What Is I AM U THRIVING?
I AM U THRIVING is a powerful visual storytelling campaign committed to highlighting the depth and variety of human experiences within our campus community. Through the art of storytelling our goal is to showcase the multifaceted narratives that shape our collective identity.
At this annual event, individuals are captured in photographs, each holding a whiteboard inscribed with their personal narratives—sharing who they are, the obstacles they've conquered, and their truths.
These photographs serve to spotlight, affirm, and empower the stories of our campus community members. Additionally, there is a storytelling workshop during the event, crafted to prompt participants to explore themes such as identity, community, intersectionality, inclusion, diversity, and belonging.
Sharing stories
There is power in documenting our stories, especially when they are underrepresented, inaccurate, or outright missing in most venues.
- Gilda Ochoa
The importance of stories stems from the deep interconnectedness of human beings. By sharing stories, individuals can gain a better understanding of those around them, their surroundings, which leads to increased empathy and a sense of understanding. Finding similarities between each other forms a connection and helps build our community campus.
The process for sharing stories challenges us to think about our privileges as human beings whose bodies are organized in hierarchies that perpetuate oppression and uphold systems of power.
I AM U THRIVING is meant to be authentic and deeply moving, so we connect at the most personal level and remain curious about our fellow U colleagues and classmates. Everyone is welcomed to share their experiences, how might they practice agency & allyship, or express their positionalities to be accomplices in the work around diversity and inclusion.
Feature Overview
Every step of my story, from my childhood, to my journey to the United States, to becoming an associate vice president at a Tier 1 research university, all those unknown details make me who I am and gives me power. I want others to know that there is power in telling your own story and on your terms.
Read more about Dr. Bryan Hubain's story here
This visual campaign allows our campus family to share more about themselves and the complexities of identity, begin to learn about difference, and help us become more understanding, which is a crucial part to allyship.
Read more about I AM U THRIVING here
Get Involved
Visual Storytelling Workshop
Led by Student Affairs and nested within the larger One U Thriving initiative of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, join us for the unnual I AM U THRIVING Visual Storytelling Campaign on April 3rd, 2024 at the Union Ballroom East anytime from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
Are you ready to share your story? Sign up below to particpate!