I came to the UW four years ago seeking a depth of understanding around questions keeping me up at night - questions about the future of cities, spatial inequality, and how to support and sustain belonging in all spaces were unsettling. As a new Husky, I needed the tools to process my thoughts. I hope reflection conveys my specific thanks to you, CEP,  and helps you understand how you have been integral in defining my academic trajectory over the past two years and my long-term commitment to socially just civic engagement.

 

One of my first transformative academic and personal experiences at the UW was in the summer of 2019 on the Interdisciplinary Honors study abroad program, Dutch Design, and Innovation. Through it, I learned that inclusive spatial design changes narratives and social structures that would otherwise divide us. I observed people being “seen” or included (or not being included) by spaces and other people. I find it imperative that I be able to analyze and reflect on how spaces, especially public spaces, are able to act as validators of people’s existence and needs. One experience from this trip sticks out as a perfect example of inclusive design:

 

I got it, I got it!” At least I assumed the little girl was saying something of that sort. Her wide grin and clenched hands holding the picture book depicted the positive power of designing with the end-user in mind. As I watched her run over to her mother, clutching the book close to her heart, I couldn’t help but grin as well. Grabbing a book off a shelf may seem unimportant, even undeserving of analysis or intentional reflection, but for this little girl, it was a display of independence and maturity. The step stool near the bookshelf was the perfect height for her to climb onto and search for what she wanted. The girl walked with her mother over to a cozy reading nook, cleverly built into the bookshelf itself, and they began reading together. 

 

At this moment she was able to associate the physical library space and the act of reading with feeling proud and confident. Including people and their needs in a space immediately welcomes them in and reassures them that they are included and wanted. A step stool may feel unnecessary to an adult because our positionality informs what we consider necessary or essential for a space; not needing a step stool for yourself does not mean that it won’t be useful for someone else. Through collaborating with my peers in governance and classes I learned more about how our life experiences, home environments, economic status, political affiliations, and cultural practices are all aspects of how we engage with and think about the world, which means our position can blind us to the needs of others. 

 

This little girl may have never had this wonderful, independent experience if a focus group of children had not been consulted in the design process. The librarians understood that their own positionality was not enough to make a comfortable and inclusive space for children, so they naturally engaged them in the process to ensure that little girls like this one could have a safe space to read and know that they are welcome.
 

Going abroad offered me the chance to see how different cultures navigate challenges so that I could come back to my own community and be part of creating tangible solutions to effect social change. This trip, along with my own personal experiences prior to my time at the UW, ultimately defined my CEP capstone research question: How do community museums center source communities during the co-creation process to increase representation within and ownership over their exhibits? Through this project I have been exploring the different ways community-centered museums are breaking the mold of traditional museum practices to make space for community members to share their own stories on their own terms, recognizing there are still many limitations. This project was so rewarding because I have spent my entire life in academic/educational institutions and appreciated having the time and space to really question the processes that govern how I am able to engage with and learn from people and be content in them. I learned that there is no “one” way for co-creation to happen, and I’ve really valued the different perspectives that expanded my understanding of what a museum can be and who it is meant to serve. 

 

Okay, back to the start of CEP…I was so excited to be in a cohort where I could intimately connect with and learn from my peers on a personal level. I had already spent so much time in Gould hall during CEP 200 and just studying in Gould Court, I couldn’t wait to be back there as a CEP student! Unfortunately, that didn’t quite pan out the way I had hoped. COVID-19 meant that our classrooms turned into isolated black boxes and the connections that had so far defined my time at UW were relegated to FaceTimes and masked fist-bumps. CEP was not designed for virtual connection, it’s the relationships we form outside of the classroom that makes the classroom environment what it is. Although far from ideal, I think that this experience motivated our cohort to make the most of the time we did have together in person and it has prepared me to use the constraints of our world to inspire innovative solutions to problems previously thought too daunting to address.

 

My commitment to building inclusive communities didn’t start with the pandemic, but CEP prepared me to view the constraints of the pandemic as a chance to assess where and when I am needed as an advocate and a leader. One way that I specifically stepped up outside of the classroom was as an O&A co-point. Working with my peers to run the process and think about how to make it more equitable and accessible was possibly the most rewarding part of being in the program. I learned time management skills, how to think from multiple perspectives, and how to balance delegating tasks and letting others lead. 

 

The uncertainty of the pandemic reminds me that change moves at the speed of trust. In summer 2021, I was able to put that lesson into practice as a Community Development Intern with Emerson Collective in Palo Alto, CA. I internalized the language of collective action and environmental justice on your campus, and because of that, I found my way into a compelling, competitive internship that furthered my commitment to and expertise in social advocacy and spatial equity.

 

In CEP I’ve found my voice and have learned when and how to use it for building inclusive communities. I see many roads ahead for myself spanning different cities and fields of study, but the unifying factor is that I now understand how critical it is for people to have agency over the spaces they inhabit or call home. I am excited at the prospect of joining new communities that are as collaborative and civic-minded as those in CEP.

 

Love,Talia