Coming to UC Davis in 2016, I was initially interested in sociological theory and its practical applications. I quickly found out the kind of theory I loved was experiential and unapologetically subjective, and the place where those kinds of learning opportunities and experiences were being offered was in ethnic studies classes.

As an older student—34 when I arrived—I expected to feel out of place in most classrooms. What I didn’t expect was to be so affected and inspired by the power of representation alongside critical thinking in an institutional setting.