As you open this article, please look around you. Really look. Who do you see? Who do you not see? Before I look up from my laptop, I can already tell you my surroundings. I attend a predominantly white institution where most everyone looks familiar, and the visible differences are rare. For some, this reality changes nothing; for others, this changes everything.
Representation is not something that everyone would think about daily. If you always have others who look like you in classes, clubs, and athletic teams. Even down to the leadership at your school, it feels normal. But for some students, who do not often see themselves reflected in those spaces, representation can shape their entire college experience. It influences how they feel from belonging to comfort.
To better understand what representation is like on our campus, I interviewed two students, Blair Baptiste and Prince Kiruhura, about their perspectives. They have different lives on Bonaventure’s campus, allowing for a broader perspective to be shared. Both acknowledged progress while recognizing that improvement is still needed.
“I’ve seen huge improvements in representation,” Kiruhura shared. “However, there is always room for improvement.” This shows that students are feeling balanced on campus, aware that this representation is not yet a finished goal.
At St. Bonaventure, diversity exists in many forms. While I would consider our campus to have diversity in certain ways, true representations go beyond that. It requires spaces where all students feel seen and supported. Both talked about the importance of organizations such as BSU (Black Student Union) and STEP as communities that foster belonging and great representation.
For Baptiste, who is currently serving as president of BSU, creating this sense of belonging is intentional. “I want BSU to be a safe and welcoming environment, not only for African American students, but for their allies,” Baptiste explained. BSU is more than a club; it is a space for identities to be shared, voices to be amplified, and students to show up as their authentic selves.
While our campus has taken meaningful steps towards improving representation, both students made it clear that the work does not stop here. Representation is not just about having diverse faces in brochures or at events; it is about ensuring students see themselves in leadership roles, faculty positions, and mentorship opportunities.
I will leave with you a message from Baptiste that challenges all of us to think deeper:
“I wish students who didn’t think about representation would take a moment to imagine what life would be like if they weren’t able to see others who looked like them or that they could connect with – what life would be like if they didn’t see anyone like them in leadership roles or have any mentors who understood their background and culture.”
Representation may not change everything for everyone. But for some students, it changes everything.