The Power of Diversity

Transcript

Let’s meet Claiborne. He’s a hospitality major originally from Dallas, Texas, and at UNLV, he meets people with different backgrounds and ethnicities every day, and it’s not only the student body. UNLV also has a diverse faculty. Claiborne is gonna share what it means to him to be part of the UNLV community. Claiborne, the mike is all yours.

Appreciate that, Alex. What’s good, y’all? I’m originally from Texas, but I decided to come to the entertainment capital of the world to get a new experience and UNLV has truly shown me what I’m capable of. I used to get in trouble in class for talking too much, but at UNLV, I’m encouraged to participate in class wide discussions and ask questions. I couldn’t have picked a major that suited me better than hospitality. With aspirations to become a casino manager, I made the best choice by not only coming to Las Vegas, but also to one of the highest ranked hospitality programs in the world. A degree in this program could open up doors you couldn’t even imagine. With how tight-knit the university is with Las Vegas Strip properties, you can’t let an opportunity like this go to waste. As one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, UNLV is truly a new experience for me. Not only do the teachers come from different backgrounds, but the student body is also extremely diverse with more than half of the students coming from ethnic backgrounds as well. This makes the experience better for students of color like myself and most of my classmates. From my experience at UNLV, I feel more comfortable now that I can see people like myself represented not only in the student body, but the faculty as well. UNLV’s unique college experience has helped me expand my ways of thinking in ways I couldn’t imagine. It has enabled me to approach problems from different perspectives. I am more than happy that everything is going so well and I’m excited to see what’s in store for the next semester and the next four years, but that’s all for me. Are you feeling lucky, Alex? Back to you.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Claiborne. Studying at a diverse university like UNLV will expand your way of thinking and help you approach problems from different perspectives. Finding common ground with others who have had different experiences can positively impact your view of the world around you. That was great.