JR Rivera

"Education is sacred to me. It is a space where ideas can be created and explored without judgment, where pluralism is not simply tolerated but acknowledged as a means to foster a richer understanding of humanity. As an undergrad, I learned that literature had the power to extend that space into the privacy of my own whereabouts. But more importantly it had the ability to develop my sense of empathy so that I could truly begin to see the importance of a pluralistic society not just from my own limited perspective but from many perspectives; it allowed me to see the world with a constant brilliance. STEP has taught me the knowledge and wisdom to recreate those spaces so that I can teach others to find that beauty in the world on their own terms. "