Emily Bishop, an Emory & Henry graduate of 2020, was recently hired as a program specialist for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Bishop believes that her experiences as an E&H student gives her an in-depth understanding of current students’ needs, specifically in regards to historically underrepresented communities.

“I only graduated two years ago, so I can still see that some things haven’t changed in regards to campus life,” she said. “I still know what’s going on around campus, and I can relate to students who are only a few years younger than me.”

Bishop has already created more opportunities for DEI student program assistants.

“So far, the students who work here are planning weekly programming in the DEI house, as well as a DEI street fair,” she said. “It’s going to be similar to the Global Street Fair, but I want my students to come up with different topics to share with our community.”

Terrel Smith is one of the students who works closely with Bishop. He believes that Bishop’s arrival has created more structure within DEI.

“She’s definitely made some nice changes,” he said. “We have weekly group meetings, and there are now more things to do during our shifts.”

In addition to overseeing the Office of DEI, Bishop also serves as an advisor for the PEACE (People Empowering Anti-Racist Communities Everywhere) program.

Ava Reynolds, a PEACE scholar, believes Bishop has made a positive impact on the first-year student program.

“Emily is such a kind person who shows us that she cares,” they say. “She understands that we as first-year students are still getting the hang of college, so she doesn’t put a lot of pressure on us.”

More information about upcoming events sponsored or hosted by the Office of DEI will be coming soon.