Communities Project: Section 1 by Jenna Scandale

Racial Identity

jennasca — 2025-09-03 22:03:15 UTC

My race is white. I know this because of the color of my skin. I don't recall when I first became aware of race, but as far as I can remember, I always knew I was white. My experience with race in primary, elementary, and secondary school has always been the same. I grew up in a predominantly white town, which was reflected in the diversity of my classmates and teachers-- or lack thereof. Having classmates and teachers who looked like me had both positives and drawbacks. Though I didn’t reflect on it at the time I would say that it might have been positive for me in the sense that I felt my identity was represented by the staff. People in school looked like me, acted like me, and I’m sure that made me feel represented and comfortable. On the other hand, it negatively impacted me because I didn’t have much exposure to races other than my own, which could have contributed to implicit biases I might have about different races capabilities.

Gender Identity

jennasca — 2025-09-03 22:16:54 UTC

Throughout my education in middle and high school, I always had more female teachers than male teachers, especially in elementary school. In hindsight, I think that this representation of my gender in the school staff could have inspired to me to become a teacher more than if the staff were male-dominated. In college, this gender gap remained; most of my classmates and professors in the education department are female. In my opinion, this has benefited my college experience because I have always felt comfortable participating in class and like I could easily relate to both my classmates and professors.

jennasca — 2025-09-03 22:25:20 UTC

Coming from a middle-class family, I always had access to the materials and resources I needed to do well in school. Whether it be pencils, notebooks, independent reading books, transportation etc., having these materials/resources each year allowed me to be an active participant in my classes. Moreover, being middle-class meant my parents didn't need multiple jobs and could work standard hours. This was helpful for me as a student because I always had a trusted adult taking me to and from school, and at home to take care of my other needs so that I could focus on academics.

Being in different schools in college has given me insight into how lucky I am to have had these privileges. Unfortunately, not every student has the luxury of just being a kid and is forced to take on big responsibilities that can inhibit their ability to fully show up in school.

jennasca — 2025-09-03 22:33:53 UTC

I grew up in a home where "standard English" was everyone's first language. It was also the language that all my teachers and classmates spoke, and that was in school textbooks. Since my first language was represented by the student/staff body and the curriculum, I didn't struggle to comprehend what I was being taught. Likewise, I was able to communicate easily with both my peers and teachers, which allowed me to create meaningful relationships with those around me. I didn't ever recognize this to be a sort of privilege at the time because it was all I knew, but I see now how it can be.

jennasca — 2025-09-03 22:43:54 UTC

As a healthy, able-bodied person, I was always able to get to and from school with ease, navigate my class schedule without a second thought, and participate in all activities both solitarily and in groups. For example, my physical abilities allowed me to play on the school sports teams, where I was able to travel, compete, and build relationships with my peers and coaches. This made my overall middle and high school experiences better. As with many of these other identities, I didn't at the time realize how lucky I was to live this way and how I was able to maximize my school experiences because of my ability. As I have gotten older, I can see how our relationships, academic experiences, and self-perception can be negatively shaped if our institutions are not inclusive and accessible to all students.