Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Feb. 9.
Lebanon Valley College hosted its ninth annual Symposium on Inclusive Excellence, which featured a keynote address from Saul Flores, a philanthropist, photojournalist, and speaker who is nationally recognized for his social impact projects.
LVC President Dr. James MacLaren launched the day by highlighting the community’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable campus.
“This annual symposium helps raise our awareness of difficult issues around diversity, and it engages the campus in conversations and reflection,” said Dr. MacLaren. “Inclusive Excellence recognizes that our educational mission is strengthened when we ensure that we include diverse voices and lift each other up daily…the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion can only succeed if it is a priority for every one of us every day.”
Dr. MacLaren then introduced Flores, who began his keynote address with an inspiring and heartfelt testimony of his experiences growing up with immigrant parents from South America.
He shared his fondest memories of times spent with his family in New York, explaining the struggles his parents faced to provide for them in this new country, even after the long and dangerous journey they made from their countries of origin. He invited attendees to share examples of people who have sacrificed for them, encouraging all to celebrate their differences and recognize that everyone has a story to tell.
Flores continued the storytelling, sharing his experience raising money to reconstruct an impoverished elementary school in his mother’s hometown of Atencingo, Mexico.
“In an unexpecting place, I discovered a community I was meant to serve,” said Flores. “What started out as an idea evolved into something so much bigger than myself. It evolved into the story of my community.”
A major part of Flores’ effort to raise funds for the school involved a life-changing journey. He decided to walk more than 5,000 miles through 10 countries to see firsthand how grueling and dangerous the journey of immigrants can be. Flores spent three months walking, hitchhiking, and sleeping on the ground and in hiding places as he traveled from Ecuador to Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I’m sharing this with you not because I want you guys to become champions of migration (I’m sure a lot of you already are). I want you know that if you cement yourself in a passion and use that passion to serve a greater community, you have the capacity to create incredible change. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
LVC student Rachel Gibson ’23 was inspired by Flores’ candid storytelling.
“[Saul] wanted to live the experience so he could better comprehend the sacrifices immigrants make in their attempts for a better life,” said Gibson. “This allowed him to see the realities and hardships that immigrants must overcome just to get a chance at being successful in this ‘country of opportunity.’ He opened my eyes and hopefully others too at LVC about these realities that people too often forget are someone else’s lived experiences.”
The afternoon of the Symposium featured more than a dozen interactive simulations, dialogues, and educational sessions based around inclusivity. Flores hosted one of the sessions, focusing on activism strategies to move passions to action. An interactive Privilege Journey workshop encouraged participants to recognize how power and privilege can affect a person’s life by reacting to scenarios simulating various examples of privilege. Another session highlighted ways for LVC students to participate in community projects locally and abroad. Additional topics covered by LVC students, faculty, and staff included disparities in healthcare, antiracism activism, open educational resources, diversity and entrepreneurship, and more.
Finally, as part of the Symposium, LVC celebrated Habitat for Humanity, one of its community service partners. Over the last several years, LVC students, faculty, and staff have volunteered their time to ensure individuals have safe, warm, and affordable homes. Learn more about LVC’s service with Habitat for Humanity in this video.
Original source can be found here.
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