Division of Equity and Engagement
Yosagandhi Tarvin (she/her/ella)
Staff, Alumnx, Community Partnership Coordinator
I am a bilingual, dual citizenship, cisgender, Mexicana. I am a proud daughter of
a single young immigrant mother. I am a mother to a bi-racial child, a wife, a yogi
and a first-generation college student.
Q: What does equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging mean to you?
A: It means being in a space and feeling seen, heard and appreciated for the unique perspective one brings to the discussion.
Q: How have your intersecting identities played a role in who you are today?
A: "Because of my identities I have empathy, compassion and strategy. A quote that has stayed with me through my life is “It's the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it.”
― Frank Warren"
Q: To what extent are you able to bring your full self to campus each day? Or, to
what extent were you able to bring your authentic self to campus each day during your
time as a student?
A: I recently started to feel more comfort in bringing my true self to campus. I still struggle to suppress some parts that may be deemed "unprofessional"
Q: How would you improve inclusivity and belonging on campus? Or, how have you seen
inclusivity and belonging on campus evolve since you were a Fresno State student?
A: We need more faculty that mirrors the student body. We need to figure our how to make Alumnx feel like they still belong!//Seeing cabinet leaders come from different backgrounds has been a wonderful change to see!
Q: How can each of us make an increased commitment to ensure people of every identity
feel welcomed, included and that they belong?
A: Surround yourself with people that are different from you and actively seek to understand identities that you may not know much about.