Hear from Current Learners

Jesse Cohen

Department: School of Medicine-Physical Therapy, 2023

Your experience with diversity and culture at HSC:

Thanks to the tapestry of cultures present, UNM is becoming a potent place for activists. And as new New Mexican, coming in the midst of a pandemic, my dream is to join hands and raise our voices together, to learn each other’s songs and celebrate the paths we’ve come in on. So far, I have come closest to that in the visioning meetings and conversations around anti-racist reform inspired by White Coats For Black and Indigenous Lives. Creating safe space for the hard conversations, and working from the bottom up, is how we’re going to actualize systemic reform.

Thanks to the efforts of WC4BIL I have plugged in with a mosaic of UNM students, staff, and faculty who are dedicated to catalyzing systemic change within our University. The most passionate and inspiring change-makers I know are raising up hushed voices, demanding financial investments be made with integrity, and championing healthcare education curriculum which is holistic and anti-racist.

We do it by honoring the truth behind every voice. And the most important voices are the ones that are missing due to admissions and hiring practices that keep them out. Please, step up- there’s work to be done.