Education Commons^™

Institutionalized Erasure: The Influence Of Binarism On Nonbinary College Students, Max Cordes Galbraith

The Vermont Connection

The narratives and experiences of nonbinary people and nonbinary college students are still infrequent in scholarship and are viewed as abnormal, niche experiences. Normative ideals are further enforced by the severe lack of nonbinary scholars and researchers. In this paper, I name the challenges of normativity and use the existing literature to explore current obstacles to nonbinary students’ senses of liberation, safety, and belonging at their institutions of higher education. I use normativity, specifically transnormativity, and binarism frameworks to explore barriers to nonbinary students’ liberation and full engagement in higher education, and the uniqueness of nonbinary students’ experiences compared to …

Past, Present, & Future: A History Of Bipoc Student Support & Student-Led Protests At Uvm, Nelizabeth Diaz, Logan Henrique De Melo, Maria Del Sol Nava

The Vermont Connection

(A PowerPoint version of this submission can be downloaded from the right-hand side bar of this page.)

University Leadership to have people in their corner that support students, representation and care for students at the university in higher level positions that could create change. There needs to be more Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) representation on this campus as a whole. Before making decisions, the institution must consult the populations that will be most affected and ask itself: are we doing more damage than helping? The goal was to look at how BIPOC students at UVM have been supported …

Exceptionally Flawed: A Story About Expectations And Truth, Maria Del Sol Nava

The Vermont Connection

This is my story about the pressures of growing up as a first-gen Latina from a low-income background who was often told my only option was to be exceptional. Putting my all into everything was the only way to be successful; to be the social ladder for my family. Because of this pressure to always be perfect there were many times when I failed to meet false expectations which led to disappointment, dismay, and feelings of imposter syndrome. My successes and failures are valuable, valid, and equal parts of where I am today; with love, support, and lots of tears …