Special Edition Fall 2023: Opinion: A year of transformation and diversity at St. Kate’s

By Najma Hussein

At the heart of every educational institution, we see evolution and growth. As we navigate the ever-shifting landscape of academia, we embark on a journey of transformation that transcends stereotypes and ushers in an era of diversity and inclusion. This shift has been particularly evident in my experience at St. Kate’s over the past year.

I began looking into this reformation out of genuine curiosity and personal interest. I have noticed more people who look like me and are not what you expect at a women’s Catholic school in my second year here compared to last year. Although the community was already diverse in my first year, there has been an increase in the proportion of students of color. This change may be small, but it caught my eye. I am fascinated by the idea of an educational institution shifting to become more diverse and inclusive. Eager to investigate, I embarked on a quest to understand the underlying story of transformation at St. Kate’s.

Curious if others shared my observations, I started to work on a research project to comprehensively chart the influx of students of color at St. Kate’s, spanning not only this past year but also previous years. The result is a revealing graph that charts the rise in the presence of students of color on our campus, shedding light on a significant demographic shift.

Research and infographic provided by the St. Kate’s Department of Institutional Research.

As indicated by the increasing BIPOC enrollment, our school is becoming increasingly diverse. Curious to hear the thoughts of our student leaders on this matter, I reached out to interview Student Senate President Louise Ba. She emphasized that she saw the pandemic playing a role in the visibility of this change, saying, “I have noticed a shift. I have been able to connect with a demographic that I hadn’t typically seen, whether it was by way of not being on campus because of the pandemic or simply not being in the same department.” This shows how the increase in student interactions at the waning of the pandemic allowed for more connections and interactions among students from various backgrounds.

Ba also discussed the effects of this rising diversity on student spaces, stating, “I feel like being an ‘only’ in a lot of spaces can be difficult to navigate, so seeing more people of color on campus, I think, creates a more positive and welcoming space.” There’s so much importance in inclusivity and how it contributes to creating a more supportive and harmonic environment for all members of our school community.

Gabrielle Agbényiga, C-FEM coordinator and president of Black African Student Union, noticed that this year’s freshmen are very diverse and is excited to see what they will do in these next years. “I think that the current freshman class brought in a higher number of BIPOC students who were very interested in representation and holding positions of importance in our community. I also think that upperclassmen this year have grown much more confident in their abilities to be leaders on campus, and this has contributed to our overall representation as well.”

Agbényiga is a student leader who plays a role in this diversity. She underlines the need for BIPOC students to see their experiences reflected across campus. “I feel that it is important for BIPOC students to see a reflection of who they are in our community. Being a student, let alone a woman and one of color— I have noticed that people like me may not always see our people in leadership positions.”

We have the potential for continued growth by adding new members to our upper administration. Our community hopes and expects that this shift will diversify administrative roles, bringing in a fresh era of inclusiveness at all levels of leadership.

As we close this chapter on a year of remarkable change, St. Kate’s is moving in the right direction. We are creating an environment in which diversity is embraced and celebrated, and inclusion is not just a goal, but an expectation. This change reflects our community’s persistence and determination, laying the groundwork for an even more vibrant and inclusive future at St. Kate’s.