Timing. COVID-19. George Floyd. 2020, what a year. Change came in unexpected ways. While I had volunteered for years in non-profit organizations and enrolled in a public relations certificate program, I was not working as a professional in this field. I got back into school just as things were shutting down for COVID and pivoting to online classes.
As I was considering my degree focus that summer semester, I became aware of my and other’s exposure to the racial inequities that persist. My coursework started to include criminal justice classes as I developed my program. Seeing the lack of diversity in the criminal justice system, because representation matters, I wanted to understand the system and maybe make it easier for others to navigate.
We need representation, but we also need to witness. The whole world did that for George Floyd, but I found something else to witness, if after the fact. Through research in one of my other classes, I had the facts of the Japanese Internment camps put directly in my path. It led me to take a trip to two of the camps and witness us at our worst at another time.
Now, here I am. A former Milwaukeean with a drive to help us be better for all. That degree grew into a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Public Relations and Law. It is a capstone for years of work and volunteer experience in management, event running, public relations, and strategic planning. It is the start of a new path.