In Their Own Words
Advice From Class 28 to Class 29
At OUDC Class 28’s graduation ceremony, the members of the class provided their takeaways and advice from the program to the incoming members of Class 29. They also were assigned as mentors to all members of the incoming class, and symbolically “passed the baton” by handing blank journals to their mentees. Not surprisingly, the new Social Justice Fellows immediately began taking notes on this advice:
“My biggest takeaway from the program is that you can never truly know someone or something until you get to know them or have that experience for yourself. My piece of advice is to keep an open mind, be inquisitive and keep making connections between the things you learn.”
“Biggest piece of advice:
* Be comfortable with being uncomfortable
* Try to have an open mind
Biggest takeaway:
* Own up to your actions and hold yourself accountable (because there will be times when no one holds you accountable).”
“As I pass the baton, I encourage you all to lean into the discomfort of speaking out and standing up for what you believe in. Don’t shy away from sharing your true feelings and convictions, Your willingness to be open and authentic will not only inspire but also create a space where transformative change can happen. Learn to embrace the uncertainty and know that your courage will guide and make an impact on your peers.”
“I joined OUDC with little to no prior knowledge of social justice and a weak knowledge of general history, much less the specific, in-depth history you’re going to be learning this year. However, what I did have was curiosity and that’s what led me to show up to every meeting ready to learn something new. Because of that, the biggest piece of advice I can give you has to be to lean into your curiosity. Research outside of meetings, ask that specific question, dig deeper into whatever it is that piques your curiosity and you’ll be on your way to getting the absolute most out of this amazing program.”
“OUDC has taught me many things which has resulted in me having a deeper understanding of social justice but it has been so much more. It’s changed how I see the world and opened my eyes to perspectives of the world I had never imagined. It’s taught me the power of empathy and the responsibility we all have to change this world.”
“This program has been amazing and taught me so much, but my biggest takeaway has probably been simply that there are so many ways you can help people and make a difference. So going into this year, I hope all you new fellows pay attention, find your interests, and use them to make some good.”
Takeaway: this program taught me that true social justice work begins with empathy, a willingness to be uncomfortable, to confront difficult histories, and to engage in honest, open dialogue.
Advice: Embrace the vulnerability that comes with being in the program. There will be difficult conversations and that’s ok, a lot of the growth you’ll experience will come from being open to learning from EVERYONE in the room and recognizing the value in both speaking up and listening.
My biggest takeaway from OUDC is that the only world you need to change is your own and everything else will follow. My advice to the upcoming class is to always try to do the right thing and to not give up when you face challenges.”
One of my biggest takeaways from this program is that it’s okay to not know everything about civil rights, laws that were passed, and injustices on different ethnic groups. That’s the reason for this program, to learn and grow. One piece of advice I would give to the upcoming class of OUDC is to allow yourself to be uncomfortable and open to learning new things, because it helps us grow in the end.”
“My biggest takeaway would be that there is always so much more to learn and understand and that having a great community around you makes that much easier. One piece of advice I have would be to get out of your comfort zone because that’s what will allow you to make lifelong friends and memories.”
My biggest takeaway from the program is that being a social justice activist isn’t only about fighting for equality but also learning about these communities. The best advice I could give the fellows is to always remember that we are not there to be the voice of these communities just simply to amplify them
This program taught me the importance of curiosity and learning about different cultures. From baking challah bread in December and visiting civil rights museums throughout June, I can confidently say that I have learned more about the world and its differences. I am now a stronger advocate for society. Do not be afraid to embrace your curiosity and learn about your own history.
Photography courtesy Lloyd Wolf / www.lloydwolf.com
© 2021. All rights reserved.