Building a Bigger Comfort Zone

Whether you’re an education student looking to fill your diversity requirement or you’re looking to connect with fellow BU students on a more meaningful level, Professor Juan Rios Vega has you covered. Starting when he first came to Bradley eight years ago, the professor has totally revamped the identity-explorative ETE 280 class, Exploring Diversity, to be effective and intriguing for students from all walks of life.

Bringing in his own background as an immigrant man of color with English as a second language, Rios Vega uses the class to dismantle students’ perceptions of issues like prejudice. Through both learning and unlearning, he walks students through difficult subjects in a comfortable way.

“We create a sense of family. By the end of the semester, you should know everybody's names and have heard everybody's voices because this is the place where you can speak from your truth, from your own experiences. Ain't nobody here to judge you,” Rios Vega explained. “Is it a risky space? Absolutely. But it’s about stepping just outside of your comfort zone.”

Because of the personal nature of ETE 280, certain elements shift every class. While Rios Vega sets the tone, students are expected to establish the boundaries by which they engage with each other. Frequent rules include: Be a good listener; speak from your own experience; and don't take things too personally.

Some of the skills students pick up include how to support multilingual students, how to empower parents to be a part of the school system, and how to be a leader in a school setting. Their unconventional final project, a self portrait and poem that reflects on the discussions held over the course of the semester, also informs their ability to give and grade nonstandard assignments.

However, the class isn’t limited to education students. There are benefits for anybody interested in the content, regardless of your background or experience with prejudice.

“Some of the topics I unpack are related not only to future teachers, but to every single individual living in this society,” Rios Vega said. “When students who aren’t pursuing a teaching degree decide to take the class, they’ll say ‘I think this is a class that every single student on campus should take.’”

–Jenevieve Rowley-Davis