I had the privilege of chatting with Jacques Goren about his identity and sense of belonging at ASU. Through our dialogue I think we were able to create some understanding of each other’s identity and how we fit into ASU’s culture. One of the first things I noticed when Jacques popped up on my Zoom screen was a huge ASU logo painted on the wall behind him. As a fully online student I’ve never been to an ASU campus, so I was super excited to discuss with him what campus life was like. Acknowledging our differences as an online student vs. in-person student was one of the first things we learned about each other.

We decided to start our discussion by asking each other about what dimensions of diversity have the greatest value on our identity. Jacques highlighted his Chicano ethnicity as one of the biggest influences on his identity. He discussed with me how he grew up in the Los Angeles area, surrounded by a rich culture of community, music, baseball and a love for cars. I could sense how much Jacques loved his culture and his family when he spoke, and I came to understand how much this part of his identity shaped him. I, on the other hand, don’t have much connection to my ethnicity because I didn’t grow up with either of my parents acknowledging that part of our identity. Instead, I discussed with Jacques that my gender as a woman has socialized and shaped my worldview the most. I found our differences really interesting, and I enjoyed having a conversation with another student who identifies differently than myself.

When Jacques and I discussed questions about belonging at ASU, I found our conversations circling around me being a fully- online student, and Jacques being in-person student. I think we discussed this topic so much because we realized how truly different our experiences at ASU have been because of it. I was really taken back by how connected Jacques was in the ASU community, and how happy this sense of belonging made him feel. He explained to me that he stays connected within the ASU community by participating in intramural sports, by working with the ASU baseball team as a grounds crew member and attending activities like rallies. By doing this Jacques feels a sense of belonging at ASU, which protects him from distress, improves his health and fosters self- determination (Sharpe et al., 2016). However, Jacques explained that he wasn’t always so connected to the ASU community. He recalls being a freshman (he’s a junior now) and having a few weeks where he felt depressed and disconnected from friends and family. It wasn’t until he was able to branch out and join community activities like Freshman rallies, and get a job with the ASU grounds crew, that he started to feel happier and more connected.

Jacques’s strong sense of belonging at ASU caused me to reflect on my own experiences. As an online student I struggle to feel connected to the ASU student culture because I am not physically on campus with other students. However, I realized as I chatted with Jacques that I haven’t honestly tried to connect with many online groups or communities at ASU. It’s not that I’ve been actively isolating myself – it’s more that I have viewed ASU as very much a ‘means to an end’. By doing this, I’ve alienated myself from the ASU community, which has caused me to feel isolated. The feeling of belonging is a feeling of mutual respect, belonging, self-esteem, trust, comfort, courage, connection with the community, togetherness as well as being heard and listened to (Sharpe et al., 2016). The truth is, ASU has never made me feel excluded as an online student. I believe I am at fault for not trying to engage more with school pride, communities and social groups. It reminded me that it’s not just an organization’s responsibility to make others feel included- there is also some personal responsibility to find communities you feel belonging in.

Through talking with Jacques, I was able to cognitively understand more of my own identity and sense of belonging at ASU. I loved hearing about all the fun activities he engaged in on campus and was encouraged that he felt ASU covered all dimensions of inclusion: psychosocial, relational, participatory, and organization (Sharpe et al., 2016). I am excited to be going onto the ASU campus for the first time next month for my graduation. I truly feel like my sense of belonging will increase just by stepping foot on the campus and walking beside fellow students.