Downstairs in the student center, where the ping-pong tables and vending machines used to be, is the new Office of Multicultural Affairs. This is the first year of the Multicultural Affairs Office. The dean of the Multicultural Affairs is Mr. Kelvin Martinez with the help from Mr. Woo Jeon.
Dean of Multicultural Affairs Kelvin Martinez meets with students in the Multicultural Office (Photo: Prince Loney-Bailey ’19)
The Mirror caught up with Mr. Martinez to learn about his plans for the office. “The role of the Multicultural Office is to enhance diversity among students, staff and faculty on campus.” Mr. Martinez also stated that another goal of the Multicultural Affairs office is to “promote a culture that values and celebrates both, our differences and our shared humanity.”
“For the past few years, Northwood has strived to become a diverse and inclusive school,” Mr. Martinez said. Compared to other schools with fewer than 200 students, Northwood could be one of the most diverse schools in the nation. Now that the school has the diversity in numbers, according to Martinez, the goal now is to celebrate and embrace that diversity. “This is a very exciting project for me and I look forward to working collaboratively with the senior administrative and student life teams to assess the needs of our diverse student body and assist with implementation of a comprehensive set of programs to ensure their culture, social and academic success at Northwood,” said Mr. Martinez after being asked why he accepted the Multicultural Dean’s role at Northwood.
There will be several student groups that meet in the new Multicultural office during school hours. These groups will be formed organically by the students and the Multicultural office will support their agendas and programs. Mr. Martinez also plans to create a committee for Multicultural Affairs that will be made up of eleven adults and three students. “The new office space will be used to plan events on campus and hold meetings,” said Mr. Martinez. “It will also be used as a place for students to relax and do homework. We want this space to feel as welcoming as possible for all students,” he concluded.
