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Riker Fesperman of La Salle is the winner of Illinois Valley Community College’s 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Essay Writing Contest.
The contest is sponsored by the Illinois Valley Community College President’s Office. Students could submit any format – essay, poetry, or short story – to address an experience with any aspect of diversity, equity and inclusion. Entries were evaluated on insight into the topic and technical skill.
An essay by Logan Zeglis received second place, and an essay by Nena Wright, third. The winners all receive small cash awards.
“Giving a voice to the voiceless, lending my strength to those who feel weak, and standing up to injustice are a core part of my identity. They also inform my understanding of what equity in practice should look like. Equity is an action word,” Fesperman wrote.