THE IMPORTANCE OF DEI

DE&I has become a pivotal part of learning and growth for many companies, organizations, and even communities – yet the question remains: why should I care?

When thinking about the concept of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, many people have the same fear and apprehension about how it may relate to them or even a future business environment – not realizing the impact that fostering an inclusive environment can have.

Everyday, people show up to class, school, work, & meetings forcing some sort of façade of what they should be. That’s where DE&I comes in – making a space (no matter where it is) for everyone despite individual differences allows people to always be their true self. It allows for more engagement, innovation & productivity; all of which are pivotal in a work or professional setting.

I could throw a million stats at you – such as organizations with rankings in the top 25% when it comes to gender diversity among executive leadership teams are 21% more likely to be profitable and 27% better at creating value. But beyond all of that, it allows for employees to be happier than they otherwise would – and waste less time pretending to be who they think they need to be.

Ultimately DE&I drives workforce innovation and healthy team communication. It also creates a safe space for us to be allies to our peers, more empathetic, and most importantly creates a need to be kind and welcoming to everyone. Having DE&I acumen is more than a “trend” – it’s vital for personal and professional growth.

DEI IN FLA

I have the honor of being the mentor liaison for the first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee in FLA. In fact, I believe that the sole creation of this committee has been a great step for our future FLAyers.

Alongside my amazing director, Shiane, and wonderful committee members, Derrick, Isabella, Britney, and Arianna, we work to create awareness and make sure everyone feels at home with their FLAmily. In fact, to establish a foundation for our committee, we focused on creating awareness through the Allyship channel, spreading FLA opportunities with other cultural organizations such as the Hispanic Student Association, and providing learning opportunities for our current members through workshops like “The Power of Privilege”.

Thus, we have made an impact in FLA by giving everyone a chance to surpass their growth boundaries. After all, DEI is important in both our personal and professional life since it relates to how we interact with others different from ourselves. Also, because diverse teams are more innovative and successful, our members will have a competitive advantage when entering the workplace.

Here’s a link to some resources if interested: https://hr.mit.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion/resources