Wanda Heading-Grant is starting the school year with her heart and mind wide open. Like the 1,911 students in the class of 2025+, she just became a Tartan, too.
In her keynote speech on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Carnegie Mellon University's inaugural vice provost for DEI and chief diversity officer kicked off Community Day by introducing new students to CMU's values, along with a little of her own story.
"I remember when [my children] went off to college. I cried, laughed, prayed not only for their safety but for their happiness as well. Handing my young adult children off to institutions that I could only hope would truly welcome them and make them feel like they belonged was hard," Heading-Grant said.
This year, Heading-Grant hopes to make all CMU students feel like they belong.
"My job here with you is to help you and I be seen and heard. Not just to raise my voice ... but to make your experience here be one that you and your families and your friends will be proud of and feel good about," she said.