ABINGTON, Pa. — The Penn State "All In" initiative brings students, faculty and staff together to demonstrate their commitment to developing a diverse and inclusive environment — respectful of everyone regardless of differences.
As part of the ongoing "All In" effort, the University plans a permanent outdoor piece at Penn State Abington to represent its commitment to equality and asked the community to contribute quotes that may be included.
Abington staffer Frank Quattrone set out to learn what diversity and inclusion mean at Penn State Abington, the most diverse campus within the Penn State system. Here is what the campus community had to say:
What Abington students say about diversity and inclusion ...
“I believe that realizing our differences is our path to overcome all kinds of racism. What makes America great is not its economy or educational system; what makes America great is the people with their diversity and acceptance of each other." Mostafa Shabaka, sophomore
“ ‘We Are' means equality. The religion we practice, the language we speak, the color of our skins should not matter. We all bleed the same color. One should be proud of being different. An old Islamic proverb goes, 'A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.' And we all are flowers in this bouquet of life." Zeena Khan, freshman
“Diversity is the foundation of American development. My favorite entrepreneur is Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian who immigrated to the United States. A great nation doesn’t throw people out of the country but accepts everyone to help improve the quality of everyone’s life. This is what will make America great again.” Ahmad Alhaddad, senior
“As humans we must realize that things like race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion don't change the fact that we are all human. We cannot tear each other apart for our differences. That’s what makes us beautiful. Divided we fall, united we stand taller and stronger than any mountain." Alyshia Hercules, freshman
“In my opinion, being from a different background should not affect whether we can be one big Penn State Family. Diversity is what makes Penn State unique and one big cultural melting pot. Here at Penn State, diversity is never rejected, but accepted with open hands. WE ARE!” Ashish Baby, senior
“Before I attended school here, I never knew how much I would enjoy getting to know my peers and how much I would appreciate its diversity. As Michel de Montaigne said, ‘There were never in the world two opinions alike, any more than two hairs or two grains. Their most universal quality is diversity.’ ” Diana Cristancho, sophomore
What Abington faculty and staff say about diversity and inclusion ...
“Diversity represents an opportunity to learn. We are all so unique, and our differences make us even more beautiful and valuable to those around us. Inclusion represents hope for a day when labels are obsolete, and we are all just people.” Robin M. Burgess, Office of Continuing Education
“I love my mother’s metaphor of hands. She said if all our fingers have the same length and width, our hands would be less attractive, less functional, nor could we harness the hands’ fullest strength. Similarly, if all people share the same racial characteristics, hold the same beliefs, the world would certainly not be an interesting place." Binh Le, Associate Librarian
“Diversity embodies celebrating how we are different. Inclusion embraces our diversity by bringing our unique skills together as one powerful resource. Inclusion creates a respectful, nonjudgmental environment of involvement, connection, and collaboration where different perspectives allow teams to excel in innovative ways. Penn State strives to be a global community.” Fran Pahlevani, Associate Professor of Mathematics
“The ‘All In’ initiative encourages each of us to consistently find ways to bring diverse and underrepresented voices to the forefront, and to foster respectful dialogue and inquiry that leads to equitable and inclusive campus communities.” — Paula M. Smith, Associate Librarian
“What inspires me to be ‘All In’ at Penn State is my strong commitment with my students. When I stand in front of the class, I think not only about the subject I’m teaching, but also my responsibility to show the importance of creating a safe, open, welcoming environment in order to become successful global citizens.” Rosa Maria Tamayo Chism, Senior Lecturer, Spanish
Penn State Abington, formerly the Ogontz campus, offers baccalaureate degrees in 18 majors at its suburban location just north of Philadelphia. Nearly half of our 4,000 students complete all four years at Abington, with opportunities in undergraduate research, the Schreyer honors program, NCAA Division III athletics, and more. Students can start the first two years of more than 160 Penn State majors at Abington and complete their degree at University Park or another campus. Lions Gate, our first residence hall, will open in August.
