Walking into my first Leadership Jeffco’s Youth Leadership meeting, I noticed that I was the only Asian male. I wasn't surprised (as I had grown used to it) but I still felt a little disappointed. Ironically, that same day became one of my most valuable experiences ever. After a full day of icebreakers, entrepreneurship lessons, and team challenges, one activity stood out above the rest: Gregg Vanourek's presentation on the Importance of Diversity in the Workplace.
Vanourek's presentation explained how diversity in the workplace leads to greater productivity, inclusivity, and happiness. We introduced the DEI Maturity Model–Aware (1), Representation (2), Tactical (3), Integrated (4), and Sustainable (5)–and, using data from research articles, explained how stage 5 showed a significant increase in productivity percentage compared to stage 1. And in this moment, while Vanourek continued on with his presentation, I drifted into reflection, particularly towards my time at Chatfield High School.
For up to three years at my high school, I often struggled to feel a true sense of belonging in relation to my peers. Much of it came from my different interests: I was drawn to STEM competitions like the AMC 10 or National Science Bowl, while most Chatfield students were drawn in athletics. However, of course, I can't generalize the whole school. So, in an attempt to mitigate this feeling of disconnection, I took the initiative to promote these academic-based competitions. I began by starting a Mu Alpha Theta chapter, then founding a Medical Society club, and later establishing a National Science Bowl team. With these initiatives, I was able to create a community where students with the same interests could gather together and make high school a little bit more enjoyable. Yet, even with these efforts, belonging just felt out of reach.
Another possible reason for this feeling of disconnection may be my school's lack of diversity: 78.7% White, 13.5% Hispanic, 4.2% Two or more races, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% Black, and 0.3% Native American. These are just bare statistics. To illustrate this problem, I would remember, during my freshmen year I would count the total number of Asian peers in a classroom full of thirty students, across seven classes total, and I would end up with just an average of 0.14. This number doesn't even cross a whole integer; and it wouldn't in my sophomore or junior year either. It wasn't unkindness from my peers, but unrecognized differences. This forced students like me to search for ways to belong in other ways. And I don't blame Chatfield itself. The issue seems to reflect a broader district-wide trend: as in 2025, Jefferson County students are 64.2% White, 26.3% Hispanic, 5.1% Two or more races, 2.8% Asian, 1.2% Black, and 0.4% Native American.
But this past summer at Carnegie Mellon University's Computational Biology Program, I experienced the opposite: surrounded by suitemates from many different backgrounds, I grew close with peers like Tawasol, a Sudanese student from Illinois; Abraham, an Ethiopian classmate; Leo, a student who also partipcated in math competitions like me; and many other unique friends. There, diversity brought us closer. It deepened our conversations, and strengthened our community. And perhaps for the first time, I felt I belonged. This experience, along with Vanourek’s talk, taught me that diversity is a valuable element because it expands what we can learn from one another. I’m bringing that lesson to my Mu Alpha Theta leadership committee and, one day, to a company of my own. It’s ironic: as a freshman I didn’t understand how race could change an applicant’s story. But now, I understand. Now I see how it holds the potential to create a stronger community, and that's the kind of leader I strive to be.