Equity in classrooms and workplaces is not a box to check—it’s a commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse realities people carry with them. It means acknowledging that fairness doesn’t always look like sameness, and that inclusion requires more than good intentions. In the stories that follow, students and educators speak about the challenges of being marginalized within institutions that often overlook or undervalue their voices. Their experiences reveal how systemic inequities persist not only through overt exclusion but also through everyday practices that silence, dismiss, or sideline.  As you engage with these stories and videos in the next section, consider how you might help create environments where equity is not just an ideal, but a lived reality.

Am I the Problem?

As a Japanese Canadian woman and educator in higher education for over two decades, I’ve spent much of my career navigating spaces where my voice was often cut off, my ideas echoed back without credit, and earlier in my career, my age quietly dismissed. I used to wonder, was it my delivery? My confidence? Was it something I needed to fix about myself?

In an effort to be heard, I overcompensated. I sharpened my tone, polished my presence, and pushed myself to be more assertive. But underneath that drive was a quiet uncertainty: did my ethnicity, gender, or age shape how I was seen and understood by others?

What followed was a nagging sense of imposter syndrome. A feeling that I somehow didn’t belong, that I was the problem to solve. It took years to begin questioning that narrative and I started seeing the patterns. The research confirmed what my gut had been whispering: women and marginalized folks are disproportionately overlooked, their contributions diminished, and their efforts minimized.

And suddenly, it wasn’t just personal—it was systemic.

I now realize the silence I experienced wasn’t because I lacked value, but because our systems weren’t built to fully recognize it. There’s a sadness in that realization especially after speaking with many students and colleagues who share how the feeling of invisibility runs deep. It reminds me of something my mom once shared from her father: as a visible minority, you need to work twice as hard to prove yourself.

But I also see the power in naming these truths. Equity matters, because without it, talent gets silenced, and potential remains unseen. My story is just one of many—but together, they speak volumes.

By Lindsay, Faculty

Feeling ignored

I am lucky to have never experienced a traumatic event or a serious incident concerning inclusivity problems but there was one event that I could accurately recall: When I was an 11-12-year-old kid trying to enter a music competition against teenagers and adults internationally, I experienced some form of cultural and racial judgment during the time. I would have fixed assumptions pushed on me that I could see by the reactions after the judges/audience saw the performance. Compared to my competitors, I would be undermined and indirectly ignored during the casting stages and my spotlight would be given to other candidates. I was glad to have my mentor (vocal coach) advise me to push through by giving extra effort to finding little moments and opportunities to showcase my musical skills and abilities rather than getting opportunities given to them like other competitors.  I would then go on to win the competition, mainly fueled by the inequality and subtle exclusion during the first phase of the music competition.

This event affected my confidence and sense of belonging mainly by painting an equation that’s fixed in my head every time I feel like I’m not seen in new spaces or just basic overthinking in some situations. But as time went on, I developed some form of resistance to this issue and had grown as a person. Also, I had not seen it happen as frequently to other people of Southeast Asian descent as well, mainly due to media growth and the normalization of cultural diversity in the Western world.

By Kenny, Student

Proving Myself as a Girl

Back in school, I often felt that being a girl meant I was not taken seriously in some activities. Teachers would mostly pick boys for school events and leadership roles because they believed boys were better at handling responsibilities. My event management teacher, in particular, thought boys would always outperform girls. This always made me feel left out, but it also strongly motivated me to prove myself

In September 2024, an event was planned at my school (Delhi Public School Patiala), and I saw it as my chance to show what I could do. I came up with the idea of hosting a stall in collaboration with Easy Day, a retail store. When I shared this idea with my teacher, he was not very confident about letting me handle it. I kept explaining my plan and showed how serious I was about making it a success. He finally agreed to give me a chance after a lot of requests.

I knew this was my one shot to prove myself, so I worked harder than ever. I organized everything, applied the business knowledge I had learned, and gave it my best. The goal of the activity was to boost sales at the Easy Day stall, and I was proud to win second place for my efforts.

This experience really boosted my confidence. It reminded me that I did not need to accept stereotypes about what boys or girls can do. I also learned how important it is to have equal opportunities, where everyone gets a fair chance to prove themselves.

By Harman, Student