From Gangs to Graduation, Dio's #RealCollege Story

A little more than a month ago, a student asked me how come I had told other students' stories but not his yet. I was thrilled to take him up on his offer. I was grateful for the opportunity to spend some time with a student I've come to know pretty well, and who has a great story to tell. His name is Eldioju, but we all call him Dio. He's a recent graduate of Western and is back this summer pursuing a second degree. On a personal level, he and I have bonded over our shared love of basketball, although he was a much better player than I was. Dio was kind enough to share his experience making the transition from the South Side of Chicago to a college graduate. I thought I knew him pretty well, but I learned a lot that day. It is interesting to see the level of personal accountability he takes and to see the transformative power of education. I could say more, but I'll let Dio tell his story. As always, forgive the amateur video editing by yours truly.

Dio said a lot that stuck with me that day, but I was particularly struck by his  refusal to blame circumstances or "make excuses" as he said several times. It was also great to hear the power of relationships as he pointed to people on campus who made him feel welcome, wanted, and yes, loved. His grit and determination are to be admired, but I would argue they shouldn't be required. It's not an excuse to acknowledge the structural barriers of poverty, it's just a fact. We have to design our college so someone without Dio's remarkable resilience can make it too. So as we become poverty informed, we strive to do just what Dio said at the end of the video. We strive to look at people as individuals and not be afraid of them or of differences. When we remember that people come from a context and poverty is a circumstance, not a character flaw, we start to treat each other differently. And sometimes treating people differently means you get to meet "a nice guy who tries to help people." Our students teach us how to improve every day and I'm glad Dio took time to help me.