Steven Bryant

Title

Director of Diversity and Community Involvement

Years at EMU

Almost one year

Why You Like Working Here

The students are phenomenal. There are great people, great ideas and such passion.

Favorite Campus Spot

My favorite place is the first floor of the Student Center because it’s an energizing space. It’s where I run into the most students and have the most interactions. I like having the ability to connect with a lot of student leaders in one space.

Inspiration

Barack Obama said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” That’s been inspirational to me for the last decade. In our work in Diversity and Community Involvement, we’re really trying to do intentional learning—to break down barriers helping students with minoritized identities be successful. Sometimes it can be overwhelming or we want someone to do something. That quote is a reminder to me that I am someone and I can do something.

Surprising Fact

I took French for four years, but I am slowly losing it. I could probably survive saying basic things like where is the bathroom or ordering food off the menu, but I probably wouldn’t be eating a wide variety of things.

Next Goal

We have the option to go the direction where we are truly creating systems and structures that are equitable. In the past 50 years, there have been improvements and changes here at the institution but the system has not really changed much. I think a goal of mine that goes with this is: how can we, within our diversity equity and inclusion work here at Eastern, set the tone for the nation? We have that opportunity to do that here and I believe that we can. We just have to be committed to doing the hard work.

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