Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion

Yá'át'ééh UCSC Slugs! 

My name is Saxon Stahl, they/them pronouns, College Nine affiliate, and I am a fourth year Environmental Studies Major with Minors in Politics & Earth Science. It is a tremendous privilege and honor to be your Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for this upcoming academic year. I look forward to the opportunities that this role entails in collaborating with or having fundamental conversations with y’all on how our campus community can achieve a more equitable and safe climate for students who represent the multitude of beautiful and vibrant communities on our campus. 

I am the first person in my family to attend a higher education institution and I’m associated with three Indigenous tribes (Pascua Yaqui, Navajo, and Hopi). I was also the only LGBTQ+ student at my highschool until my senior year so navigating spaces that I felt underrepresented in led me to be passionate about changing spaces I enter into for the betterment of folx that come after me and share various underrepresented identities. My experiences in highschool are why I ran for the VP of Diversity & Inclusion position two years in a row. Prior to being VP of Diversity & Inclusion, I served as the Chair of the SUA Vision Committee, served in College Nine Senate since my first week as a freshman, and the VP of Public Relations for College Nine Senate, just to name a few. A couple fun facts about me are that I was a former gymnast until the age of 13 and I now own eight different tarot and oracle decks. 

Given the uncertain circumstances we find ourselves in, it is with full intention that I plan for the SUA Office of Diversity & Inclusion to be adaptable to the COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid learning environment UCOP is pushing for in this upcoming school year. Whether it is through Zoom or over email, there is work to be done within this office that we cannot afford to be less than efficient on achieving or laying the groundwork for. However, even with the hybrid learning pushed by UCOP, the Diversity & Inclusion Office will have no designation on coordinating events or meetings with the intent to meet in person until safe to do so. Practicing safety guidelines set out by the CDC and the WHO will be a top priority as it is a reflection to care about the safety of others in our community. My office hours will be held over Zoom by appointment only! Just email suavpd@ucsc.edu prior if you would like to schedule a discussion/meeting.

Some of my goals in my position as VPDI are heavily centered around amplified support and empowerment designated towards BIPOC students specifically. With events planned like Indigenous Representation in Media to promoting an increase in ABC identity centered scholarships and even advocating for our heavily underfunded ethnic resource centers, our campus needs to do more in support and visibility for BIPOC students. In addition, I’m going to utilize my office at its capacity in advocating for a more Indigenized and Afrocentric UCSC campus as centralizing underrepresented communities can shed light on ongoing issues BIPOC students face in an institution that wasn’t originally designed to support their higher education journey. I’m looking forward to the various opportunities of change that can occur this upcoming year.

If you would like to get into contact with my office about any campus events, initiatives, discussions on campus issues, or just to say hello, my email address once again is suavpd@ucsc.edu. My personal instagram is sajondelyas and please join the SUA VPDI facebook page where we will provide updates to campus events and links to my monthly reports so y’all know what my office is doing throughout the whole academic year https://www.facebook.com/ucscodi. I also use Signal, so just email me personally or dm me for my number if you would prefer to have a safe and secure conversation regarding any issues you would like for the office to be aware of or take action on. 

I truly believe that actions speak louder than words and it is with hope that the actions my office will exhibit this upcoming year will empower others to demand accountability from authoritative entities and pursue their own initiatives to change the campus community around them.