Congratulations to Matt Holland!
Winner of a Year Worth of Tuition in the This is My OSU: A Destination of Choice Diversity Essay Contest
Growing up in Corvallis, Oregon, Matthew Holland didn't give much thought to diversity. Now Matt believes that we are standing on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and his beliefs - expressed through his award winning essay - have earned him one year of paid tuition at Oregon State University. Inspired by his Philosophy class, Ethics of Diversity and Professor Lani Roberts, he says that "from slavery to suffrage to civil rights, the road ahead is not as long as it once was, and we must do our part today."
Holland, a fifth-year English major entered the "This is My OSU: A Destination of Choice" diversity essay contest during winter term and spoke passionately about the need for all Oregon State University students to take classes such as Ethics of Diversity.
Meet the Candidates:
Dalicia Fennell
Dalicia Fennell is a sophomore from Sutherlin, OR majoring in English and Education through the education double degree program. Her inspiration for her essay was her observation of how self-segregated many students are in social situations. She believes that developing diversity through social interactions forms real friendships and would create true campus diversity, not just a surface appearance of it. Dalicia plans to teach high school language arts, hopefully in Oregon.
Rose Hansen
Rose Hansen is a junior from Florence, OR and Sitka, AK majoring in Recreation Resource Management and Writing. Her inspiration for her essay came from her experiences and dialogues with people of color, people of multiple economic, social, religious, sexual and geographic backgrounds while matriculating through the public school system. Rose plans to work as a freelance writer after graduating from OSU.
Jason Kniss
Jason Kniss is a senior from Beaverton, OR majoring in Biology. His inspiration for his essay came from his work with University Housing and Dining where they strive to facilitate the development of inclusive and vibrant communities. He believes that that its one thing to attend a workshop or lecture on diversity but quite another to live in it day to day, experiencing the qualitative and quantitative effects of our efforts. Jason plans to attend graduate school to study either Higher Education Administration or Student Services.
Kimberly Takata
Kimberly Takata is a sophomore from Kaneohe, HI majoring in Bioengineering. Her inspiration came from her college applications and how important it was to her to attend a school that was considered diverse. She wanted to propose something that might reach her classmates; something that everyone could be involved in. After graduate school, Kimberly plans a career in some sort of science or medical/research related field, lots of travel and continuing to dance and sew.
Diversity Essay Contest
Click to read more about the Diversity Essay Contest
