Posted 8:46 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
A Conversation with CTJ Peer Diversity Specialist Jayda LaFleur
Peer Diversity Specialists (PDS) within the Center for Transformative Justice (CTJ) are student leaders who work to bring a better understanding of equity, inclusion and respect for all individuals and their intersectional identities. They create and present material, facilitate informal dialogue, and support the CTJ office. This academic year CTJ is grateful to have two wonderful PDS: Jayda LaFleur and Vaatu Wastradowski. Both students are curious, empathetic, and dedicated to justice.
How did you decide on your topic for peer presentations?
I am currently pursuing a career in Art Education, but I also grew up spending a great deal of time in my Mom’s classroom. Education is something I am not only very familiar with, but also very passionate about. However, throughout my academic career I watched as students different from the rest were left behind, myself being one of them. I was placed into various talent and gifted programs as a child. My sophomore year of high school however, I faced a pretty significant brain injury and was placed into an IEP. Experiencing first hand the change in treatment from a lot of faculty was eye opening. I also was denied the accommodations recommended by a neurologist for standardized tests such as the ACT. When it came time to decide a topic that I felt fell under a transformative justice umbrella and deserved to have attention brought to it, my own academic career made the decision to focus on the NCLB Act and how to bring equity to these students an easy one.
Has CTJ given you access to anything you didn’t have before or removed any barriers that were in your way?
I originally sought out a position in CTJ as a way to build on my career in Education. I felt as though the work I would do as a Peer Diversity Specialist would be great practice for the research and presentations I would need to do in my own classroom moving forward. Although this is still true, I have gained so much more from this position. Not only is this the only job that I actually look forward to coming to in the mornings, but it is also the only time that I have felt a sense of belonging on campus. I have met so many amazing people through this position who have been overwhelmingly supportive of me. My work environment is somewhere that I not only always feel safe in, but also feel encouraged to have pride in my own identity and what makes me different from others. This kind of emotional support is incredibly empowering and something I can confidently say I did not have access to prior to my involvement in CTJ.
