Diversity has always been a major priority to me, not just in my personal life, but in the ways I operate as a journalist. As student journalists, it is incredibly important to be aware of how our decisions and unaddressed bias might affect the ways we both research and write a story. To address this, our staff often have discussions on how we can become more informed individuals as we educate each other about the world. Our conversations range from issues of diversity, use of harmful language and micro-aggressive comments, to sharing our own personal stories, touching on the diversity that is present within our staff. This not only promotes and creates a team that is comfortable with tackling these subjects, it also helps all of us know how to address the areas we can improve in. These skills and knowledge then translate to outside of the classroom, leading to a team which is ready to educate the student body on topics of diversity. 

My team and I regularly hold discussions with administration and work with them on ways we can help our school feel more welcoming to all communities on campus, a topic which has been covered in multiple stories on our site. As a student journalist, I have used my voice on social media to raise awareness for issues or events that are important. I've also used my student voice within presentations to policy makers at our school in order to help foster diversity within our community. Working as a student journalist has not only helped me feel comfortable addressing adults in positions of power, it has helped me ensure that I share the stories of individuals who may not have the platform to speak on.