‘Vision Board with Ms. B’ helps students visualize their identities

Students+in+the+Black%2FAfrican+American+Culture+Center+office+craft+vision+boards+with+the+help+of+Bridgette+Johnson%2C+assistant+vice+president+at+The+Office+of+Inclusive+Excellence+Feb.+15.+

Collegian | File photo

Students in the Black/African American Culture Center office craft vision boards with the help of Bridgette Johnson, assistant vice president at The Office of Inclusive Excellence Feb. 15.

DJ Vicente, Staff Reporter

In the Black/African American Cultural Center office at Colorado State University, Bridgette Johnson, assistant vice president for inclusive excellence, talked to a group of students about the purpose she instills in her vision boards.

Johnson mentioned these boards are a visual reminder of intentions or a reminder to keep personal goals, future plans and values in mind, something especially important from the perspective of a college student.

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“This is you right now, where you are, and this is where you actually want to be and all of the things that will carry you there,” Johnson said.

Students crafted these vision boards with images from several image books primarily featuring Black people, provided by Johnson, in order to help students connect to their goals better.

“If I can find people that I can relate to, it feels a little different,” Johnson said.

With CSU’s Black History Month programs highlighting opportunities for students within the Black and African American community to learn about and celebrate their culture, “Vision Board with Ms. B” allows students within the community to express their own individuality.

With the creation of the vision boards, Johnson asked students to enjoy the process, allowing themselves the freedom to build their boards however they pleased with the tools provided to them and to make these boards their own.

One of the students participating in the event was Andrew Brown, a senior journalism student at CSU. Brown’s vision board focused on his goals for the future.

“Really, I want to focus on what I want to do after graduation,” Brown said.

Brown also considers himself a student leader, mentioning his desire to serve the community through ways that empower his peers around him. In his vision board, Brown also wished to be able to serve the community even after graduation.

Brown is a member of multiple organizations affiliated with the B/AACC. He mentioned his position as president at United Men of Color and being a member of the “Giving back ~ emPowering ~ Strengthening our culture!” program, which connects Black students from third to 12th grade to the culture of the Black community in Colorado.

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“We’re all putting in the work to make a much more united and fun environment for the community,” Brown said.

Shaza Mohamed, another student present at the event, modeled her own vision board in a similar vein to Brown’s, denoting her own personal goals set for herself into the future.

Mohamed noted that her board will act as a waypoint for herself, mentioning that in her day-to-day life, she can get overwhelmed easily, and as such, her vision board will allow her to focus on future goals she has set for herself.

Ambition is also a very significant part of Mohamed’s board, allowing her to pursue the goals she sets in her sights by the motivation she gathers for them, propelling her further toward what she wishes to achieve.

“My personal goals are who I want to be and what I want to bring to the world,” Mohamed said.

Other boards focused on expressing goals for the growth of personal identity. Among these boards was one by Ricky Winston, focused on her identity as a transgender Black woman.

On Winston’s board lay a number of images depicting female Black models, showcasing characteristics she desires to embody in the future.

“I am putting goals for my transition and what kind of woman I want to grow and embody,” Winston said.

For the peers around her in the community, Winston asks that people work to humanize each other, asking that her peers recognize that background, personal identity or other factors don’t affect the notion that everyone is an equal person.

“Vision Board with Ms. B” is the first of three events in the “Thirst for Knowledge and Excellence” series, alongside “Budgeting 101 with Patrice Palmer” and “Activism with Dr. Black.” Dates for both events are yet to be announced.

Reach DJ Vicente at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @DeejMako.