Economically disadvantaged college students face challenges not just paying for colleges, but feeling like they belong. Class is an issue students often feel uncomfortable talking about, especially at elite institutions where the gap between the richest students and the poorest students is widest. Stories about the impact of this discomfort are everywhere.
Engaging Your Community by Enlisting Your Community: Meg Bernier at SLU
Meg Bernier at St. Lawrence University recently shared her success creating an official SLU Instagram account that students control. She writes:
“I was also shocked by the incredibly positive reaction I’ve gotten from our alumni. One said, ‘Meg, I actually search for the account on Instagram to make sure I haven’t missed anything.’ Who could ask for anything more in a new endeavor? All parts of our community audience are enjoying this, not just the people it was created for.”
We can’t applaud her more. What she’s demonstrated is not just that students are passionate and capable of engaging their own community with minimal guidance, but that the entire community, not just current students, are intensely interested in this sort of effort.
Meg’s work reaffirms our hope that our own efforts weren’t a fluke—or a mistake. We’re inspired to see the efforts of Meg and SLU students succeed. It takes a lot of faith in your community to do something like this, and it’s projects like Meg’s that restore our confidence in our own work when we’re feeling unsure. Kudos. If you haven’t read Meg’s blog, check it out. We’ll be looking to her for more inspiration in the future.