Paying It Forward
Thursday March 4, 2021 | Filed under:
The past year has been one of personal introspection, with months of pandemic isolation while watching decades of anger erupt across the country. For me, the hardest words to hear were “white privilege,” because I never felt privileged growing up, being fed by Food Stamps and kept healthy by Medicaid. But I came to see the inherent benefit of my race and my gender and grew to understand that as a white male, I have a responsibility to use my privilege to be an ally for people who aren’t necessarily like me, especially for those who need extra support early in their lives.
One tangible step in this journey was just announced by my alma mater, Ball State University, where I’ve permanently endowed a graduate assistantship to study LGBTQ+ issues with a focus on the intersection between LGBTQ+ studies and the BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, and people of color). The assistantship will be based in the new Multicultural Center, under construction in the heart of campus. I’m sharing the news so others might think of what they can do to become an ally, whether by donating their time, talent, treasure – or all three.
The new center will be home to a wide variety of organizations and programs for traditionally under-represented students and open later this year, with the main lobby dedicated in my name. The true meaning of the importance of such a campus center was driven home to me in an essay written by junior journalism student Tierra Harris. If you’ve ever wondered if progress and opportunities really matter, please read her very compelling story.
She writes, in part: "It’s true, I still sit in majorly white classrooms, instructed by majorly white professors while learning about majorly white events and icons. But I can say that the Multicultural Center, the Black professors I’ve met, the Black students I found unity with, have all aided in my growth and made the biggest positive impact on my college journey."
For me, moving to Ball State, with 15,000 students, was scary at first, but I soon discovered I wasn’t alone. I made friends in Botsford/Swinford halls (like the ones seen below), became managing editor of the college newspaper and received my first real training in journalism, along with my “back-up” dual degree in business – all of which contributed to future success.
I hope the new Multicultural Center and this graduate assistantship help all students see Ball State as a place that is welcoming, where there are allies, where there are people who want nothing but to create a better life for someone else.
As part of the endowment process, Ball State interviewed me about my college experience as part of a campaign to encourage others to give. I’m sharing one of the questions and my answers below, in hopes it might resonate:
Tim’s advice for future students to help them have a fulfilling career and meaningful life?
No. 1: Never forget where you came from. No. 2: Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself – it’s what makes you grow. No. 3: Never forget the people so important to your success, because none of us truly go through life alone. Even if years pass, you need to remember and honor those early mentors and friends.
Decades later, I can say with certainty that what I learned at Ball State, the friends I made, the advisors who guided me and my overall college experience helped make me the person, and executive, I am today.