“Just being in AP or Honors classes and not seeing a lot of diversity can be kind of disheartening. I think there’s a lot of students that are capable of taking these advanced classes but maybe are held back because of the lack of diversity. Sometimes in my history class we will have discussions about issues that POC face in the U.S. and it’s all white people contributing to the conversations.”

“Teachers can be more culturally inclusive and welcoming by becoming emotionally invested in students. A teacher taking interest in you, you don’t want to let them down. Every expectation is met, I developed my own pride in my academic performance. They saw something in me and believed in me. They expected me to do things they knew I could do.”

“Having Latinx teachers and/or teachers that speak your language and know the cultural differences or barriers that Latinx kids face, especially if they’re first generation (in my experience), is incredibly helpful. My Spanish teacher freshman and sophomore year really made me feel welcome in her class. Her classroom also just seemed to become a safe space for me and a lot of other Latinx students on campus. I felt a difference when I was in her class versus when I went to my Honors English class next period (which had mostly white students).”