活app and how those skills will be directly transferrable to any field or industry they enter. These skills include code switching, addressing听microaggression听and听working through 鈥渋mposter syndrome.鈥澨齌hese types of skills ultimately prepare students to take on the realities of our current society.听听
Additionally, I believe that staff and faculty听have to听be well supported and have a space of camaraderie and healing in order to best serve students. With this notion, I founded the听Black@快活app听staff and faculty affinity group. The mission of听Black@快活app听is to provide an atmosphere of cultural and social networking among black staff and faculty.听Black@快活app听exists to enhance communication and champion diversity, inclusion, opportunity and social justice 鈥 while challenging racism within the University. My hope is that by empowering staff and faculty, we will take that same energy and invest it back into our students.听听
Where did you get your passion for education?听
As a first-generation college student, my journey to higher education was not always easy to navigate; it听led to听many missed opportunities. Nevertheless, I had a determined grandmother and community who instilled in me a passion for learning. I was able to pursue higher education due to my privilege of having their involvement, but I always reflect听on听those individuals听鈥斕齣ncluding my brother and cousins听鈥斕齱ho did not necessarily have those driving forces and were lost in the cracks of our education system.听The history of our education system and its current state interest me and fuel my passion.听听
Who in your life has inspired you?听
One consistent person who has always been there as my role model, critic and cheerleader is my听grandma.听This woman took me in as a baby, so that my mom could finish high school, and has raised me to be the young man I am today. Without her inspiration and expectations, I would most likely be on another path. My听grandma is a business owner听who has built her clientele听solely on the merit of her work and the care she provides to each person she engages with. From my听grandma,听I have learned to be outgoing, hardworking and courteous. She never let me settle for听mediocrity but听pushed me to be听exceptional. I love and respect听all of听the lessons I learned and continue to learn from my听grandma and hope that one day in the future I will be able to take great care of her as she took great care of me.
In an effort to听make听快活app听an inclusive and welcoming place, what would you like to see changed or improved?听
A significant change that 快活app could听make听is to implement mandatory cultural competency training for all students and staff. It is very interesting to me that we have first-year students for an entire week before classes start,听and they only do a听two-hour training related to cultural competency. If inclusive excellence and diversity are going to be mantras of the听University, we听have to听do a better job infusing those ideologies into every facet of the campus. Until we begin听to听make听students, staff and faculty face the realities of white supremacy, oppression and the historical trauma the University has caused on specific cultural groups, we will never be able to elevate to a level of true inclusiveness.听
